Data Scientist

Senior Data Scientist
Hybrid - 2 days a week in Corsham
Outside IR35
Requires Active DV Clearance and sole UK nationality

About the role

We're looking for a Senior Data Scientist to join our defence team, turning complex, high-volume data into insight that supports mission-critical decisions. You'll work with government and MOD stakeholders on secure projects where your analysis has real operational impact.
Key responsibilities
* Design, build and deploy data science and machine learning solutions for defence and security use cases
* Develop scalable data pipelines and analytics using PySpark on large, complex data-sets
* Translate operational requirements into clear analytical approaches
* Present findings and recommendations to technical and non-technical stakeholders, including senior customers
* Mentor junior team members and promote best practice in code quality, documentation and reproducible
* Work within secure environments, following relevant security and data-handling policies
Essential skills and experience
* Strong Python experience for data analysis and modelling
* Advanced SQL skills, including querying and optimising large data-sets
* Hands-on PySpark experience in distributed data processing
* Proven experience delivering data science solutions in a senior or lead capacity
* Ability to communicate complex findings clearly
* Active DV (Developed Vetting) clearance, or the ability to obtain it
Desirable
* Experience in defence, intelligence or national security
* Machine learning, NLP, geospatial or time-series analytics
* Experience with cloud platforms or on-premise big data environments
* Familiarity with Agile delivery
Please note: This role requires active DV clearance. Applicants must meet UK nationality and residency requirements for this level of vetting. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.

To learn more, please do reach out to Jess Walrond at Sanderson Government and Defence at

Reasonable Adjustments:

Respect and equality are core values to us. We are proud of the diverse and inclusive community we have built, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and perspectives. Our success is driven by our people, united by the spirit of partnership to deliver the best resourcing solutions for our clients.

If you need any help or adjustments during the recruitment process for any reason, please let us know when you apply or talk to the recruiters directly so we can support you.