Head Of Data Science & Engineering

About The Role

Our Head of Data Science & Engineering leads a multi-functional delivery team to deliver robust data services for PEI. Data is at the heart of PEI’s business model, and hence it is critical that the business has a stable & robust data management platform and processes.

Increasingly Data Science processes and models are playing an ever-larger part in PEI’s business processes, so it is essential that our Head of Data Engineering & Science is capable leading a mixed team of Data engineers and data scientists. As a leader with P&L responsibility you will always be looking for ways to connect your work to customer outcomes (be those internal or external).

As a leader in this technical role, you will:

• Inspire best practice for data products and services within your team and across the organisation.
• Build Data Science and data engineering capability by providing technical leadership and career development for the team.
• Work with other senior team members to identify, plan, develop and deliver data services.

Responsibilities and duties

To be successful in this role you will need to be:

• Changing and improving. Encourage innovative ideas, introduce improvements which add value, clearly understand the role of technology and Data Science.
• Making effective decisions. Analyse and accurately interpret information… find the best option… present reasonable conclusions.
• Working together. Work with your peers in Product Management, Engineering, Research and the wider business to deliver digital solutions that support customer-based outcomes.
• Delivering at pace. Give honest, motivating and enthusiastic messages about priorities, objectives and expectations.
• Technically proficient. Comfort developing software in SQL and PySpark. Comfortable with GitFlow and automated test strategies.

About You

Requirements

Essential Experience

• Agile & Lean Engineering
• Project and Programme Delivery
• Engagement Analytics & Tools
• Background in Data Science and data engineering
• SQL & PySpark skills

Essential Knowledge/Skills

• Agile and Lean practices. You can lead on a range of Agile and Lean tools and techniques, with an ability to coach within and outside of your team. You can represent and be an advocate for these tools and techniques. You can establish a feedback loop for teams; you can take responsibility for the translation and measurement of value and ensure this relates to practical objectives and the user needs. You can ensure the team has a situational awareness of work and priorities across the team. You can ensure that working practices are iterated to achieve effective delivery.
• Financial management. You can support effective budget management within the constraints of the project. You know how to monitor projected budgets against expenditure.
• Communicating between the technical and non-technical. You can mediate between people and mend relationships, communicating with stakeholders at all levels. You can manage stakeholder expectations and moderate discussions about high risk and complexity, even within constrained timescales. You can speak on behalf of and represent the community to large audiences inside and outside of government.
• Data analysis and synthesis. You can understand and help teams to apply a range of techniques for data profiling. You can source system analysis from a complex single source. You can bring multiple data sources together in a conformed model for analysis.
• Data development process. You can establish enterprise-scale data integration procedures across the data development life cycle and ensure that teams adhere to them. You can manage resources to ensure that data services work effectively at an enterprise level.
• Data innovation. You can investigate emerging trends in data-related approaches, perform horizon-scanning for the organisation and introduce innovative ways of working.
• Data integration design. You can establish standards, keep them up to date and ensure adherence to them. You can keep abreast of best practice in industry.
• Data modelling. You can explain the concepts and principles of Data modelling. You can produce, maintain and update relevant data models for an PEI’s specific needs. You can reverse-engineer data models from a live system.
• Metadata management. You can understand how metadata repositories can support different areas of the business. You can promote and communicate the value of metadata repositories. You can work with the Data Governance team to set up robust governance processes to keep repositories up to date.
• Problem resolution. You can anticipate problems and know how to prevent them. You can understand how problems fit into the bigger picture. You can identify and describe problems and help others to describe them. You can build problem-solving capabilities in others.
• Programming and build. You can set local or team-based standards for programming tools and techniques and can select appropriate development methods. You can advise on the application of standards and methods and ensure compliance. You can take technical responsibility for all stages and iterations in a software development project, providing method-specific technical advice and guidance to project stakeholders. You are comfortable coding in both SQL and PySpark, ideally in a Databricks environment.
• Technical understanding. You can anticipate and advise on future technology changes that present opportunities for the product or programme.
• Testing. You can review requirements and specifications and define test conditions. You can identify issues and risks associated with work. You can analyse and report test activities and results.

Personal Characteristics

• You are collaborative.
• You are customer focused.
• You value outcome over activity.
• You value quality over quantity.
• You strive for simplicity over complexity.

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