Data Science Lead

Job Title: Data Science Lead

Reports to: Head of Audience Insight

Department: Strategy, Policy & Insights

Location: London/Hybrid

Salary: Basic salary starting from £84,000, negotiable dependant on experience

DEPARTMENT DESCRIPTION

The Strategy, Policy & Insight (Function) are trusted thought-leaders bringing expert strategy, policy, market & audience insight – challenging and advising the business to drive delivery of Channel 4’s strategy and remit.

The purpose of the new centralised Audience Insights (Subfunction) is to be independent thought leaders at the heart of Channel 4’s creative and commercial decision-making, bringing a single source of truth and big picture perspective, challenging and advising the business to ensure profitable business growth through the use of data.

Within the new centralised operating Insights model (where all audience and market insight in C4 is centralised into the Audience Insight team), each C-Suite Leader (CEO, Chief Content Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Revenue Officer, Chief Marketing Officer and the Exec Committee as a body) and their Senior Leaders have a dedicated Insight Business Partner (BP) who prioritizes and agrees their Insight requirements, aligned to the strategic C4 pillars. BP Analysts directly source available analysis and where additional, bespoke research or specialised analysis is required, the BP will commission this from the relevant Specialist Lead, managing jointly the presentation back of recommendations to the C-Suite Leader.

JOB PURPOSE

Subject Matter Expert leading a small team of specialists in using advanced data techniques, exploring new content & product data sets & creating new data tools/models to make predictions about future viewer & market behaviours, providing C4 C-Suite and their Senior Leaders with ‘predictive next best action’ recommendations on which they can make business decisions.

KEY RESPONSIBILTIES

• Educate C-Suite & Senior Leaders on the game-changing power of Data Science to inform their decisions, clearly articulating the complex style of analysis in a way that bridges to their business challenges to bring clear business value and return on investment and driving up the profile of the data science specialism
• Clearly articulate the business case for new data science analysis, presenting to Exec & Senior Leaders alongside the BP on the cost/ benefit Return on Investment (ROI) aligned to C4’s strategic pillars to optimise and prioritize new work packages and C4 outcomes
• Prioritise demands for Data Science projects coming in from the Insight Business Partners, finalising a workstack for the Data Science team which optimises value
• Lead and manage a team of Data Science specialists to synchronise high volumes of audience, content & product data, building algorithms to build predictions which personalise and forecast audience and business performance in a way that Exec and Senior Leaders can use for their business decisions
• Innovate new data analysis tools and methods, proving a ROI business case to recommend purchase (where appropriate) to the Reporting & Data Enablement Lead
• Distil data insight into clear & relevant ‘predictive next best actions’ which map directly onto business challenges & goals, which can be easily understood & actioned by C4 leaders
• Oversee work delivered by the Data Science specialists, balancing workload, skills & capacity across projects
• Brief BP’s and alongside the owning BP, brief Exec / Senior Leader Stakeholders on project progress to ensure ongoing relevance & agree changes.
• Present back data science project outcomes and next best actions as the Subject Matter Expert to Exec/Senior Leaders alongside the BP ensuring clear actionable challenge and recommendations

KEY RELATIONSHIPS / STAKEHOLDERS

• Lead Insight Business Partner and 4 Business Partners & their Analyst teams
• C-Suite & Senior Leaders in C4 (to present back on research as subject matter expert alongside the owning BP for that area)
• Total team of 3 Data Scientists – all are direct reports

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential:

• Proven strong background (min 2 years) in Data Science and/or Data Strategy
• Advanced technical skills, and track record implementing data products in a commercial or creative environment.
• Strong project leadership skills and ability to lead end-to-end delivery of data-driven projects in a high quality and timely manner.
• Passion for data, and ability to act as an ambassador for Data Science across the business.
• Proven ability to define strategic objectives and articulate the ROI for data science programmes to BP’s and business stakeholders
• Strong communication & presentation skills with the ability to present complex and detailed recommendations clearly and succinctly to C-Suite / Senior Leaders and constructively challenge leaders whilst working collaboratively.
• Strong leadership / people management skills (min 2 years) including coaching of team members
• Experience of working with external agencies and partners to deliver work
• Ability to handle multiple projects and priorities, manage timescales and delivery across the team often under pressure

Desirable:

• Sector experience in a media or broadcast company including exposure to product & viewer data (ideally social /web based)

COMPETENCES

• Enabling Strategy & Change, Advancing Analytics Capability, Managing Data & Information, Harnessing Insights & Learning

Hybrid Working:

From September 2023, C4 has operated a 60/40 working pattern, equating to three office days per week.

Having everyone in the office three days a week gives us more opportunity to build our high performing, inclusive culture; to collaborate and to learn and share with each other, as well as helping to coordinate a regular pattern of home and office working days.

Employees then have the flexibility to decide where they spend the rest of the working week.

All our offices are open five days a week.

Benefits

There are a million reasons why it’s great to work at Channel 4, here are just a few of the perks for you;

• Private medical insurance with NO EXCESS
• Free Virtual GP access for employees
• Free Female Health hormone test each year
• Free Tastecard membership
• Financial guidance 1-2-1’s available each quarter
• Free OnHand (as featured on Dragon’s Den) volunteering membership
• Discounted Gym memberships
• Pension
• Life Assurance
• Income Protection
• Holiday Buy/Sell

Equal Opportunities

Channel 4’s purpose is to create change through entertainment; by representing unheard voices, challenging with purpose and delivering content which reflects the diversity of different communities across the UK.

We are only able to deliver on this remit by having a workforce rich in diversity of thought, background and lived experience. As an employer we encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds and do not discriminate based on disability, age, gender reassignment, gender expression, criminal history, length of time spent unemployed, marriage or civil partnership status, national origin, pregnancy and maternity status, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

Disability Confident Scheme:

Channel 4 is a member of the Business Disability Forum (BDF) and has also maintained the highest level of the Department of Work and Pension's Disability Confident scheme - Level 3: Leader. Under the Disability Confident Scheme, we aim to offer an interview to all candidates who have a neurodiverse condition, impairment or long-term condition and who meet the essential criteria for an advertised job. If you wish your application to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme, please select yes when completing the application questions. For more information, please visit the Disability Confident Campaign website.

For our roles and schemes that receive a high volume of applications it may not be possible to provide an interview to all applicants who meet the essential criteria and in this situation we can only select applications that best meet the skills needed for the role.

Care Leaver Friendly Employer:

Channel 4 is a Care Leaver Friendly Employer. By signing the Care Leaver Friendly Employer Charter and adopting its principles, we are supporting an immensely talented yet often under-served and under-represented community of young people/ adults. We commit to offering an interview (and constructive feedback) to applicants who identify as care experienced and meet the essential criteria for the role as outlined on the job description. Applicants should indicate if they wish to apply under our Care Leaver Scheme by selecting the option on the application form.

Workplace Adjustments:

We are committed to providing disabled applicants a level playing field when applying for a job and support whilst employed to perform to the best of their ability and develop their careers. If you have a neurodiverse condition, impairment or long-term condition and require any adjustments, additional support or alternative arrangements during the recruitment and wish to discuss this confidentially, please let us know.