Data Scientist

Virgin Media; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading telecommunications company is seeking a Data Scientist to develop machine learning models and improve operations in Birmingham. Key responsibilities include building and deploying models, working collaboratively with a team, and translating business challenges into data science solutions. Applicants should have strong Python skills and relevant academic qualifications.

Benefits

Bumper reward package

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Experience bringing live services using machine learning and Python to production.
• Familiarity with cloud hosting and good software engineering practices.
• Strong maths or computer science background.

Responsibilities

• Building ML models and writing real-time service code.
• Implementing code for production services and pair coding.
• Digging into data to look for opportunities.

Skills

Experience applying knowledge in statistics and machine learning

Strong knowledge of Python and relevant libraries

Experience working in an agile software development environment

Ability to translate consumer business problems into data science use cases

Good interpersonal skills

Education

MSc/PhD education in scientific field or computer science

Tools

Docker

CI/CD pipelines

Job description

We have an amazing opportunity for a Data Scientist to join our amazing team here at Virgin Media O2.

You’ll be hands‑on role and work across multiple exciting programs of work including personalisation, operations and network data science capabilities. You’ll be building ML models and writing code in real‑time services powering the Virgin Media digital products (website and apps), our marketing capabilities, network efficiency and ensuring our operations are running optimally.

A normal week might look like writing prediction models, digging into data to look for opportunities, implementing code for production services, pair coding and modelling with more senior scientists and engineers, feeding back into an established data engineering / ML Ops team to determine platform choices for data scientists to be most efficient and effective.

We’re primarily a Google and Python shop. It’s fine if your background is in Azure, AWS or another cloud technology provider, but some experience with cloud or open source data science tools is expected. Reasonable experience in engineering in Python is required, scientists in this team are working on real‑time services, paired up with software and data engineers. This isn’t a job where scientists spend all their time in notebooks, some part is actually moving models into production as part of the team. You’ll feed requirements and suggestions into the current state of technologies and help to choose new ones as well, primarily we build in house.

Who we are

The UK’s fastest broadband network. The nation’s best‑loved mobile brand. And, one of the UK’s biggest companies too. We put our customers first, making life simpler, smoother, and more joyful. With big ambitions and a brilliant team, we’re building a more connected future for everyone.

Our ways of working

We’re a flexible‑first organisation, because we know people do their best work when they have choice and clarity. To support meaningful collaboration, we ask everyone to spend at least eight days each month connecting in person.

That doesn’t just mean time in the office, it could be team meetings, offsites, volunteering days, cross‑functional projects, or away days – anywhere meaningful collaboration happens. What matters is making those moments purposeful, so when we come together, it really counts.

Accessible, inclusive and equitable for all

Virgin Media O2 is an equal opportunities employer and we’re working hard to remove bias and barriers for our people and candidates. So, we build equity and inclusion into everything we do, from the policies we craft to the relationships we shape. We support and encourage you to be your authentic self throughout your application journey with us.

The must haves

In order to be considered, you must have the following experience;

• Experience applying knowledge in statistics and machine learning to real world commercial problems
• Experience bringing live services using machine learning and python to production.
• Strong knowledge of Python and relevant libraries (numpy, pandas, matplotlib, Scikit‑learn, tensorflow, etc…) knowledge in other programming languages is valuable, but this is primarily a Python shop.
• Experience with things like CI/CD pipelines, Docker or similar, cloud hosting, good software engineering practices - we have an ML Ops team but you’ll need to be familiar with why these things are good and how to use/do them
• Experience working in an agile software development environment
• Strong maths or computer science background gained through MSc/PhD education in scientific field / computer science
• Ability to translate consumer business problems into data science use cases and requirements

The other stuff we are looking for

We’d also love you to bring;

• Good interpersonal skills offering ability to explain complex techniques to non‑technical audience
• Focus on implementation and business impact of modelling through commercial acuity
• Proactive and creative while considering approaches to use data to solve problems.
• Advanced data preparation and munging skills with ability to transform data into suitable formats and outputs.
• Ability to visualise and communicate findings in an understandable manner to non‑technical users
• Some familiarity with the practical use of Large Language Models (LLMs) and agentic frameworks to create structured, automated conversational workflows
  

What’s in it for you

Our goal is to celebrate our people, their lives and everything in‑between. We aim to create a culture that empowers everyone to bring the best versions of themselves to work each and every day. We believe the most inclusive and diverse culture makes for a better business and a brighter world.

Working at Virgin Media O2, you get a bumper reward package bursting with benefits, and loads of extras you can add if you’d like. These are designed to support both you and your loved ones, making sure that you’re covered no matter what life throws your way.

Next steps

If we feel like a place where you can belong, we’d love to learn more about you as a person and your experience to date. Once you’ve submitted an application the next steps of the process, if successful, are likely to include a personality profile assessment followed by a technical and competency‑based interview.

When you apply, you’ll be asked about any adjustments you might need to support the recruitment process. Let us know, and we’ll be sure to discuss it with you.

Please note: Applications will be reviewed, and interviews conducted throughout the duration of this advert, therefore we may bring the closing date forward. We encourage all interested applicants to apply as soon as possible. If you’re offered a job with us, it will be conditional, based on the passing of background checks. All roles require a criminal record check and some roles need a financial probity check. Your recruiter can provide you with more information if needed.

Thanks for your patience and for showing an interest in joining the Virgin Media O2 family