NHSX

Job description and person specification

Position

Job title Data Scientist Directorate/ NHSX Region

Pay band AFC Band 8b Responsible to Director of Analytics

Salary Accountable Lead for Innovative Analytics From £52,306 to £60,983 per annum + HCAS where to applicable

Tenure Substantive Position Responsible Works as part of the NHSX analytics for unit. Responsible for day to day work assigned to Project team whilst on allocated project

Funding Programme Funded Base or Arrangements London (Skipton House) or Leeds (Quarry House). The post holder will be required to travel regularly to Leeds (if based in London) or to London (if based in

Leeds). Some travel throughout England will also be required.

NHSX NHS England and NHS Improvement

NHSX is leading the largest digital health and social care transformation NHSX is a joint until between DHSC and NHSE/I. This role is being programme in the world and has been created to give staff and citizens the recruited into NHSE/I. technology they need. NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE/I) came together on 1 April We are a joint unit made up of colleagues in the Department of Health and 2019 as a new single organisation. The NHS Long Term Plan focuses on Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England and Improvement (NHSE/I) and will delivering integrated care to patients at the local level and we can best harness the best expertise from industry, the NHS, Government and the health support the NHS to deliver this as a single integrated organisation. and care sectors. Our new operating model represents a strong shift to regional delivery NHSX will deliver the Health Secretary’s Tech Vision, building on the NHS Long supported by expert corporate teams. Local health systems are supported Term Plan. We will speed up the digital transformation of the NHS and social by our integrated regional teams who play a major leadership role in the care. We have set ourselves five missions, which are focused on how we can geographies they manage. make things better for patients and staff. These are: We are jointly committed to creating and maintaining a fair and supportive ● Reducing the burden on clinicians and staff, so they can focus on working environment and culture, where contributions are fully recognised patients; and valued by all and staff feel empowered to carry out their duties to the ● Giving people the tools to access information and services directly; best of their abilities. As employers we are committed to promoting and ● Ensuring clinical information can be safely accessed, wherever it is protecting the physical and mental health and well-being of all our staff. needed; This underpins our values as set out in the NHS Constitution, supports us ● Improving patient safety across the NHS; and to be an Employer of Choice and ultimately enables our employees to ● Improving NHS productivity with digital technology. support the effective care of our patients.

We have established NHSX on 4 core values: The seven integrated regions of our joint enterprise will work with local ● Open systems to support and improve how care is provided to patients and

● Respectful communities. These regions will be supported by the corporate centre ● Collaborative providing expertise and developing policy. The focus will be on guiding ● Innovative and managing the delivery of services through local integrated health systems, sustainability and transformation partnerships, and devolution areas. These values are guiding the way that NHSX works now and develops in the future, we would expect applicants to demonstrate, at interview, a commitment to these values.

Service and team About the role

About our Directorate The Analytics Unit will be expected to develop and share innovative and impactful data science and mobilise the wider analytical The Policy and Strategy Directorate will be led by Kathy Hall, returning community across the NHS and beyond to deliver analysis, insight from secondment at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and research for better health and care. to take over from Katie Farrington. When staffed up, this Directorate will consist of just over 100 people across 6 teams, made up of: This is a new role in a newly formed unit, you will be expected to shape and built the unit. ● Strategy – leading on crosscutting strategy issues for NHSX and in negotiations with HMT on technology and digital spending as As data transforms the world around us, NHSX is to build an part of future budgets and spending reviews Analytics Unit that will embrace and deliver that change in the NHS. ● Technology policy – leading on support for Secretary of State priority meetings, implementation of the tech vision and relevant As a Data Scientist, the post holder will work as part of a dynamic elements of the long-term plan, NHS Digital sponsorship and team in delivering an effective service supporting managers and behavioural insights staff across the Analytics area to develop and share innovative and impactful data science. Data and information governance policy – leading on making ● sure we get the best from the rich data in health and care, using it The post holder will be part of an innovative analytics team within

to transform care, drive innovation, at the same time building the Analytics unit. The innovative analytics team will lead on proof public trust and confidence of concepts in non-clinical data science for the health and care ● Analytics – leading on analytical support across NHSX system, with a strong emphasis on bridging the gap between innovative research and real-life practice. programmes, developing an analytical profession for the NHS; and developing innovative analytical and data science projects The post is responsible for providing professional expertise to the ● Social Care technology and data policy – leading on digital outcome of the business processes for the Department or Directorate. transformation across the social care sector and using technology The post holder will define current processes, facilitate discussions and and sharing of data to help support integration and join up advise colleagues as to how best practice might be adopted in the between health and care definition of future processes, document those processes as they are ● Artificial Intelligence in health and care policy – leading on the agreed and oversee their delivery. policy framework for AI in health and care, including setting up our

new AI lab

We are looking for people who are:

● Focused on supporting patients, service users and frontline staff – and how we can harness data and technology to do so. ● Comfortable operating in an ambiguous and complex environment, with the right level of resilience and collaborative attitude to work within multiple reporting lines, virtual teams and stakeholder groups. ● Able to deliver quality at pace – taking complex issues, translating them into deliverable work programmes and implementing them to quick timelines without sacrificing quality. ● Curious and creative problem solvers who are able to navigate through barriers to delivery and who are excited about working on

an emerging and innovative agenda. ● Highly corporate and keen to play their full part in developing our new Unit, Directorate and teams to their full potential, taking the best of both civil service and NHS to create an inclusive and diverse culture of high performance and continuous improvement.

Key Job specifics and responsibilities Key accountabilities

In this role you will be expected to identify and solve complex business Key Functional Responsibilities problems whilst leveraging data value. You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team with data engineers, analysts and others. Operational ● Working with data engineers to map, produce, transform and test Specifics: new data feeds for data owners and consumers, selecting the most appropriate tools and technologies. Can lead ad hoc data exploration in a wide variety of data serialisation and storage ● work with policy and operations teams to understand where data formats, from across the business, for data consumers. science can add value ● Displays strong intellectual curiosity and proactively explores ● support strategic and operational decision making in order to create areas of innovation in both government and industry. Can identify the business value for innovation within their organisation impact ● Promotes and monitors continuous professional development ● source, access, manipulate and engineer data processes with data within their organisation. Develops knowledge of cutting-edge that typically have characteristics of volume, velocity and variety techniques and shares knowledge. Propagates data science ● build credible statistical models from the data and use best coding capability across the organisation practices to generate reproducible work ● Creating data science products which are proportionate to the ● draw on other technical and analytical standards from across business benefit and achieve significant impact. Presents analysis government and industry and visualisations in clear ways to communicate complex

● adhere to the data science ethics framework messages. Develops data science communication skills within their team. Supports the evolution of data governance and takes be open minded and demonstrate strong intellectual curiosity ● responsibility for applying the data science ethical framework in ● have an interdisciplinary focus, using techniques and knowledge their business area. from across the scientific spectrum ● Designs, codes, tests, corrects and documents moderate to ● explore and visualise the data to present the ‘story’ of the data in a complex programmes and scripts from agreed specifications and meaningful way, and to a range of technical and non-technical subsequent iterations, using agreed standards and tools. audiences Collaborates with others to review specifications where ● use an evolving range of data analysis tools and techniques, appropriate. including open source, some of which must be learnt quickly, as and ● Use of R, Python, SAS or other coding languages when required

● continuously seek to expand a range of technical skills in addition to ● As a senior lead working internally and externally to deliver their leadership and communications development projects, initiatives and services to time and in a cost effective ● propagate data science skills in other teams, understanding the way. variety of functional roles relating to data science and how they can ● To support the identification and sharing of best practice in data be most effectively applied to solve business problems science to support service improvement. ● To operate in a highly political and sensitive environment. ● Support the portfolio of programmes/projects in demonstrating value for money tracking, managing and delivering agreed You will be expected to work in an open, transparent and collaborative manner, benefits. sharing good practice and seeking to continuously improve the quality of ● Provide specialist advice and prepare strategic reports and outputs. As a unit we will role model working in the open, sharing and briefings for directors and stakeholders. communicating plans and results, being open to external expertise and ● In depth analysis, interpretation and production of complex and nurturing an open ecosystem multiple reports.

Financial and Physical Resources

● Responsible for budgets/ matching the available budget to the appropriate staff resources and projects and for ensuring that the budget breaks even, co-ordinating and monitoring expenditure. ● Responsible for supporting the commissioning of projects and procurement of services to support project delivery, acting in

accordance with Standing Orders and Standing Financial Improving quality and outcomes Instruction. ● Provide financial reports to Directors and the Board as required. ● To ensure that quality and outcomes are the focus of all analytical work ● Financial Instructions in the discharge of this responsibility. undertaken ● Constantly strive for value for money and greater efficiency in the use of budgets, and to ensure that they operate in recurrent Enabling patient and public involvement financial balance year on year.

● To act as a champion for patients, service users and their interests and People Management involve the public and patients in the policy development and decision- ● Responsible for the day to day range of staff management making matters, which will include responsibility for supporting appraisals, development of staff, recruitment and where necessary employee Promoting equality and reducing inequalities relations matters. ● Responsible for an individual’s development on the job and team ● To uphold organisational policies and principles on the promotion of performance. equality ● To create an inclusive working environment where diversity is valued, Information Management everyone can contribute, and everyday action ensure we meet our duty ● Develop and deliver information sharing systems. to uphold and promote equality ● Develop the acquisition, organisation, provision and use of knowledge and information. Partnership and cross boundary working ● Highlight exceptions and risks ensuring mitigating action is taken. ● Drafting reports summarising status on issues, appraising ● To work closely with stakeholders across the local health and care outcomes, and providing progress reports for the Head of the system, national and international stakeholders (including NHSE/I, Department. NHSD, DHSC, HEE, Local Government, other Government ● Collate as required, qualitative and quantitative information and departments, other ALBs, HDRUK, think tanks and academia) to ensure lead appropriate analysis to develop robust business cases and a joint approach to supporting data development, analysis and data contribute to delivery of ‘products’ and service improvement. ● Analyse, interpret and present data to highlight issues, risks and science in the NHS support decision making.

Research and Development

Leadership for transformational change ● Plan, develop and evaluate methods and processes for gathering, analysing, interpreting and presenting data and information ● Deliver projects to comply with key performance indicators, and ● To model a collaborative and influencing style of working, negotiating best practice guidance. with others to achieve the best outcomes. Embedding this approach ● Co-ordinate Research & Development initiatives, delegating as across the Directorate. appropriate.

Using insight and evidence for improvement Planning and Organisation:

● To inform operational plans, policies and strategies ● Ensure projects, services and initiatives are delivered on time, to quality standards and in a cost effective manner, adjusting plans Developing an excellent organisation as required. ● Determine the strategic planning of Department or Directorate ● To ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of all staff within the projects, identifying interdependencies across projects/functions, department. potential impacts on wider organisation, resource requirements ● To ensure compliance with all confidentiality and governance and building in contingency and adjustments as necessary. requirements within the department. ● Determine the development of performance and governance ● To adhere to the NHS Managers Code of Conduct and any other strategies and the development and implementation of relevant professional codes of conduct at all times. improvement programmes, in accordance with Service Sector priorities. ● Determine short, medium and long term business plans, achieving quality outcomes.

Policy and Service Development:

● Carry responsibility for developing policy and procedure within own discipline/field, including briefings, commissioning, business or resources. ● Responsible for proposing and drafting changes, implementation and interpretation to policies, guidelines and service level agreements (SLA’s) which may impact within Department or

Directorate. ● Proposes changes to own project/service and make recommendations for other projects/service delivery.

Key Working Relationships

● Communicates and provides highly complex information to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. (verbal, written and numerical) ● Present highly complex information about projects, initiatives and services to a wide range of stakeholders in a formal setting. ● Commit to working and engaging constructively with internal and external stakeholders on a range of contentious issues. ● Support matrix working internally and collaborative working across organisations.

Organisational structure

Add team structure here

Person specification

Criteria Essential Desirable Evidence*

Qualifications

A/I ✓ Masters level qualification (or equivalent experience) in a relevant discipline

Knowledge and ✓ A/I experience Understands a range of data science practices. Develops deeper expertise on a narrower range of specialisms.

A/I ✓ Extensive knowledge of specialist areas acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or training plus further specialist knowledge or experience to master’s level equivalent. A/I Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development. ✓ A/I Must have an understanding of the background to and aims of current healthcare ✓ policy and appreciate the implications of this on engagement. A/I Have an appreciation of the relationship between the Department of Health and individual provider and commissioning organisations. ✓ A/I Experience of budgetary responsible, including budget setting with evidence of

working knowledge of financial processes ✓ A/I

Experience of building effective cross functional working relationships to drive organisational agenda A/I ✓ Member of relevant professional body. ✓

Skills Capabilities & Attributes Applied maths, statistics and scientific practices; Understands how algorithms are

designed, optimised and applied at scale. Can select and use appropriate

statistical methods for sampling, distribution assessment, bias and error. Understands problem structuring methods and can evaluate when each method is A/I ✓ appropriate. Applies scientific methods through experimental design, exploratory

data analysis and hypothesis testing to reach robust conclusions.

Data engineering and manipulation; works with other technologists and analysts to integrate and separate data feeds in order to map, produce, transform and test new scalable data products that meet user needs. Has a demonstrable understanding of how to expose data from systems (for example, through APIs),

link data from multiple systems and deliver streaming services. Works with other A/I technologists and analysts to understand and make use of different types of data

models. Understands and can make use of different data engineering tools for ✓ repeatable data processing and is able to compare between different data models. Understands how to build scalable machine learning pipelines and combine feature engineering with optimisation methods to improve the data product performance.

Data science innovation; Recognises and exploits business opportunities to A/I ensure more efficient and effective ways to use data science. Explores ways of utilising new data science tools and techniques to tackle business and organisational challenges. Demonstrates strong intellectual curiosity with an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on innovation in academia and industry. ✓

Developing data science capability; Continuously develops data science A/I knowledge, utilising multiple sources. Shares data science practices across

departments and in industry, promoting professional development and use of best

practice across all capabilities identified for data scientists. Focuses on recruitment and induction of data scientists. ✓

Domain expertise; Understands the context of the business, its processes, data A/I and priorities. Applies data science techniques to present, communicate and disseminate data science products effectively, appropriately and with high impact.

Values and ✓ A/I Commitment to and focused on quality, promotes high standards in all they do. Behaviours A/I Able to make a connection between their work and the benefit to patients and the ✓ public. A/I Ability to operate in a value-driven style consistent with the values of the public ✓ services and specifically with the new organisational values

A/I

Works across boundaries, looks for collective success, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others ✓ A/I

Values diversity and difference; operates with integrity and openness ✓ A/I Works well with others, is positive and helpful, listens, involves, respects and

learns from the contribution of others. ✓ A/I Consistently looks to improve what they do, look for successful tried and tested

ways of working, and also seeks out innovation. A/I ✓ Actively develops themselves and supports others to do the same.

Needs to have a thorough understanding of and commitment to equality of ✓ opportunity and good working relationships both in terms of day-to-day working A/I practices, but also in relation to management systems.

Self-awareness in teams of emotional intelligence, biases and personal triggers A/I with cultural sensitivity and awareness.

✓

Values diversity and difference operates with integrity and openness. A/I

Embrace change, viewing it as an opportunity to learn and develop. ✓ A/I

Demonstrates honesty and integrity and promotes organisational values. A/I

✓

✓

✓

Other Ability to travel across sites where required ✓ A/I

* Evidence will take place with reference to the following information:

A Application form

I Interview

T Test or Assessment

C Certificate

KEY TO JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION COLOUR CODING

Light JOB SPECIFIC INFORMATION: Text can be amended or additional Blue information inserted

Dark ORGANISATION SPECIFIC INFORMATION: Text should not be Blue amended

Black NATIONAL GENERIC INFORMATION: Text should not be amended (denotes banding)