The Alan Turing Institute is the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence. The Institute is named in honour of the scientist Alan Turing and its mission is to make great leaps in data science and artificial intelligence research in order to change the world for the better.

The public policy research programme works alongside policy makers to explore how data-driven public service provision and policy innovation might help to solve long running societal problems. We also work hand-in-hand with public sector organisations and citizens to develop practice-based ethical standards for the responsible development and use of data science and AI.

In addition to our work with government and regulators, we carry out interdisciplinary academic research on a wide variety of topics, from identifying policy priorities using agent computing to tackling modern slavery and quantifying online hate speech. Our research projects rely entirely on public funds and their primary aim is to contribute to the Institute’s mission of making great leaps in data science and artificial intelligence research in order to change the world for the better.

The Women in Data Science and AI project sits within the Turing’s Public Policy programme. It conducts data science and social science research, looking through an intersectional lens, to provide data-driven insights informing concrete policy measures aimed at increasing equality in the data science and AI fields in the UK and globally.

The under-representation of women and marginalised groups in data science and AI leads to the encoding and amplification of bias in technical products, creating a dangerous feedback loop that further discriminates against those not involved in the creation of the technology. The Women in Data Science and AI project engages both quantitative and qualitative research to inform our understanding of the gender gap in data science and AI, exploring the multifaceted ethical, economic and governance-related issues stemming from the under-representation of women in the fields, including gender data gaps, and generating actionable insights and recommendations to tackle it.

Project work to date has included a major collaboration with UN Women on the implications of digital technologies for gender equality and women’s rights internationally, generating concrete policy recommendations; the creation of a ‘Hub’ website to connect women in the UK with resources, news and research in the data science and AI fields; the development of a ‘Diversity Dashboard’ tool to offer insights into gender inclusion within online workplaces; and the recent publication of the seminal policy report ‘Where are the women? Mapping the gender job gap in AI’. Current work includes investigating diversity and inclusion in tech workplace cultures (both online and in organisations) across sectors.

THE ROLE

The Public Policy Programme is recruiting a Social Data Scientist to work on the Women in Data Science and AI project. They will be responsible for conducting original end-to-end social data science research, from proposal and design to implementatation and dissemination, with a focus on policy recommendations. This two-year positon will include identifying, negotiating and collecting relevant data, as well as using statistical data analysis and machine learning methods to draw insights into aspects of women and marginalised groups in the fields of AI and data.

The successful candidate will use quantitative methods to extract insights from data, translate them into actionable recommendations, and communicate findings to diverse audiences. They will be expected to work collaboratively within the Women in Data Science and AI project, complementing existing mixed methods research undertaken by the team. It is also expected that identifying and building relationships with external collaborators, such as new data partners, will form a significant part of the role.

The successful candidate will report to the Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dr. Erin Young, and collaborate with the wider Women in Data Science and AI team and Public Policy Programme, primarily Professor Judy Wajcman. The post-holder will work closely with academics, as well as government and industry stakeholders, in an interdisciplinary, dynamic, and collaborative environment.

DUTIES AND AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Design and conduct original, end-to-end social data science research to achieve the objectives of the Women in Data Science and AI project, drawing insights into aspects of women and marginalised groups in AI. This will complement existing work plans and ongoing mixed methods initatives undertaken by the team;
• Identify relevant data, and manage data access negotiations and collection, as well as storage and analysis. This will include building and maintaining relationships with external stakeholders and data gatekeepers where necessary;
• Implement data science and machine learning methods to extract insights from data and translate them into actionable policies and other recommendations;
• Lead on the development, preparation and delivery of research outputs and resources tailored to different audiences, ranging from policy-makers to researchers, industry and the general public. This includes, for example, writing briefing papers, articles and other reports;
• Stay up-to-date with progress in related fields;
• Participate in internal and external meetings, for example, with representatives of government agencies, industry and potential partner organisations;
• Implement and manage work-plans to ensure timely delivery of objectives.

• Masters degree in social data science, statistics, computational social science, computer science, or related discipline.
• Demonstrably strong methodological and theoretical foundations and experience designing and conducting fieldwork and data collection at the intersection of technology and society (e.g. relationships between social inequalities and technology).
• Proficient in identifying, negotiating, extracting, collating and analysing data from different data sources (e.g. accessing and using APIs, web scraping, social media, etc).
• Experience in using programming languages such as Python or R to manipulate and analyse data by implementing statistical and machine learning models.
• Excellent writing and speaking skills, and proven ability to communicate complex, specialist or conceptual information/research findings clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences.
• Highly self-motivated and committed to achieving the project goals.
• Ability to work flexibly, prioritising tasks to meet deadlines and maintaining a high standard of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Experience in setting up research collaborations involving multiple stakeholders, or familiarity with identifying relevant data sets, building relationships with external collaborators, and conducting data access negotiations.
• Interpersonal skills relevant to collaborating and working as part of a multi-disciplinary team and communicating with stakeholders in academia, the public sector, and industry.
• Experience in leading on the design and implementation of original research and methodological plans.

Please see the job description for a full breakdown of the Duties and Responsibilities and full Person Specification.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

If you are interested in this opportunity, please click the apply button below. You will need to register on the applicant portal and complete the application form including:

• your CV;
• covering letter that outlines how you meet the job specifications, including a link to your github/website/portfolio as appropriate;
• a one-page proposal outlining what you see as the key research questions you would like to pursue, data you would like to explore, methodology, and implications for the Women in Data Science and AI project;
• sample piece of writing (an academic paper, journal article, blog post, conference proceeding, or equivalent);

Please upload additional sample writing pieces in the same attachment as your Cover Letter. Alternatively forward any additional attachments directly to [email protected] quoting the job title.

If you are applying for more than one role at the Turing, please note that only one Cover Letter can be visible on your profile at one time. If you wish to apply for multiple roles and do not want to overwrite your existing Cover Letter, please apply for the role using the button below and forward your additional cover letter directly to [email protected] quoting the job title.

If you have questions about the role or would like to apply using a different format, please contact them on 0203 862 3357 or 0203 862 3340, or email [email protected].

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: SUNDAY 07 NOVEMBER 2021 at 23:59.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This full-time post is offered on a fixed-term basis for two years. The annual salary is £37,000 - £42,000 plus excellent benefits, including flexible working and family friendly policies, https://www.turing.ac.uk/work-turing/why-work-turing/employee-benefits

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

The Alan Turing Institute is committed to creating an environment where diversity is valued and everyone is treated fairly. In accordance with the Equality Act, we welcome applications from anyone who meets the specific criteria of the post regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

We are committed to building a diverse community and would like our leadership team to reflect this. We therefore welcome applications from the broadest spectrum of backgrounds.

Reasonable adjustments to the interview process will be made for any candidates with a disability.

Please note all offers of employment are subject to obtaining and retaining the right to work in the UK and satisfactory pre-employment security screening which includes a DBS Check.

Full details on the pre-employment screening process can be requested from [email protected].