Lead Data Scientist (Authoring & Curation)
Package Description
Job Reference: 23234
Band: E
Salary: £87,000 - £97,000, depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.
Contract type: Fixed Term Contract
Location: Glasgow, London, Salford, Newcastle. This is a hybrid role and the successful candidate will balance office working with home working.
We’re happy to discuss flexible working. Please indicate your choice under the flexible working question in the application. There is no obligation to raise this at the application stage but if you wish to do so, you are welcome to. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.
Excellent career progression – the BBC offers great opportunities for employees to seek new challenges and work in different areas of the organisation.
Unrivalled training and development opportunities – our in-house Academy hosts a wide range of internal and external courses and certification.
Benefits - We offer a negotiable salary package, a flexible 35-hour working week for work-life balance and 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care and gym. You can find out more about working at the BBC by selecting this link to our candidate pack.
If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process please contact the reasonable.adjustments@bbc.co.uk . For any general queries, please contact: bbchr@bbc.co.uk .
Freelancers
Freelancers are eligible to apply for an internal role if they are on a Worker Contract and they have worked continuously for 6 months. If they have worked for less than 6 months continuously or have a break of 3 weeks or more between engagements, they must seek Divisional HR approval to apply for an internal role prior to submitting an application.
If they are unsure which contract they are on, they can speak to their booker or the HR BP, however if it helps - both a PAYE freelance or Modus Gross contract is considered a Worker contract and covered by the Worker terms found here .
Job Introduction
The BBC has been serving audiences online for more than 20 years. Across key products including BBC iPlayer, News, Sport, Weather and Sounds, we entertain, educate and inform audiences in their millions every day.
Behind the scenes we have work to do. We are making the shift from being a broadcaster that speaks to our audiences as one, to becoming a service that is directly shaped by them and designed around their wants and needs. We are creating personalised content, products and services that bring the right content, to the right people, at the right time - a personalised BBC. This is our greatest leap since iPlayer, and that’s why it’s right at the top of our agenda.
At the BBC we see data science as fundamental on that journey. We use machine learning and AI to enrich our content and power personalised experiences for millions of audience members.
We’re looking for a Lead Data Scientist to join the Product Group for a five month fixed term, to cover for one of our existing Leads while on parental leave. In this role you will help to support the delivery of value of our existing ML / AI products and help the team grow into newly emerging opportunities.
This role is to lead the Authoring + Curation Data Science team, who focus on delivering automated metadata and authoring tooling for BBC audiences. This is a well-established team with significant ambition for the year ahead, aiming to accelerate the delivery of generative AI within the content publication workflows. This is a fantastic opportunity to grow your leadership skillset as part of a multi-disciplinary leadership team at a time of significant transformation.
Interview Process
• Brief introductory screening call for shortlisted candidates (approx 20 minutes)
• Two part interview - 1.5 hours total
• Case study task - 45 mins (10 min presentation + approx. 30 min Q&A)
• Competency based interview - 45 mins
Main Responsibilities
You will lead and manage a team of data scientists working as part of a diverse and cross-functional team. Whilst previous management experience isn’t necessary, we are looking for candidates who are enthusiastic about this part of the role.
There are three key components to this role. Firstly, you are responsible for the results that the data science team achieves in your area. This isn’t about being the smartest person in the room, but making sure that the team are on the right track and have the environment they need to be successful.
Secondly, you will be part of multi-disciplinary leadership in your area, with cross-functional representation including software engineering, product management and delivery. You will work together to set the course and make good decisions for the team.
Thirdly, alongside colleagues in Product Group’s Data Science leadership team, you will be an advocate of data science and machine learning at the BBC. You will talk to others in the organisation to understand their domain and to understand how data science and machine learning could help. You will advise on whether they need machine learning at all, share your knowledge on best practice, and foster collaboration opportunities that deliver value to audiences.
Are you the right candidate
• Enthusiasm for leading and managing a team of data scientists (experience a bonus)
• Experienced in delivering value with data and ML products and/or features in production at scale
• Experienced in working with multi-disciplinary teams
• An understanding of the technical landscape of data science and machine learning in industry
• Able to work with domain experts and non-technical stakeholders to identify new collaboration opportunities
Package Description
Job Reference: 23234
Band: E
Salary: £87,000 - £97,000, depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.
Contract type: Fixed Term Contract
Location: Glasgow, London, Salford, Newcastle. This is a hybrid role and the successful candidate will balance office working with home working.
We’re happy to discuss flexible working. Please indicate your choice under the flexible working question in the application. There is no obligation to raise this at the application stage but if you wish to do so, you are welcome to. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.
Excellent career progression – the BBC offers great opportunities for employees to seek new challenges and work in different areas of the organisation.
Unrivalled training and development opportunities – our in-house Academy hosts a wide range of internal and external courses and certification.
Benefits - We offer a negotiable salary package, a flexible 35-hour working week for work-life balance and 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care and gym. You can find out more about working at the BBC by selecting this link to our candidate pack.
If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process please contact the reasonable.adjustments@bbc.co.uk . For any general queries, please contact: bbchr@bbc.co.uk .
Freelancers
Freelancers are eligible to apply for an internal role if they are on a Worker Contract and they have worked continuously for 6 months. If they have worked for less than 6 months continuously or have a break of 3 weeks or more between engagements, they must seek Divisional HR approval to apply for an internal role prior to submitting an application.
If they are unsure which contract they are on, they can speak to their booker or the HR BP, however if it helps - both a PAYE freelance or Modus Gross contract is considered a Worker contract and covered by the Worker terms found here .
Job Introduction
The BBC has been serving audiences online for more than 20 years. Across key products including BBC iPlayer, News, Sport, Weather and Sounds, we entertain, educate and inform audiences in their millions every day.
Behind the scenes we have work to do. We are making the shift from being a broadcaster that speaks to our audiences as one, to becoming a service that is directly shaped by them and designed around their wants and needs. We are creating personalised content, products and services that bring the right content, to the right people, at the right time - a personalised BBC. This is our greatest leap since iPlayer, and that’s why it’s right at the top of our agenda.
At the BBC we see data science as fundamental on that journey. We use machine learning and AI to enrich our content and power personalised experiences for millions of audience members.
We’re looking for a Lead Data Scientist to join the Product Group for a five month fixed term, to cover for one of our existing Leads while on parental leave. In this role you will help to support the delivery of value of our existing ML / AI products and help the team grow into newly emerging opportunities.
This role is to lead the Authoring + Curation Data Science team, who focus on delivering automated metadata and authoring tooling for BBC audiences. This is a well-established team with significant ambition for the year ahead, aiming to accelerate the delivery of generative AI within the content publication workflows. This is a fantastic opportunity to grow your leadership skillset as part of a multi-disciplinary leadership team at a time of significant transformation.
Interview Process
• Brief introductory screening call for shortlisted candidates (approx 20 minutes)
• Two part interview - 1.5 hours total
• Case study task - 45 mins (10 min presentation + approx. 30 min Q&A)
• Competency based interview - 45 mins
Main Responsibilities
You will lead and manage a team of data scientists working as part of a diverse and cross-functional team. Whilst previous management experience isn’t necessary, we are looking for candidates who are enthusiastic about this part of the role.
There are three key components to this role. Firstly, you are responsible for the results that the data science team achieves in your area. This isn’t about being the smartest person in the room, but making sure that the team are on the right track and have the environment they need to be successful.
Secondly, you will be part of multi-disciplinary leadership in your area, with cross-functional representation including software engineering, product management and delivery. You will work together to set the course and make good decisions for the team.
Thirdly, alongside colleagues in Product Group’s Data Science leadership team, you will be an advocate of data science and machine learning at the BBC. You will talk to others in the organisation to understand their domain and to understand how data science and machine learning could help. You will advise on whether they need machine learning at all, share your knowledge on best practice, and foster collaboration opportunities that deliver value to audiences.
Are you the right candidate
• Enthusiasm for leading and managing a team of data scientists (experience a bonus)
• Experienced in delivering value with data and ML products and/or features in production at scale
• Experienced in working with multi-disciplinary teams
• An understanding of the technical landscape of data science and machine learning in industry
• Able to work with domain experts and non-technical stakeholders to identify new collaboration opportunities
