Ministry of Justice

Senior Data Scientist (python)

Location: National*

Closing Date: 26th October 2025

Interviews: w/c 10th November 2025 (dates are subject to change)

Grade: SEO

(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)

Salary:
National £42,914 - £46,182 (which may include an allowance of up to £9424) London £49,325 - £53,081 (which may include an allowance of up to £7440)

Working pattern: full-time, part-time, flexible working

Contract Type: Permanent

We’re growing our Data Science and AI Hub and currently have several Data Scientist positions open.

Our teams work with different tools and specialisms, so we’ve created separate job adverts for each:

• Python-focused roles - 10579
• R-focused roles - 10582
• Geospatial analysis roles – 10584

Please apply to the role that best matches your skills and preferences.

If you’re confident in more than one area, feel free to apply to multiple roles!

We’re excited to see what you can bring to the team!

*We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your local office. Office locations can be found ON THIS MAP

The Role

We’re recruiting for Senior Data Scientists here at Justice Digital, to be part of our welcoming Data Science and AI Hub.

This role aligns against Data Scientist from the Government Digital and Data Framework

The Data Science and AI Hub are a multi-disciplinary team of around 80 staff that sits at the heart of the Ministry of Justice providing data science support across a diverse and exciting agenda. We create a culture in which people are empowered by data and information to make better decisions using cutting edge tools, and put evidence at the heart of the justice system.

We have a track record of delivering digital services to front line staff using wide ranging data science techniques, including the award-winning safety diagnostic tool, which helps our staff tackle violence in prisons and the public-facing Criminal justice system (CJS) delivery data dashboard. We are also created Splink, used across the public sector, private sector, and academia. We regularly deliver insights that directly influence corporate, operational and policy decisions. Our projects span the data science spectrum including machine learning, natural language processing, large language models, traditional statistics, and operational research techniques.

To help picture your life at MoJ Justice Digital please take a look at our blog and our Digital and Technology strategy 2025

Key Responsibilities:

• Apply appropriate data science tools to build products to robust standards.
• Future-proof work with documentation, model monitoring, and re-assessment schedules.
• Work collaboratively with other data scientists using version control and proportionate dev-ops practices.
• Communicate results and possibilities to a variety of stakeholders.
• Help the team keep up to date with the wider data science landscape and emerging technologies.
• Contribute to making the Data Science and AI Hub an inclusive and vibrant place to work.
• Contribute to the strategy and direction of technical projects.
• Coach junior data scientists, improving their technical skills and independence.

Examples of MoJ Data Science and AI Hub work and ways of working:

• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/joined-up-data-in-government-the-future-of-data-linking-methods/splink-mojs-open-source-library-for-probabilistic-record-linkage-at-scale
• https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2058802X.2020.1726654
• https://criminal-justice-delivery-data-dashboards.justice.gov.uk/
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-justice-better-outcomes-through-linked-data-bold/ministry-of-justice-better-outcomes-through-linked-data-bold

If this feels like something you are enthusiastic about and you want to join our team, please read on and apply!

Benefits

• 37 hours per week and flexible working options including working from home, working part-time, job sharing, or working compressed hours.
• A £1k per person learning budget is in place to support all our people, with access to best-in-class conferences and seminars, accreditation with professional bodies, fully funded vocational programmes and e-learning platforms.
• Staff have 10% time to dedicate to develop & grow.
• Generous civil service pension based on defined benefit scheme, with employer contributions of 28.97% from April 1st 2024 (Contribution Rates).
• 25 days leave (plus bank holidays) and 1 privilege day usually taken around the Kings’ birthday. 5 additional days of leave once you have reached 5 years of service.
• Compassionate maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!
• Wellbeing support including access to the Calm app.
• Nurturing professional and interpersonal networks including those for Carers & Childcare, Gender Equality, PROUD and SPIRIT.
• Bike loans up to £2500 and secure bike parking (subject to availability and location).
• Season ticket loans, childcare vouchers and eye-care vouchers.
• 5 days volunteering paid leave.
• Some offices may have a subsidised onsite Gym.
  

Person Specification

Requirements

• Experience of applying data science techniques (e.g. machine learning, language models, and traditional statistical models)
• A foundation in probability and statistics, and an interest in how models work.
• Experience in writing high-quality code in Python (or significant experience with other programming languages and ability to learn Python quickly)
• Data derivation/manipulation in code and/or SQL
• Ability to communicate analytical results convincingly to technical and non-technical audiences
• Able to identify opportunities and applicability of data science and take initiative in project development.

Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for SC clearanc

If you are interested in applying but are not sure you have all the skills listed, please do apply and give us the opportunity to consider you as a candidate. We value technical foundations and ability to learn.

We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring and do not discriminate based on culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor. 

Our values are Purpose, Humanity Openness and Togetherness. Find out more here about how we celebrate diversity and an inclusive culture in our workplace. 

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

How to Apply

Candidates must submit an anonymised CV and Personal Statement describing how you meet the requirements set out in the Person Specification above. You will not be considered if you do not provide both.

We read all applications – we do not use algorithmic sifting.

Your CV should

• Be succinct and clear – no more than 2 pages long
• Be factually accurate – if you use generative AI tools, you are responsible for any inaccurate statements.
• Include your qualifications, highlighting any modules or accreditation relevant to the role (this could include both applied study or pure maths)
• Include your relevant experience, providing dates.
• Provide detail – we are interested in how you have used different tools to solve problems.

If you are offered a role, you may be required to provide evidence of your qualifications.

Your Personal Statement should be no more than 750 words and should give us examples of how your skills and experience match those needed for this role. This is an opportunity to add depth to the best evidence in your CV. Consider addressing particular points in the ‘person specification requirements’ and ‘key responsibilities’. We recommend following the STAR format.

Application Guidance

Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply and how to complete a Personal Statement

Application Guidance

In Justice Digital, we recruit using a combination of the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability and Success Profiles Frameworks. We will assess you against the technical skills from the Government Digital and Data Framework for Data Scientists and the following Behaviours during the assessment process:

• Communicating and Influencing - How you communicate your work persuasively to a variety of audiences
• Working together - How you have encouraged collaboration with others to achieve a common goal

A diverse panel will review your application against the Person Specification above. All applications are assessed by humans.

Successful candidates who meet the required standard will then be invited to complete a technical assessment and a 1-hour panel interview held via video conference.

Should we receive a high volume of applications, a pre-sift based on experience of applying data science techniques / foundation in probability and statistics will be conducted before the sift.

Should you be unsuccessful in the role that you have applied for but demonstrate the capability for a role at a lower level, we reserve the right to discuss this opportunity with you and offer you the position without needing a further application.

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, from which further appointments may be made.
 
Use of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. The use of AI during interviews is strictly forbidden. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Terms & Conditions

Please review our Terms and Conditions which set out how we recruit and provide further information related to the role and salary arrangements.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact digitalanddatarecruitment@justice.gov.uk