skip navigation
skip mega-menu

Senior Data Scientist - Planning Inspectorate - SEO

Government Digital & Data -

Full-time (Permanent)
£45,219 - £49,462 plus DDaT Allowance up to £12,181
Published on
11 March 2025
Deadline
23 March 2025

This Senior Data Scientist role is key to the development and delivery of innovative projects for key stakeholders in the Planning Inspectorate. The post holder will proactively analyse data from numerous sources in order to gain a better understanding about how the Inspectorate performs and will build AI/Machine Learning tools that will automate processes and promote data driven decisions. 

The Senior Data Scientist will also work closely with the rest of the team to see how outputs can be delivered more efficiently and that they keep pace with new technology and are future proof.

Job description

We are looking for a proactive, analytical thinker who is curious about data and keen to explore what insight it can add to the organisation.     

You will be highly motivated to help improve performance, working as part of a team with significant responsibility.      

You will need to be a good communicator, to help explain findings to stakeholders; and to explore areas for new or improved reporting and analysis.  

A typical day/week in this role will consist of:   

  • Contributing to the data science community of practice within the Inspectorate  
  • Working with stakeholders to identify areas of the organisation where data science can be applied to improve efficiency via automation and reproducible analytical pipelines  
  • Using machine learning to create models that generate useful insight and communicating this to stakeholders to promote and support data driven decisions  
  • Spending time learning and developing current or new skills  
  • Maintaining and improving existing or new data science products

The Planning Inspectorate has a long and proud history in ensuring a fair planning system for England. The work we do has a significant impact on people’s lives, the communities where they live and the economy.

We want our colleagues to be able to work more flexibly and more collaboratively, exploring new and innovative ways to improve the way we provide services.

For further information on the Planning Inspectorate, please visit our careers page at Civil Service Careers

Office Attendance

This role is contractually based at Temple Quay House, Bristol which is currently out of use due to undergoing refurbishment work. In the interim, we have the use of alternative office space in very close proximity to Bristol Temple Meads railway station. We recognise and value the mutual benefits of hybrid working and have a flexible approach to in person attendance, which can vary dependent on the requirements of individual business units - the details of which can be discussed with candidates if invited to attend an interview.

Person specification

We will assess your application against the Essential Criteria and Success Profile elements listed:

Essential Criteria

  • You will require a first or second class degree (i.e. a first, a 2:1 or a 2:2) in a relevant field (e.g. Data Science/Computer Science/Statistics).
  • Experience of applied complex data analytics, machine learning and pattern recognition (e.g. machine learning techniques and algorithms for classification and regression, such as k-NN, Naïve Bayes, SVM, Decision Trees, etc).
  • Strong experience with R or Python (including core data science libraries such as tidyverse, numpy, pandas, scikit-learn) to clean, manipulate, visualise, and model data.
  • Experience communicating technical subjects and results to a non-technical audience to support data driven decisions.
  • Good applied statistical skills, such as distributions, hypothesis testing, and regression.
  • Good knowledge of ethical and privacy considerations when conducting analysis.

Desirable Criteria

  • Knowledge of the UK Planning System
  • Experience with Git

Qualifications

• You will require a first or second class degree (i.e. a first, a 2:1 or a 2:2) in a relevant field (e.g. Data Science/Computer Science/Statistics).

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

  • Changing and Improving
  • Delivering at Pace
  • Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

  • • Good applied statistical skills, such as distributions, hypothesis testing, and regression.
  • Good knowledge of ethical and privacy considerations when conducting analysis.

More jobs at Government Digital & Data

Lead Business Analyst-Department for Transport
£51,997
Full-time (Permanent)
Technical Architect Vehicle Certification Agency-SEO
£57,400
Full-time (Permanent)
Software Engineer - ONS - HEO
£32,452
Full-time (Permanent)
IT Support Engineer - Met Office - EO
£26,954 - £29,531
Full-time (Permanent)
DDaT Senior BI Design & Integration Manager - MoD - SEO
£43,080
Full-time (Permanent)
Lead Applied AI Engineer (i.AI) - CO - G6
£67,126 - £103,924
Full-time (Permanent)
DDAT Lead Technical Architect - MoD - G7
£57,670 - This post is eligible for a Digital Skills Allowance of up to £15,300 per annum
Full-time (Permanent)
Interaction Design Industrial Placement 2025 - Met Office - AO
£25,606
Full-time (Permanent)
Lead DevOps Engineer - DWP - G6
£72,664 - £89,995
Full-time (Permanent)
Software Development Engineer In Test (Automation Test Engineer
Full-time (Permanent)
Software Developer in Test - HM Courts and Tribunals Service - SEO
£41,463 - £52,040 location dependant. Offers above will be an additional GDD allowance based on experience.
Full-time (Permanent)
Software Developer in Test - HM Courts and Tribunals Service - SEO
£41,463 - £52,040 location dependant. Offers above will be an additional GDD allowance based on experience.
Full-time (Permanent)
Software Developer - HM Courts and Tribunals Service - SEO
The national salary range is £41,463 - £45,276, London salary range is £47,657 - £52,040.
Full-time (Permanent)
Interaction Designer - Planning Inspectorate - SEO
£45,219 - £49,462
Full-time (Permanent)
Senior DevOps Engineer - HSE - SEO
£45,954 - £53,265
Full-time (Permanent)
Security Architect - NS&I - G7
National minimum £57,500 London minimum £66,000
Full-time (Permanent)
Defence Business Services (DBS) AG Lead Technical Architect - MoD - G7
£59,690. Offers above this will be made up of DSA , Digital Skill allowance of up to £15,300
Full-time (Permanent)
Senior Data Architect - UKHSA - G7
£54,416 - £68,344
Full-time (Permanent)
Senior Test Engineer - DWP - G7
£55,557 - £71,017
Full-time (Permanent)
Lead Test Engineer - DWP - G6
£72,664 - £87,740
Full-time (Permanent)
Senior Software Developer - RoS - SEO
The base salary for this role is £46,677 - £54,957. This job qualifies for Digital, Data and Technology Annual Pay supplement 20% which is included in the total remuneration above.
Full-time (Permanent)
Senior Software Developer - Welsh Revenue Authority - SEO
£45,974 - £54,430 This post is considered a Group 1 post by UK Government’s Central Digital & Data Office and therefore will include Group 1 DDaT allowance
Full-time (Permanent)
Lead Software Developer GIS - DEFRA - G7
National: £54,470 - £61,000, London: £59,900 - £67,090 plus industry leading pension and benefits.
Full-time (Permanent)
Apprentice Software Developer (BSc Degree) - DVSA - EO
£29,525
Full-time (Permanent)
Defence Business Services (DBS) CSM-CDSDefHrs Application Lead - MoD - G7
The base salary for this grade is £59,690. Offers above this will be made up of DSA , Digital Skill allowance of up to £15,300
Full-time (Permanent)
Lead Technical Architect - ONS - G7
National (£58,594 - £66,043) / London (£63,751 - £70,634). Plus a skills allowance of up to £7,500 (non-pensionable and non-contractual) may be payable.
Full-time (Permanent)
Lead Technical Architect - MoD - G7
£59,690 This post is eligible for a Digital Skills Allowance of up to £15,300 per annum
Full-time (Permanent)
Microsoft Platform Architect (M365) - DEFRA - SEO
National: £41,220 - £45,400, London: £44,500 - £49,020 plus additional skills supplement paid up to £14,202.
Full-time (Permanent)
Lead Service Transition Manager - HO - G7
£60,300 for National Roles. £64,300 for London Roles. Recruitment Retention Allowance (RRA): Up to £11,300
Full-time (Permanent)
Senior Infrastructure Engineer - Companies House - HEO
Base salary is £40,398 with an additional DDaT allowance of £4,350 - £11,000 available
Full-time (Permanent)
Lead Infrastructure Engineer - Companies House - SEO
Base salary is £41,571 - £45,784 with an additional DDaT allowance of £4,350 - £11,000 available
Full-time (Permanent)
Data Engagement Lead - GDS - G7
The base salary of this grade is £61,005 for London and £55,403 for other locations.
Full-time (Permanent)
Principal Data Architect IBCA Data Platform - CO - G6
£67,126 - £71,795
Full-time (Permanent)
Senior Enterprise Architect (Data) - HMRC - G7
National Minimum £56,344 Maximum £62,590 - London Minimum £63,397 Maximum £70,422
Full-time (Permanent)
Data Architecture Lead - GPA - G7
£54,285 - £60,585 plus allowances of up to £15,000
Full-time (Permanent)
Senior Test Engineer - HO - SEO
£48,720 - £52,130 plus additional allowance of up to £12,680
Full-time (Permanent)
Senior Service Designer - CO - G7
£55,403 - £65,163 Offers above the band minimum are subject to our assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated at interview.
Full-time (Permanent)
Senior Software Developer - HM Land Registry - SEO
£46,058 - £50,715 Government Digital and Data Pay Framework Eligible
Full-time (Permanent)
Principal Software Developer - Companies House - SEO
Base salary is £51,854 - £55,717 with an additional DDaT allowance of £4,350 - £10,000 available
Full-time (Permanent)
Software Developer - HM Land Registry - HEO
£41,100 - £44,400 HMLR Digital and Data Pay Supplement
Full-time (Permanent)
Senior Java Developer (National) - Insolvency Service - SEO
National: £44,812 - £50,213 (London- only open to Internal Candidates) £46,926 - £52,583 This post attracts an R&R supplement of £5,150.
Full-time (Permanent)
Junior DevOps Engineer - IPO - EO
£31,783 - £33,055
Full-time (Permanent)
Senior DevOps Engineer (WebOps & Cloud Application Support) - Companies House - HEO
Base salary is £40,398 with an additional DDaT allowance of £4,350 - £11,000 available.
Full-time (Permanent)
Lead WebOps Engineer (WebOps/DevOps) - Companies House - SEO
Base salary is £41,571 with an additional DDaT allowance of £4,350 - £11,000 available.
Full-time (Permanent)
Senior Dynamics Developer - IPO - SEO
£46,262 - £59,906 plus up to £11,330 allowance
Full-time (Permanent)

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up here