Senior Data Scientist

About the role

As a Senior Data Scientist you will be instrumental in shaping the technical backbone of the analytics function at Focaldata. In this role, you'll develop advanced R tools and scalable solutions to support research and analytics teams, while leading the implementation of cutting-edge modelling techniques. You'll collaborate on diverse projects, enhance our analytics infrastructure, and mentor team members in best practices. If you're passionate about data science, skilled in R, and eager to make an impact in public opinion and research, we’d love to hear from you.

What you'll do

This is a key role in shaping the technical backbone of the analytics function at Focaldata. Your areas of focus will be:

• Build internal R packages to automate and standardise core tasks like weighting, modelling, and charting.
• Develop scalable tooling to support our research and analytics teams—from data pipelines to custom dashboards.
• Lead the development and deployment of advanced modelling techniques (e.g. multilevel regression, segmentation, random forest models, text analysis).
• Collaborate with the wider team on bespoke research and client projects, offering analytical expertise where needed.
• Help shape our codebase and analytics infrastructure to ensure high standards of reproducibility, clarity, and documentation.
• Mentor team members in best practices in R development.
• Support innovation within the team by experimenting with and rolling out new methods and techniques.
• Work closely with researchers and engineers to ensure our models and tools integrate smoothly into workflows.

Who you are (skills and experience)

• 3+ years of experience in data science, ideally in a public opinion, polling, or research consultancy environment.
• Expert-level R skills, including package development, tidyverse and tidymodels fluency.
• Demonstrated experience building robust analytical tools or models used by others in a team or organisation.
• Strong background in applied statistics and machine learning, with a focus on transparency and interpretability.
• Comfortable working in GitHub and writing clean, well-documented code.
• Excellent communication skills—able to explain technical ideas to non-technical audiences.

Nice to have

• Experience supporting client projects in a research or consultancy context.
• Familiarity with survey methodology, MRP, or causal inference techniques.
• Experience working with cloud-based tools (e.g. BigQuery, GCP).
• Interest in public opinion, politics, or social science research.
• An eye for design and clarity in visualising data and outputs.
• Solid working knowledge of Python (e.g. pandas, scikit-learn), or willingness to expand into Python when needed.

Who you are (mindset)

• Experienced data scientist with 3+ years in public opinion, polling, or research consultancy, and you excel in R development, including package creation and tidyverse expertise.
• Robust analytical skills and background in applied statistics and machine learning focusing on transparency and interpretability.
• A confident communicator, who thrives in collaborative environments, translating technical concepts for non-technical audiences.
• Optional experience in survey methodology, MRP, or causal inference, alongside an interest in public opinion or social science research, is a strong plus. Proficiency in Python or willingness to expand into it adds to your versatility.

Please note that this role is predominantly in-office (4 days a week).

About Focaldata

At Focaldata, we’re building a new kind of tech-enabled research agency — that offers clients deep insight at the speed of software. You’ll get the opportunity to work alongside a highly collaborative team of researchers, client leads, engineers, data scientists and product specialists. We do impactful work with leading organisations, from brands like New Balance to campaign groups like Hope not Hate and non-profits like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Join us.

Focaldata is an equal opportunities employer. We believe in the value of a diverse and inclusive workforce for our business, team and customers. We encourage all applications regardless of age, disability, gender, marriage, pregnancy, maternity, race or nationality, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

We also understand that certain groups may not feel empowered to apply unless they match every single requirement. Please do apply even if you don't match 100% of every single requirement!