Introduction

This vacancy is part of a coordinated recruitment campaign for the Data Science Unit across Technopolis Group's offices. To check the general requirements or explore other locations, return to the central campaign page.

Job title: Senior Policy Data Scientist

Location: London or Brighton, UK (Hybrid)

Position: Full time / Permanent

Deadline for applications: 13 June 2025

Technopolis Group is looking to grow its data science team. We are now looking to recruit a motivated and experienced Policy Data Scientist to join our UK team.

About Technopolis

Founded in 1989, Technopolis Group is an independent research and consultancy company, European leader in providing strategic policy advice to public sector institutions at the local, regional, national, and international levels (such as the European institutions) – as well as to third sector organisations, public-private partnerships and research organisations.

Our Group is active in many areas such as Research & Innovation, Life Sciences & Health, Education & Skills, Green economy, Industry and entrepreneurship, Regional and urban development, Digital economy and Open science.

We have grown steadily over the past 30 years and delivered over 4,000 projects. Technopolis Group has offices in ten European cities and offices in Colombia (Bogotà) and Ivory Coast (Abidjan). Our team of consultants brings an educational mix in a variety of policy, social, environmental science disciplines, and linguistic richness, originating from 40+countries and covering 30+ languages.

For more information: www.technopolis-group.com

The team

The selected person will be part of the Technopolis Group Data Science Unit (DSU), whose members work in different country offices. The growing team of DSU data scientists have diversified academic backgrounds but a shared passion for developing data science applications to improve policymaking. The unit works in policy consulting jobs for our clients but also conducts R&D to develop new, untested and exciting applications, potentially in collaboration with internal and external partners.

The DSU is active in all types of data science applications in policymaking. See https://www.technopolis-group.com/solutions/data-analytics/. Examples include record linkage, building classifiers, semantic and sentiment analysis, web scraping and dynamic visualisations. Additionally, the team is looking forward to expanding its portfolio of techniques using real-time indicators, causal AI and generative AI. Experience in these last techniques, or a general understanding of their functioning combined with a demonstrable willingness to master them, is highly desirable.

About This Job

We are looking for an experienced individual to take a leading role within our UK DSU team.

The Successful Candidate Will Be Expected To

Work alongside policy consultants to prepare and submit proposals to our clients, and lead proposals with heavy data science components.
Design and manage the data science components of studies.
Apply suitable data science techniques to deliver evidence-based consulting
Develop and promote a proportionate and ethical use of AI and data science techniques
Extract, clean, integrate and validate data from various sources to ensure high-quality datasets
Develop dashboards and data visualisations to communicate insights effectively
Prepare reports and presentations tailored to different target audiences
Explain the strengths, limitations and opportunities of data science methods and internal databases to clients and non-technical colleagues
Shape policy recommendations using advanced data science methods and translate results into actionable messages for decision-makers

Your profile

The Ideal Candidate Will Have

Experience: At least 3 years, ideally 5, in a consulting or research environment in data science applied to policy analysis, including experience managing small data science teams and contributing to the design and writing of data science components in project proposals.

Academic background: A Master’s degree (or equivalent qualification) and demonstrable data science skills acquired through formal education (degree in data science, statistics or related), specialised training), or relevant professional experience. At least one of their academic degrees should be in a social science or a related field (such as economics, statistics, innovation studies, sociology, geography, or political science…) or include a strong foundation in the social sciences.

Technical expertise

Knowledge of Python is required, knowledge of R and SQL is an advantage
Experience of techniques such as NLP, machine learning, and LLMs is desirable
Experience with tools such as Git and Github, Docker and cloud platforms is highly desirable

Policy knowledge: Beyond data science, applicants must have interest and experience in applied, policy-oriented work in at least one of Technopolis’ areas of specialisation. Our policy areas include Research & Innovation, Life Sciences & Health, Education and Skills, Green economy, Industry and entrepreneurship, Regional and urban development, Digital economy and Open science.

Other Desirable Attributes

Ability to deliver tasks under tight deadlines
Strong communication and analytical skills
Excellent command of spoken and written English is essential and fluency in other European languages is considered an asset
Highly self-motivated, intellectually curious, and capable of working independently while managing multiple priorities under tight deadlines
Willingness to travel and work within multidisciplinary, international teams

We are always pleased to hear from international candidates, however you must have the right to work in the UK. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons.

Our offer

In addition to the dynamism of the business and the intellectual challenge of our project work, we offer a number of benefits to our staff. We offer a competitive salary, a 10% contributory pension, performance-related bonus scheme and several other benefits, including private healthcare, access to an employee assistance programme and a cycle-to-work scheme. We also understand the importance of work life balance and offer flexible working arrangements, with the infrastructure and processes to make a success of many different configurations. We offer 33 days of holidays (including 8 national holidays). Staff also have access to additional days based on years of service.

We support career progression, including through training and development opportunities, as well as mentoring by senior colleagues. Career opportunities are real, with almost the entire senior team being ‘home grown.’ The company also provides opportunities for its more senior staff to become shareholders, subject to Board approval.

Technopolis is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion within policy evaluation and our current team comprises people from varied backgrounds, and at all levels of seniority. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in all arenas, from recruitment through to senior management and our board. We celebrate and value the unique contributions of every individual and welcome candidates from all backgrounds.

Technopolis is also committed to creating social value, both within the assignments we undertake and for our team as a whole. We have a commitment to diversity through our Scholarship Programme for Black British Students at Sussex University and through our links with the university more broadly. Through our projects we provide outreach opportunities to schools and colleges as a mechanism of raising awareness of societal challenges and associated policy solutions. Our environmental policies set out general principles for how we work in a sustainable and environmentally positive way.

Interested? Apply directly

To apply, please upload a copy of your CV on our website, together with a covering letter explaining your interest in the specific job, how your skills and experience meet our requirements and why you believe you would be a good addition to the Technopolis team.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 13 June 2025.

Apply for this job

About Us

At Technopolis Group, we began our journey as pioneers in the evaluation of science, technology and innovation policies. While evaluation remains a cornerstone of our identity, we’ve evolved into a trusted partner for evidence-based decision-making across a wide spectrum of policy areas.

Today, our multidisciplinary experts offer strategic advice, forward-looking foresight, and robust project and network management, even in the most complex contexts. We combine cutting-edge data analytics with a deep understanding of policy to deliver insights that are both rigorous and actionable. From assessing policy effectiveness to measuring impact and communicating results to diverse audiences, we ensure clarity, relevance and reach.

We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead, we collaborate closely with our clients to design tailored approaches that truly meet their needs.

Our work spans the globe and the governance spectrum, partnering with international institutions such as the European Commission and multilateral development banks, as well as with national, regional and local authorities. We also support universities, research centres, business networks, clusters, and incubators, helping them navigate complexity and drive impact.

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