National AI Awards 2025Discover AI's trailblazers! Join us to celebrate innovation and nominate industry leaders.

Nominate & Attend

Data Scientist - Machine Learning, Ai, Python

BBC Group and Public Services
Glasgow
4 days ago
Create job alert

Press Tab to Move to Skip to Content Link Department: BBC Product Group, Discoverability (Search) Location: London / Newcastle / Salford / Glasgow – Hybrid working with 1 day a week expected in office base location. We're happy to discuss flexible working. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage. The BBC has been serving audiences online for decades, across key products such as BBC iPlayer. As we evolve to deliver more personalised content and experiences, Data Science is at the heart of that transformation. As a team, we use ML / AI to enrich our content and power personalised experiences for millions of audience members. We’re looking for a Principal Data Scientist to join the Product Group. As Principal Data Scientist you’ll play a hands-on role in building machine learning products at BBC scale. Working as part of a highly cross-functional team, you’ll help overcome the challenges of deploying ML in production. You’ll have the opportunity to get involved with the wider data science community, both at the BBC and externally. You’ll use your technical skills to deliver value to BBC audiences, blending significant breadth and depth of data science expertise. You’ll have impact within your immediate team and beyond, across the wider BBC, instrumental in developing scalable ML products. You’ll bring significant experience of being an effective contributor in a cross-functional team, working with others to overcome the challenges of delivering ML in production. You’ll be responsible for using your extensive knowledge of machine learning algorithms to solve complex problems effectively. You’ll join the wider BBC Data Science community, with internal and external opportunities to get involved, share your knowledge and shape the ecosystem. A strong understanding of data science and machine learning techniques, including recent advances and their applications for implementation in a production environment. Strong working knowledge of data science best practice, including working with cloud services and strong coding skills, particularly in Python, including knowledge of code management and deployment. The ability to contribute effectively in a cross-functional team, including the ability to prioritise and work in a structured manner to ensure timely delivery while balancing quality, cost and speed. Ability to clearly communicate to both technical and non-technical audiences, both regarding short-term decisions and longer-term strategy. Strong understanding and experience of development and productionisation of data science products in the Search domain, for example, information retrieval. Strong understanding and experience of experimentation within data science. Experience with model lifecycle management and MLOps, particularly within AWS. Experience of supporting other Data Scientist/s with their technical work to deliver value in production. This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk. At the BBC you can create and innovate in an inclusive environment while contributing to some of the world’s best loved content, and the BBC’s mission to inform, educate and entertain. Find out more about the BBC Life at BBC Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a flexible 35-hour working week, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pensionscheme and discounted dental, health care and gym.

  • Excellent career and professional development.
  • Support in your working life, including flexible working which you can discuss with us at any point during the application, selection or offer.
  • Benefits may vary if you are joining on an FTC basis. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity. We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. Find out more about diversity, inclusion and belonging in our strategy below. Diversity, inclusion & belonging strategy Disability confident We are a disability confident employer. BBC Group and Public Services, Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, United Kingdom, W1A 1AA. BBC Studios Distribution Limited, company no: 01420028, registered address: 1 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, United Kingdom W12 7FA. #

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Data Scientist - Biomarkers - Remote - Outside IR35

Data Science Placement Programme

Data Science Placement Programme

Data Science Placement Programme

Data Science Placement Programme

Data Science Placement Programme

National AI Awards 2025

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Machine Learning Jobs Skills Radar 2026: Emerging Tools, Frameworks & Platforms to Learn Now

Machine learning is no longer confined to academic research—it's embedded in how UK companies detect fraud, recommend content, automate processes & forecast risk. But with model complexity rising and LLMs transforming workflows, employers are demanding new skills from machine learning professionals. Welcome to the Machine Learning Jobs Skills Radar 2026—your annual guide to the top languages, frameworks, platforms & tools shaping machine learning roles in the UK. Whether you're an aspiring ML engineer or a mid-career data scientist, this radar shows what to learn now to stay job-ready in 2026.

How to Find Hidden Machine Learning Jobs in the UK Using Professional Bodies like BCS, Turing Society & More

Machine learning (ML) continues to transform sectors across the UK—from fintech and retail to healthtech and autonomous systems. But while the demand for ML engineers, researchers, and applied scientists is growing, many of the best opportunities are never posted on traditional job boards. So, where do you find them? The answer lies in professional bodies, academic-industry networks, and tight-knit ML communities. In this guide, we’ll show you how to uncover hidden machine learning jobs in the UK by engaging with groups like the BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT), Turing Society, Alan Turing Institute, and others. We’ll explore how to use member directories, CPD events, SIGs (Special Interest Groups), and community projects to build connections, gain early access to job leads, and raise your professional profile in the ML ecosystem.

How to Get a Better Machine Learning Job After a Lay-Off or Redundancy

Redundancy in machine learning can feel especially frustrating when your role was technically advanced, strategically important, or AI-facing. But the UK still has strong demand for machine learning professionals across fintech, healthtech, retail, cybersecurity, autonomous systems, and generative AI. Whether you're a research-oriented ML engineer, production-focused MLOps developer, or applied scientist, this guide is designed to help you bounce back from redundancy and find a better opportunity that suits your goals.