Data Scientist

at  The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

This is an exciting opportunity to join The Christie’s Clinical Outcomes and Data Unit (CODU) as a Data Scientist. The CODU’s strategy is to improve patient outcomes through the robust selection, analysis, and visualisation of data. We work closely with colleagues across the trust to support the use of data in clinical and operational decision making. We are experts in data visualisation, creating data analysis tools, and helping colleagues to use these tools in their daily work.
You will be expected to work with the Analysts, Data Scientists and Statisticians within the team, working on projects with stakeholders throughout the Christie including the Systemic Therapy Research (STR) group, extracting insights from data collected throughout the hospital to be presented back to clinical and operational teams to inform improvements in the hospital.
With your organised, enthusiastic and inquisitive approach you will be able to work to tight deadlines, be a good multitasker and have a mindset for exploring data, responding to the requirements of stakeholders, ensuring the work is completed to agreed timescales and Trust requirements.
You will interpret information from many systems throughout the Trust, being one of the team’s data experts, providing advice on the best approaches for data projects and explaining analysis performed to non-data experts in an approachable and easy to understand way.
1. To support clinicians, researchers and non-clinical staff in performing statistical analysis and producing data models
2. To use data and technical analysis to extract insight from data for clinical and operational purposes, identifying solutions, recommending process and business rule improvements
3. To interpret statistical results and explain them, verbally and in writing, so as to be understood by non-statisticians
4. To advise on the appropriate techniques for data analysis and interpretation, advising analysts when data science and statistical work feasible
2. To identify and recommend improvements in reporting, software or other systems, which contribute to the performance of the systems or accuracy of data
3. To utilise explorative data science techniques to extract usable insights from data and explain data-driven recommendations to others through clear visualisations
4. To explore and stay up-to-date with various modelling techniques, advising on those optimal for the purpose
5. To ensure selected techniques remain to be fit for purpose through on going monitoring and robust data pipelines
6. To plan own workload and projects appropriately
7. To test own work and peer-review team member’s work
8. To support the learning of team colleagues and mentor junior team members
9. To create and maintain documentation on analysis undertaken for the creation of tools and reports for CODU projects
The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.
We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years.
We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.

General
1. To support clinicians, researchers and non-clinical staff in performing statistical analysis and producing data models
2. To use data and technical analysis to extract insight from data for clinical and operational purposes, identifying solutions, recommending process and business rule improvements
3. To interpret statistical results and explain them, verbally and in writing, so as to be understood by non-statisticians
4. To advise on the appropriate techniques for data analysis and interpretation, advising analysts when data science and statistical work feasible
5. To identify and recommend improvements in reporting, software or other systems, which contribute to the performance of the systems or accuracy of data
6. To utilise explorative data science techniques to extract usable insights from data and explain data-driven recommendations to others through clear visualisations
7. To explore and stay up-to-date with various modelling techniques, advising on those optimal for the purpose
8. To ensure selected techniques remain to be fit for purpose through on going monitoring and robust data pipelines
9. To plan own workload and projects appropriately
10. To test own work and peer-review team member’s work
11. To support the learning of team colleagues and mentor junior team members
12. To create and maintain documentation on analysis undertaken for the creation of tools and reports for CODU projects
13. Any other duties commensurate with the post and grade that may be requested by the Lead Data Scientist
Communication and Relationships
1. Communicate professionally with senior clinicians and service managers. This may require the use of specific clinical terminology to understand issues being raised in detail.
2. Represent the Clinical Outcomes and Data Unit and Digital Services as appropriate in internal and external meetings, reporting back on progress. The post holder must be able to travel and be sufficiently confident to forge effective working relationships with partner organisations as required.
3. Advise, support and lead on reporting at appropriate directorate, divisional and Trust level meetings.
4. Be a point of contact for CODU, managing queries, problems, requests, and incidents ensuring they are logged and tracked.
5. Lead, manage and action the resolution of assigned tasks in an efficient and professional manner. Post holder must conform to Trust and departmental procedures and working practices, seeking further advice and information when necessary.
Knowledge, training and experience
1. Post holder must be adept at researching and understanding complex, multi-departmental clinical data flows, and apply advanced levels of understanding of specialty specific data.
2. Expert at understanding problems and utilising various software to provide data insight tools using appropriate analytical techniques.
3. An exceptional attention to detail, ensuring high quality and efficient new processes are implemented.
4. Work closely with other teams in digital services (software development, data engineering) to understand cross over in work streams, and potential implications.
5. Support the highly important requirements of the performance management and income teams. Post holder should have an awareness of NHS financial and performance reporting.
6. Be continuously aware of changes to working practices for colleagues across the trust. Ensure that products are amended to reflect these changes, and meet expectations of stakeholders.
Analytical
1. Apply statistical and analytical knowledge to critically appraise and challenge the results of outputs ensuring only meaningful information is delivered to the clinical/business stakeholders.
Responsibility – policy and service
1. Act as an ambassador for the CODU by developing and maintaining excellent working relationships with users across the organisation, delivering against local requirements and national targets.
2. Lead in the development and maintenance of a culture of service provision and continuous improvement for own areas.
3. Be responsible for implementing policies for own work area and for proposing changes to policies, in line with legislation, Trust and NHS policies and guidelines across the Trust, where appropriate.
4. Pro-actively participate in ensuring that services delivered within the Trust reflect best practice with respect to organisational, NHS and legislative requirements and guidelines including IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), Data Protection Act (1998), Information Standards, Information Security and compliance with NHS Information Governance.
5. Participate in Information Governance and security as required and ensure appropriate governance and security in own area.
6. Ensure change management is applied in own areas and follows implemented policies and procedures.
7. Ensure all documentation relating to own area of work is complete and fit for purpose
8. Participate in Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for allocated incidents and problems; instigating emergency action, when required, liaising with other Trust Managers, as appropriate.
Responsibility - Staff/HR/leadership training
1. Responsible for line management of own team in line with appropriate policies, procedures, working practices and guidelines, ensuring all resources are deployed to maximise an efficient and effective delivery of support services to patients and users.
2. Provide regular performance reports on progress, status and achievements for own area to be used by management and users.
3. Undertake and support the development of staff in line with personal development reviews and other associated guidance.
Responsibility – finance and physical
1. Be responsible for the safe use of ICT hardware and software.
2. Monitor the maintenance and support contracts allocated to own area, ensuring continuity of service and budget management. Liaise with third party suppliers to identify and evaluate potential value for money contracts.
3. Liaise with external agencies, suppliers and contractors ensuring delivery of service is in line with agreed contracts.
4. Support business appraisals and business case production when required in partnership with Trust stake holders. Undertake solution searches and appraisals of supplier proposals.
5. Ensure Trust procurement processes and procedures are followed in a timely and efficient manner and participate in the procurement process where relevant, providing assistance for the development and assessment of procurement documentation as required.
6. Ensure Trust Standing Financial Instructions (SFIs) and procurement guidelines are followed and adhered to.
Project Management
1. Advise and participate in the development and implementation of projects, where required, ensuring Informatics provision of integrated solutions and user objectives are achieved.
2. Ensure project tasks, where required, are successfully delivered in line with agreed timescales and budgets.
3. Support the activities of project boards and project teams, when required, and making presentations, where required, to all levels of staff.
4. Ensure any project management documentation or reports are delivered in line with agreed standards and timescales.
Business Continuity Management
1. Participate in the development, exercising, maintaining and reviewing of business continuity plans. Participate the business impact analysis exercises highlighting critical business processes within own area.
2. Be familiar with the Trust Business Continuity Plan and personal responsibilities within where applicabl