Data Scientist

On behalf of The Department for Transport, The Maritime Coastguard Agency, we are looking for a Data Scientist, (Inside IR35) for a 6‑Month remote contract with visits to Southampton once per month.

An active SC Clearance is an essential requirement for this role. Candidates must be willing and eligible to undergo checks, and preference may be given to those who already hold active security clearance.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency requires an experienced Data Scientist to develop and apply advanced statistical, mathematical and computational techniques to solve complex operational challenges. You will design and deliver data‑science solutions that support evidence‑based decision‑making through experimentation, exploratory analysis, feature engineering, statistical modelling and optimisation.

• Executive team for direction and strategy
• Senior leadership teams across the agency, gaining approval and sign‑off of new products
• Head of Data Governance, Head of Data Engineering, Head of Data Science
• Subject matter experts on data systems, databases, and operational business logic processes

A significant focus of the role will be the development of Genetic Algorithms and optimisation models to support operational planning. You will translate complex operational requirements into cost and fitness functions, designing optimisation models that balance competing priorities, constraints and trade‑offs.

Experience with Genetic Algorithms, evolutionary computing frameworks (such as DEAP), and fitness function development is highly desirable.

You must have strong Python programming skills and experience working with large, complex datasets in Databricks using PySpark and Spark SQL. Demonstrated expertise in applied statistics, hypothesis testing, data quality assessment, data linkage and the development of mathematical, machine learning or decision‑support models is required.

Beyond technical capability, the role requires mentoring junior colleagues and influencing multidisciplinary teams. You should be able to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non‑technical audiences, build consensus across diverse groups, and lead data‑science projects from discovery to implementation.

• Develop and maintain analytical solutions using Python, SQL, and cloud‑based data platforms, applying software engineering best practices to create robust, scalable, and reusable code.
• Analyse, cleanse, transform, and model complex datasets to support operational and strategic decision‑making across the Agency.
• Apply a range of data science, statistical, optimisation, machine learning, and analytical techniques to solve real‑world business problems, selecting the most appropriate approaches for each use case.
• Design, develop, and improve analytical models, algorithms, and decision‑support tools that provide actionable insights and support evidence‑based planning.
• Build and maintain data pipelines and analytical workflows within the MCA Data Platform, ensuring data is accessible, reliable, and fit for analytical use.
• Communicate complex technical findings to both technical and non‑technical audiences, presenting insights in a clear, compelling, and actionable manner.
• Engage with stakeholders across the organisation to understand business challenges, translate requirements into analytical solutions, and promote data‑driven decision making.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of analytical methods, tools, coding standards, and development practices to enhance the quality and efficiency of data‑science delivery.
• Work closely with Data Engineering, Data Governance, and Architecture teams to ensure analytical solutions align with organisational standards and best practice.

Please note that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, MOJ guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates with a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within…