Principal Data Scientist

Press Tab to Move to Skip to Content Link

London, GBR, W1A 1AA
| Glasgow, GBR, G511DA
| Newcastle-upon-Tyne, GBR, NE991RN
| Salford, GBR, M50 2QH

JOB BAND: D
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, Full-time
DEPARTMENT: BBC Product Group – Account & Identity
LOCATION: London / Newcastle / Salford / Glasgow – Hybrid working with 1 day a week expected in office base location.
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £73,000 - £83,000 depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.

We're happy to discuss flexible working. If you'd like to, please indicate your preference in the application – though there's no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

The BBC has been serving audiences online for decades, across key products such as BBC iPlayer. As we evolve to deliver more personalised content and experiences, Data Science is at the heart of that transformation.

As a team, we use ML / AI to enrich our content and power personalised experiences for millions of audience members. We're looking for a Principal Data Scientist to join the Product Group.

As Principal Data Scientist you'll play a hands‑on role in building machine learning products at BBC scale. Working as part of a highly cross‑functional team, you'll help overcome the challenges of deploying ML in production.

You'll have the opportunity to get involved with the wider data science community, both at the BBC and externally. We hope you'll be enthusiastic about sharing your knowledge and growing others.

• 
  
• You'll use your technical skills to deliver value to BBC audiences, blending a breadth and depth of data science expertise.
  
• You'll have impact within your immediate team and beyond, across the wider BBC, instrumental in developing scalable ML products.
  
• You'll bring experience of being an effective contributor in a crossfunctional team, working with others to overcome the challenges of delivering ML in production.
  
• You'll be responsible for using your knowledge of different machine learning algorithms to solve complex problems effectively.
  
• You'll join the wider BBC Data Science community, with internal and external opportunities to get involved and share your knowledge.
  

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• 
  
• A strong understanding of data science and machine learning techniques, including recent advances and their applications for implementation in a production environment.
  
• Good general programming skills, particularly in python, including knowledge of code management and deployment.
  
• The ability to contribute effectively in a cross-functional team, including the ability to prioritise and work in a structured manner.
  
• The ability to communicate to both technical and non-technical audiences.
  

DESIRED BUT NOT REQUIRED:

• 
  
• A strong understanding and significant experience of development and productionisation of data science products, including use of NLP techniques.
  
• Experience developing ML/AI solutions within a cloud computing platform - we use AWS.
  
• A strong understanding of Generative AI techniques, notably LLMs, including recent advances and their applications for responsible implementation in a production environment.
  
• Experience of supporting other Data Scientist/s with their technical work to deliver value in production.
  
• Experience with model lifecycle management and MLOps.
  

If you can bring some of these skills and experience, along with transferable strengths, we'd love to hear from you and encourage you to apply.

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Contracts of Employment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.

This is your BBC

At the BBC you can create and innovate in an inclusive environment while contributing to some of the world's best loved content, and the BBC's mission to inform, educate and entertain.

Life at BBC

Here you will benefit from:
• Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a flexible 35‑hour working week, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care and gym.
• Excellent career and professional development.
• Support in your working life, including flexible working which you can discuss with us at any point during the application, selection or offer.
• A values‑based organisation where the way we do things is important as what we do.

Benefits may vary if you are joining on an FTC basis.

Learn more about life at the BBC and our values in our candidate pack.

You belong

We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio‑economic background, religion and/or belief.

Find out more about diversity, inclusion and belonging in our strategy below.

We are a disability confident employer. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via email and we'd be happy to discuss:

BBC Group and Public Services, Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, United Kingdom, W1A 1AA. BBC Studios Distribution Limited, company no: 01420028, registered address: 1 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, United Kingdom W12 7FA.