Data Scientist

BBC; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

BBC in London or Salford is hiring a Data Scientist to develop statistical and machine learning models that illuminate audience behaviour and support decision-making. The role combines working with large datasets across BBC products and audiences.

You will join a team of around a dozen data scientists, using SQL, Python or R, and collaborate with engineers and researchers to deliver robust analyses and production-ready solutions on an evolving data platform.

Qualifications

• Degree in mathematics, statistics, computer science, econometrics, data science or related field or equivalent work experience.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate ambiguous business questions into practical analytical approaches.
• Demonstrable experience applying data science techniques and/or statistical analysis to solve business problems, translating business problems into practical technical solutions and choosing the appropriate model or algorithm.
• Ability to communicate analytical concepts and findings clearly to non-technical stakeholders.
• Good programming skills in Python or R, alongside strong SQL skills for working with large datasets.

Responsibilities

• Apply statistical and machine learning techniques to answer business questions and improve understanding of audience behaviour, combining data from multiple sources from digital activity to panel data.
• Design, develop and evaluate analytical models, ranging from exploratory analyses and proof-of-concepts through to production solutions delivered in partnership with engineering teams.
• Develop reproducible analytical workflows using SQL, Python or R on our data and machine learning platform.
• Develop an understanding of the BBC and wider media markets, to help position models and analysis in real terms, and communicate findings, assumptions and recommendations appropriately to non-technical stakeholders.
• Keep up to date with latest development in machine learning and generative AI, promoting innovation, best practices and standards across data science work within the team.

Skills

Python

R

SQL

Statistics

Data science

Education

Degree in mathematics, statistics, computer science, econometrics, data science or related field

Tools

Python

R

SQL

Job description

JOB DETAILS

JOB BAND: C CONTRACT TYPE: Fixed-term Contract (12 months) DEPARTMENT: BBC CCOG Audiences Data LOCATION: London Broadcasting House or Salford Dock House – Hybrid (2 days a week in the office on average). PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £40,000 – £50,000 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.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

Fancy working on one of the largest media datasets in the world, helping the BBC model how audiences discover, consume and engage with content? The BBC is a major stakeholder in industry-leading audience measurement systems. Alongside this, our digital products—including iPlayer, Sounds, News and Sport—reach millions of people every week and generate billions of audience interactions.

As a Data Scientist, you will develop statistical and machine learning models that help understand audience behaviour, improve audience measurement, and support strategic decision‑making across the BBC. Working with a range of data sources, from digital behavioural data to audience panels and surveys, you’ll deliver robust analysis that influences how the BBC measures success and plans for the future.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

You’ll join a team of around 12 Data Scientists working on a diverse range of modelling challenges. Our work spans audience measurement, forecasting, consumer behaviour, experimentation and applied machine learning.

We work closely with data engineers, researchers, analysts and stakeholders across the BBC, giving you the opportunity to contribute to high‑impact projects with visible organisational value. You’ll also be part of a wider data science community and have dedicated time to develop your technical skills, explore new approaches and contribute to best practice across the organisation.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT

• Apply statistical and machine learning techniques to answer business questions and improve understanding of audience behaviour, combining data from multiple sources from digital activity to panel data
• Design, develop and evaluate analytical models, ranging from exploratory analyses and proof‑of‑concepts through to production solutions delivered in partnership with engineering teams.
• Develop reproducible analytical workflows using SQL, Python or R on our data and machine learning platform
• Develop an understanding of the BBC and wider media markets, to help position models and analysis in real terms, and communicate findings, assumptions and recommendations appropriately to non‑technical stakeholders
• Keep up to date with latest development in machine learning and generative AI, promoting innovation, best practices and standards across data science work within the team

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

• Degree in mathematics, statistics, computer science, econometrics, data science or related field, or equivalent work experience
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to translate ambiguous business questions into practical analytical approaches
• Demonstrable experience applying data science techniques and/or statistical analysis to solve business problems, translating business problems into practical technical solutions and choosing the appropriate model or algorithm
• Ability to communicate analytical concepts and findings clearly to non‑technical stakeholders
• Good programming skills in Python or R, alongside strong SQL skills for working with large datasets

DESIRED BUT NOT REQUIRED

• Experience in a commercial, research or consulting analytical role
• Experience working with audiences activity or related online/panel data, in a research, marketing, strategy or product environment
• Experience building forecasting models, and media/audiences metrics
• Experience building machine learning models to scale and deploying them into production
• Familiarity with applying modern AI techniques, including large language models, to analytical or operational problems

If you can bring some of these skills and experience, along with transferable strengths.

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.