Associate Data Scientist (HEO)

On behalf of ONS, we are looking for an Associate Data Scientist (INSIDE IR35) for a 6 month contract based Hybrid in Newport or Titchfield. About the Role ONS is building a brand new early career Data Scientist talent pipeline to grow the next generation of data professionals supporting the UK’s most important statistics. This is a fantastic opportunity for people with foundational data science skills who are looking to develop quickly, gain hands on experience and contribute to projects that impact millions of people across the UK. You’ll join as an Associate Data Scientist (HEO), working within multidisciplinary teams alongside experienced Data Scientists, Data Engineers and Software Engineers. You’ll contribute to the development of analytical models, data pipelines and statistical products that underpin core UK government data. As an Associate Data Scientist (HEO) your main responsibilities will include: Preparing, cleaning and transforming datasets for analysis. Running exploratory data analysis and producing visual insights. Building and testing simple machine‑learning models under guidance. Contributing to data science projects used in national statistics, forecasting and research. Working with Data Engineers and senior DS colleagues to deliver quality‑assured outputs. Learning new tools, techniques and technologies as part of structured development pathways. This role suits someone with solid academic grounding and early hands‑on experience who wants to grow fast. Essential: Experience using Python or R to write scripts and build basic models. Understanding of statistics and model evaluation metrics. Ability to clean, prepare and manipulate data. Ability to explain findings to both technical and non-technical audiences. Curious, analytical mindset with a desire to learn and grow. Desirable: A degree in Data Science, Maths, Statistics, Computer Science or related field or equivalent practical experience. Exposure to cloud environments (e.g., AWS or Azure). Familiarity with data visualisation tools (PowerBI, Plotly or similar). Some experience with machine learning libraries (such as Scikit‑learn). Basic understanding of Agile or collaborative delivery methods.