Associate Data Science Analyst

Colonial Group; St Albans; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Share Investment Plan

Annual discretionary bonus

Pension matching

Private medical cover

Discount in Costa stores

Costa Financial Support Fund

Job summary

Costa Coffee is looking for a Data Scientist to turn complex data into meaningful business insights. You’ll build predictive models, create data pipelines and deliver dashboards that influence commercial and operational decisions. Join a flexible, collaborative team moving toward a new UK-based Support Centre in St Albans.

You’ll work with Python, PySpark, SQL, Azure and Databricks in a modern data environment, communicating clearly with both technical and non-technical colleagues to drive value.

Qualifications

• 2–3 years of professional experience as a Data Analyst/Scientist or similar role.
• Proven expertise in using data, statistics and ML to solve business challenges.
• Strong knowledge of Python, PySpark and SQL with complex datasets.

Responsibilities

• Gather, clean and process data from multiple sources for analysis.
• Explore data to identify patterns and opportunities for better decisions.
• Apply ML techniques to build predictive models and actionable insights.
• Create and maintain data pipelines and automated workflows (ETL).
• Produce clear reports and dashboards using Power BI for stakeholders.

Skills

Python

PySpark

SQL

Machine learning

Azure

Databricks

Power BI

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher in a quantitative field

Tools

Azure Databricks

Job description

At Costa Coffee, we are what we craft. We're reimagining coffee experiences in over 50 countries and counting, as a key part of the Coca-Cola System. Whether you get your coffee in a store, from a machine, at home, or on the go, we've got you covered.

Our teams make a difference. Whether that’s working on new tech for the perfect pour, helping our teams grow, creating award-winning campaigns, crunching the numbers, or developing the latest exciting menu item, together, we stir up success.

We may be a global brand, but we haven’t forgotten our roots. That’s where the Costa Foundation and our fantastic community agenda come in. Whatever your role, you can help us change lives in coffee‑growing communities and help your local community too.

We also want to help you grow in your career through amazing experiences, our apprenticeship scheme and development programmes. At Costa, you can go beyond the day‑to‑day.

And as a Data Scientist, there’s never been a better time to join.

So, why Costa?

We didn’t become a global coffee brand by sitting back. When you work here, you join a community that values passion, progression and integrity, with some pretty brilliant perks to sweeten the deal:

• Own a piece of Costa's success by becoming a share owner in Coca-Cola with our Share Investment Plan (SIP)
• An annual discretionary bonus scheme, based on business results and individual contribution
• A smart pension that saves you money on tax and National Insurance, and matches your contributions up to 10%
• The Costa Financial Support Fund, supporting team members who find themselves in unexpected financial pressure
• 50% discount in all Costa‑owned stores, and 25% off in other participating stores
• Private medical cover thanks to our Private Healthcare scheme
• And that’s not all. Explore even more of our perks here

What you’ll do:

Being a Data Scientist is about so much more than working with numbers. It’s your chance to turn complex data into meaningful insight, build solutions that influence decisions and help Costa unlock new opportunities, which means you’ll be:

• Gathering, cleaning and processing data from a range of internal and external sources, making sure it is accurate, reliable and ready for analysis.
• Exploring data to identify patterns, trends, outliers and opportunities that can support stronger commercial and operational decisions.
• Applying statistical and machine learning techniques to build predictive and prescriptive models, test hypotheses and solve real business problems.
• Using Python, PySpark and SQL to analyse data and develop high‑quality, maintainable solutions.
• Creating and maintaining data pipelines and automated workflows, following agreed ETL and data governance processes.
• Producing clear reports, dashboards and visualisations using tools such as Power BI to bring your findings to life.
• Working with colleagues across Data, Technology and Revenue Growth Management to understand business needs and translate them into data‑led solutions.
• Presenting actionable insights and recommendations to technical and non‑technical stakeholders, helping teams turn analysis into commercial value.
• Exploring cutting‑edge AI methodologies responsibly and identifying opportunities to improve processes, products and decision‑making.
• Contributing to timely project delivery, strong model quality, stakeholder satisfaction and production‑level code quality.

Who you are

It’s your unique ingredients we’re interested in:

• A data professional with 2‑3 years of professional experience as a Data Analyst, Data Scientist or in a similar role, ideally within a related industry or domain.
• Proven expertise in using data, statistical analysis and machine learning to solve business challenges and generate actionable insight.
• Strong technical capability across Python, PySpark and SQL, with experience working with complex datasets.
• Strong knowledge of machine learning algorithms, including classification, regression, supervised learning and unsupervised learning.
• Proven expertise in model tuning and feature selection, with the judgement to evaluate and improve model performance.
• Experience using Azure and Databricks within a modern data environment.
• A strong listener and communicator who can explain technical concepts and findings clearly to different audiences.
• A collaborative problem solver who can build strong relationships across technical teams and business functions.
• A bachelor’s degree or higher in a quantitative field such as statistics, mathematics, computer science or engineering.

It would be helpful, but not essential, if you also have:

• Data visualisation experience, including Power BI.
• Experience working within the retail industry.

Where you’ll work.

Right now, our Support Centre teams work flexibly, blending home working with in‑person time whenever it matters most, whether that’s a team moment, a collaborative session or simply coming together to share ideas

We’re excited to be moving into a new home for our brand in St Albans in January 2027, an inspiring space from which our Support Centre teams will work three days a week to connect and collaborate in person and bring our bold ambition to life.