Job Description

Data Scientist (Scientific Data and Insight) - \xc2\xa342,869 p.a. + benefits
We are currently looking for a Data Scientist (Scientific Data and Insight) to join our Scientific Data and Insight Team within the Safety and Surveillance Group group. This is a full-time opportunity, on a permanent basis. The role will be based in 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf London, E14 4PU. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Government departments and agencies are working towards implementing a minimum 60% attendance in office sites. We are currently implementing a flexible, hybrid way of working, with a minimum of 4 days per month working on site to enable the collaboration and contact with partners and stakeholders needed to deliver MHRA business. Attendance on site is driven by business needs so depending on the nature of the role, this can flex up to 8 days a month, with the remainder of time worked either remotely or in the office. Some roles will need to be on site more regularly. Remote working is potentially available for some specific roles. Please discuss this with the recruiting manager before accepting an appointment. Who are we?
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency enhance and improve the health of millions of people every day through the effective regulation of medicines and medical devices, underpinned by science and research.
The group\xe2\x80\x99s main aim is to deliver effectively on our central mission of protecting public health, we need robust vigilance processes that are able to quickly detect, monitor and evaluate safety signals across the product lifecycle, the ability to critically evaluate the benefit/risk balance of signals of concern and design effective risk mitigations, to communicate effectively to patients and the public and a healthcare system able to implement them. The Safety and Surveillance Group brings together into a single integrated structure expertise on the safety of all medical products with enforcement capabilities. These functions are supported by the Agency\xe2\x80\x99s data and evidence generating capabilities complementing our signal generating abilities delivered via the common vigilance platform SafetyConnect. Safety remains at the heart of all our decision making across the product life cycle. The central mission of the Safety & Surveillance portfolio is to protect the public by appropriately identifying, assessing and managing the risks associated with medical products. In every aspect of this work, we harness the best science, technology, information and professional practice to protect patients in new and impactful ways.
In support of this mission, the Scientific Data & Insight function will be responsible for developing expertise in house to deliver evidence to underpin these new approaches. Quality and speed of regulatory decision making is dependent on having access to high-quality, representative data in a timely fashion but also being able to access and analyse in house data and information in the most effective way. In the future this will include the application of new analytical methodologies including AI and machine learning methods such as natural language processing, large language models and computer modelling and simulation approaches. Hence developing and strengthening capacity and capability in data science within MHRA is a key strategic objective to ensure we are best placed to address the future evidence generation needs for both medicines and devices. What\xe2\x80\x99s the role? The Agency is facing a rapidly evolving external environment involving increasingly complex products and utilisation of these products across an ever more diverse health system. The post holder will have data science expertise to support and develop world-leading vigilance systems designed to gather, collate, and analyse data relevant to the safety of medicines, vaccines, and medical devices. The post holder is responsible for using data science techniques to design and develop innovative and novel analytical approaches to interrogate datasets and generate evidence which is relevant for regulatory decision making. The post holder will ensure access to real world data in a timely fashion for regulatory needs and develop analytical approaches to make business activities more effective. The post holder will work closely with other members of the Scientific Data and Insight function and regularly interact with colleagues across the Safety and Surveillance Group, including Clinical Practice Research Datalink, and wider Agency.
Key responsibilities:

• Provide professional leadership to a team of data scientists, ensure their continuing development, provide visible leadership, and achieve performance which aligns with the strategic goals of the Agency.
• Design, develop, deploy, and evaluate data science and machine learning solutions ensuring that these are robust, scalable and reproducible by embedding best practices within the team
• Leverage complex and heterogeneous datasets to generate actionable insights, robust evidence, and decision support tools.
• Work cross-functionally to address key regulatory opportunities throughout the product lifecycle, engage effectively with external stakeholders and enhance the Agency\xe2\x80\x99s ability to deliver its goals within the broader ecosystem

Who are we looking for?
Our successful candidate will:

• Degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Bioinformatics or a similar quantitative discipline or demonstrable equivalent professional experience
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, R, Stata and SQL and their applications in data science to analyse and model large datasets; experience in developing clear, effective, and reproducible code through data science best practices,
• Experience of communicating complex data science concepts and results; and of data visualisation and presentation of complex information.
• Experience of working collaboratively within multidisciplinary data science teams and delivering results in a timely way.
• Demonstrable technical knowledge and skills in at least one of the following domains: mathematical modelling and simulations, machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, time series modelling, or bioinformatics.

If you would like to find out more about this fantastic opportunity, please read our and Person Specification! Please note: The job description may not open in some internet browsers. Please use Chrome or Microsoft Edge. If you have any issue viewing the job description, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk
The selection process:
We use the Civil Service Success Profiles to assess our candidates, find out more here.

• Online application form, including questions based on the Behaviour, Experience and Technical Success Profiles. Please ensure all application questions are completed in full; your application may not be considered if any responses are left blank. Our applications are CV blind, and our Hiring Managers will not be able to access your CV when reviewing your application.
• Interview, which can include questions based on the Behaviour, Experience, Technical and Strengths Success Profiles.

If you require any disability related adjustments at any point during the process, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk as soon as possible.
Closing date: 22/12/2023 Interview date: w/c 22/1/2024
If you need assistance applying for this role or have any other questions, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk
Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here. Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check as well as animal rights and pro-life activism checks. People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks. Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant\xe2\x80\x99s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. Any move to the MHRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility here.
Successful candidates may be subject to annual Occupational Health reviews dependent on role requirements. If you have any queries, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk.
In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners\xe2\x80\x99 Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should firstly contact Mira Mepa, Head of Recruitment and Operations, Mira.Mepa@mhra.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk
info@csc.gov.uk Civil Service Commission Room G/8 1 Horse Guards Road London SW1A 2HQ