Verified Skilled Worker sponsor

Data Scientist

NHS Dorset

Dorchester, DT1 1XJ £39,959 – £48,117 a year Permanent Posted 19 August 2026 Apply by 13 September 2026

Home Office register entry: NHS Dorset, Dorchester

Visa sponsorship

This role is listed by an employer that holds a live Home Office sponsor licence on the Skilled Worker route.

NHS roles fall under the Health and Care Worker route. Public reference figures for that route: the general salary minimum is £25,000 a year, and salaries set by national pay scales (NHS bands) at or above the relevant band rate typically meet the occupation's requirement. Individual eligibility depends on personal circumstances. These figures are public reference information, not advice or a verdict on this job.

Role description

Job summary

Data Scientists play a key role in using data, stats & machine learning to solve problems & improve decision-making. They will develop & evaluate statistical & machine learning approaches, focus on applications such as population health analysis, risk stratification, forecasting, segmentation & predictive modelling. Bringing together complex datasets, identifying appropriate modelling approaches, evaluating performance & ensuring outputs & limitations are understood. Strong focus on moving data science beyond one-off analysis. Develop reproducible analytical pipelines & production-ready analytical workflows, working with engineering colleagues to integrate models & analytical capabilities into data products & operational services. Use modern collaborative development practices including Git, automated testing, DevOps pipelines & CI/CD, helping ensure analytical code & models can be developed, tested, deployed & updated in a controlled & reproducible way. Emphasis placed on discovery, experimentation & rapid prototyping, testing hypotheses & modelling approaches early, evaluating whether they provide meaningful value & iterating based on evidence & user feedback. Ensure solutions are robust, reproducible, explainable & appropriately validated, consideration given to model performance, uncertainty, bias, clinical & ops context, info gov & the implications of using predictive models.

Main duties of the job

Work to understand complex problems & user needs, translate these into appropriate data science questions, hypotheses & analytical approaches. Develop, test & evaluate risk stratification & predictive models to support population health management, service planning & operational decision-making. Apply appropriate statistical & machine learning techniques. Explore, manipulate, link & analyse complex health & care datasets, assessing data quality, completeness, bias, suitability & limitations. Undertake discovery, experimentation & rapid prototyping, testing different modelling approaches & using evidence to determine which ideas are developed. Evaluate models using appropriate statistical & machine learning techniques, considering performance, generalisability, uncertainty, bias, explainability & potential impact within the clinical or operational context. Develop reproducible analytical pipelines (RAP) & automated analytical workflows, ensuring analysis can be reliably repeated, tested & maintained. Use development practices, produce well-structured, documented, reusable analytical code, participating in code review & quality assurance. Develop practices for data science, automating appropriate testing, validation & deployment processes so that analytical models & code can move from development to production.

About us

Under the Model ICB Blueprint and the 10 Year Health Plan, ICBs will adopt a more strategic commissioning role, focusing on population needs, reducing inequalities, and delivering the three shifts as defined in the 10 year health plan, all while operating within strict financial limits.

The new organisation will operate on a larger scale with a revised vision and purpose, managing a commissioning budget of around £8 billion. Our role as a strategic commissioner is to transform our local NHS through exceptional commissioning and build an innovative health system fit for the 21st century that truly meets our communities needs. Informed by high quality data and insights, we will radically re-imagine how we operate, making sure that every pound in our system delivers the best possible value for everyone we serve.

We will encourage and support our people to grow and develop new skills and embrace new agile ways of working. Everyone is encouraged to contribute ideas, seek feedback, and take part in creating a listening and learning culture where insight leads to improvement.

We will work as a team of teams, collaborating across services and professions to deliver the best outcomes for our communities. You will be encouraged, and expected to model inclusive behaviours, valuing diverse perspectives and helping to create a workplace where everyone feels respected, supported, and able to thrive.

Date posted

19 August 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£39,959 to £48,117 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

D9467-26-0009

Job locations

NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board

NHS Dorset - County Hall

Colliton Park

Dorchester

Dorset

DT1 1XJ

United Kingdom

NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board

Jenner House, Avon Way

Langley Park

Chippenham

Wiltshire

SN15 1GG

United Kingdom

NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board

Wynford House

Lufton Way

Yeovil

Somerset

BA22 8HR

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please also refer to attached Job Description.

The post holder will deliver high-quality analytical and technical support to the Data Science function within the Cluster.

They will develop, implement, and validate statistical models, machine learning algorithms, and automated analytical processes to generate insight that inform operational planning, population health management, and service improvement initiatives.

The role involves working closely with senior data scientists, data engineers, business intelligence teams, clinicians, and operational managers to translate business requirements into analytical solutions.

They will ensure analytical outputs are accurate, reproducible, and compliant with NHS information governance, data security, and methodological standards.

The post holder will support continuous improvement by applying best-practice analytical methods, contributing to team knowledge sharing, and assisting in embedding data-driven approaches within operational and improvement activities.

Person Specification

Skills, abilities and Knowledge

Essential

Please also see attached Person Specification.
Ability to analyse and interpret information, pre-empt and evaluate issues, and recommend and appropriate course of action to address the issues.
Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands.
Strategic thinking ability to anticipate.
Attention to detail combined with the ability to extract key messages from complex analysis.
Independent thinker with demonstrated good judgement, problem-solving and analytical skills.
Takes decisions on difficult and contentious issues where they may be a few courses of action.
An ability to maintain confidentiality and trust.
Used to working in a busy environment.
Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with uncertainty and change.
Commitment to continuing professional development.
Professional calm and efficient manner.
Effective organiser.
Demonstrate a strong desire to improve performance and make a difference by focusing on goals.

Qualifications

Essential

Please also see attached Person Specification.
Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in specialist area.
Further training or significant experience in project management, financial management or supporting change management processes.
Comprehensive knowledge of project management and/or health information systems development.
Workforce development knowledge and experience.
A good understanding of the health and social care environment and roles and responsibilities within it.

Experience

Essential

Please also see attached Person Specification.
Ability to engender trust and confidence and demonstrate integrity in the provision of advice and support.
Skills for managing projects ensuring they meet financial targets.
Ability to work on own initiative and organise own workload without supervision working to tight and often changing timescales Previous experience in project management and planning.
Experience and understanding of evaluating and measuring the performance of health services.
Experience in communications and stakeholder management.
Previous experience in similar role in public sector.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.