Data Scientist (Data Practice)
About the job
About the Data Scientist (DP) role
We are looking for a Data Scientist to advance the use of Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs) across government. This role offers the opportunity to design and conduct applied research, develop proof-of-concept solutions, and collaborate with agencies to pilot and implement privacy-driven innovations. You will work alongside multidisciplinary teams to translate cutting-edge research into scalable, real-world applications that enable secure and responsible data use.
Key Responsibilities:
- Applied Research & Development
- Design and execute rigorous experiments to evaluate emerging PETs and solutions.
- Develop proof-of-concepts that demonstrate real-world applicability and measurable impact.
- Stay current with academic research and translate findings into practical, deployable solutions.
- Contribute to the broader community through publications and knowledge sharing with government and international partner.
- Agency Partnership & Pilot Implementation
- Collaborate directly with government agencies to deeply understand their unique privacy challenges and operational constraints.
- Design and execute pilot programmes to test PET solutions.
- Systematically gather user feedback and iterate on solutions based on practical deployment experiences and lessons learned.
- Provide ongoing technical consultation and hands-on support to agencies throughout their privacy technology adoption journey.
- End-to-End Solution Innovation & Development
- Identify opportunities where PETs can address current common data challenges across government.
- Architect and develop scalable solutions designed for widespread adoption across the Whole of Government ecosystem.
- Establish clear implementation pathways and adoption frameworks for new privacy technologies.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work as a collaborative team player alongside data scientists, data engineers, software engineers, and product managers.
- Partner strategically with government agencies to align technical solutions with the evolving landscape of regulatory requirements and governance frameworks.
Requirements:
- Degree or higher in Computer Science, Data Science, Business Analytics or a related field, with at least 2-3 years of relevant professional experience.
- Core Data Science & ML skillset:
- Strong foundation in machine learning, with hands-on experience in model development and experimentation.
- Strong programming proficiency in Python and extensive experience with ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn).
- Ability to analyse model behavior, diagnose training issues, and design experiments to optimise performance and reliability.
- Applied Research & Experimentation
- Demonstrated ability to read, synthesise, and critically evaluate academic research papers and technical literature
- Experience designing and conducting rigorous experiments to validate hypotheses and measure solution effectiveness
- Comfort working with ambiguous problems and developing novel approaches to complex challenges.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with privacy-enhancing technologies, including but not limited to anonymisation, synthetic data generation or differential privacy.
- Familiarity with frontend integration workflows (Next.js/React). prior experience working in multi-disciplinary teams.
- Curiosity and willingness to learn new domains (esp. data privacy).
- Strong communication skills to explain technical concepts to both engineers and non-technical stakeholders.
- Inclination to work in a collaborative, fast-moving Agile environment.
- Strong in communication with the ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly to diverse audience.
