Product and Data Scientist

Position Overview

Manpower is looking for an interim Product Performance and Data Scientist to work with our global FMCG client Unilever, known for brands such as Dove, Sure, Persil, and Simple. The role is based at Unilever’s Scientific Research & Development facility in Port Sunlight Village, Wirral, and is a 12‑month full‑time temporary position requiring 37.5 hours per week, Monday‑to‑Friday. Compensation is up to £31,205 per annum, pro‑rata, depending on experience.

Unilever is a major worldwide player in the hair care industry, with leading brands including Tresemme, Sunsilk, Dove and Nexxus. The role is part of the Consumer and Technology Insights team and focuses on generating new insights and data from the extensive Hair Category instrumental and consumer evaluation capability. This requires mining large data sets, manipulating data, and communicating insights to drive product innovation.

Responsibilities include improving data analysis and visualisation, optimizing instrumentation and data handling processes, and building links between objective performance measures and consumer perception. The position works closely with multi‑disciplinary project teams across Unilever’s global and regional Hair businesses to identify instrumentation and performance evaluation needs, take new technologies and products to market, and define the direction of the Hair Category measurement capability programme.

• Lead aspects of the Hair Category's technical performance evaluation capability workstream, driving continuous improvement in measurement capability efficiency and effectiveness.
• Define and implement data analysis and generic support plans for new and current active materials and products to demonstrate functional performance and generate claims substantiation data through modelling and experimentation.
• Provide technical insights through review and analysis of data from multiple sources, adding value by combining knowledge streams and/or developing performance and insight models.
• Support the innovation and capability work streams within CTI measurements.

• BSc or MSc (or equivalent) in Data Science, Physical Sciences (Physics, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemistry or Metrology).
• Strong science background in data analytics, chemistry, physics, metrology or a closely related subject.
• Proven experience in an industrial or academic data or measurement sciences area.
• Ideal experience in an FMCG environment; experience in healthcare, pharma, foods or other relevant research fields will also be considered.
• Experience in software development/data packages would be beneficial.
• Experience in stakeholder management and multi‑interface collaboration must be demonstrated.
• Ability to interpret complex data from multiple sources, generating concise, clear insights and conclusions for communication to a variety of audiences.
• Strong data handling, analysis and interpretation skills are essential; significant experience in data handling using MS Excel or other data tools and programmes, and statistical analysis and model building using JMP, SAS or similar, is beneficial.

• Free onsite parking and disabled parking.
• Staff shop with discounted products.
• Working in state‑of‑the‑art laboratory and pilot‑plant facilities.
• Free parking onsite.
• 5‑minute walk to train station serving Liverpool & Chester.
• 20‑minute drive from Liverpool city centre / 30‑minute drive from Chester.
• Site clubs covering a range of topics including Book Club, Running, Choir, Pool, Genealogy and more.
• Three catering outlets providing a range of hot and cold food and drinks daily.
• Vending machines and cold water dispensers around the site available throughout the day.