Lead Data Scientist – Projects and Capability

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK government department seeks a Lead Data Scientist to manage and innovate Data Science projects. This role involves team leadership and collaboration across various project teams, ensuring effective delivery and quality assurance. Candidates should possess strong interpersonal and technical communication skills, along with programming ability. Accreditation in relevant analysis professions is advantageous. The position supports hybrid working and offers a Civil Service pension.

Benefits

Civil Service pension

Support for skill development

Hybrid working

Qualifications

• Experience in Data Science and AI projects.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships.
• Experience of managing a team and capability building.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end delivery of Data Science projects.
• Lead multi-disciplinary project teams.
• Provide technical quality assurance and innovative solutions.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Technical communication

Programming

Team management

Strategic thinking

Education

Accreditation with Analysis Function professions

Job description

Lead Data Scientist – Projects and Capability

Organisation Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Locations

London or East Kilbride

Application Deadline

Application Deadline 25 days remaining

Reference number:426457

Location: London or East Kilbride

Contract: Permanent and full time. You’ll be required to work in line with FCDO policies on hybrid working, which involves a minimum of 60% in the office.

We lead the UK’s diplomatic, development and consular work around the world. We employ around 17,000 staff in our global network of 281 offices worldwide. Our UK-based staff work in King Charles Street in London, Abercrombie House in East Kilbride and in Milton Keynes.

Our innovative approach to Data Science combines methodological development, strategic capability building and the delivery of successful projects. When you join us in this significant senior role you’ll play a key part in strengthening the Data Science capacity across our organisation, working closely with your colleagues as you focus on developing a community of practice in the digital analytical space. Identifying and leveraging the most effective strategic levers, adapting as organisational needs evolve and ensuring the team’s skills are aligned to deliver maximum value, you’ll also develop the application of new methodologies and exploit technological advances to push the frontiers of tech-enabled analysis.

You’ll have a wide range of day-to-day responsibilities – these include taking on a number of important team leadership, line management and career development tasks, and acting as a role model of collaboration and initiative. Managing the end-to-end delivery of Data Science and analytical projects, and leading multi-disciplinary project teams in matrix management approaches will be another vital area of focus, as will providing quality assurance and peer review for projects. Providing technical quality assurance, you’ll be an important driver of innovation and increased effectiveness in our exploitation and analysis of data at scale, geared towards increasing FCDO’s real-world impact.

Who we’re looking for

To be a success in this role you’ll be skilled at using your excellent interpersonal skills to build, develop and maintain fruitful relationships with collaborators and client teams across our organisation. Your superb technical and non-technical communication skills will allow you to write effective analytical reports, and in addition to the ability to deliver innovative Data Science, AI and analytical projects, you should be capable of programming in one or more languages.

Experience of managing a team and capability building would be desirable, as would strategic thinking skills and an awareness of the ethical and compliance issues around data. In addition, accreditation with one of the Analysis Function professions, for example badged to the Government Statistician Group or a similar organisation would be an advantage.

You must be a British citizen at the time of your application, and you’ll be required to attain Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance. Please note that obtaining DV clearance can take approximately three months depending on your individual circumstances. For more information about this process, click here .

We encourage applications from all communities, so that we reflect the very best of 21 st century Britain. Everyone here gets the support to develop their skills and capabilities as well as benefits that help to make the most of life in and out of work, including a Civil Service pension.

Use your talent and experience to shape our nation’s future, and deliver tangible improvements to millions of lives, including your own.

Apply before 11:55 pm Monday 24th November 2025