Research Data Scientist

Research Data ScientistHealthy and Sustainable Places (HASP)School of Geography, Faculty of Environment

Salary: Grade 7 (£39,105 – £46,485 p.a.)

Available on a fixed-term basis until 31 March 2029 to complete specific time limited work.This role will be based on the University campus (with scope for hybrid working).We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements.

Are you a driven research data scientist looking for your next challenge? Do you want to further your career in one of the UK’s leading research-intensive Universities?

We are seeking to appoint three talented and highly motivated individuals to join the Healthy and Sustainable Places (HASP) data service. HASP is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of its Smart Data Research UK programme. 

HASP will provide a platform for place-based research utilising data from a diverse range of sources, enabling society’s most pressing and persistent challenges in health and sustainability to be assessed together. HASP has a particular focus on two thematic pillars: Healthy and Sustainable Food and Lifestyles; and Healthy and Sustainable Mobility.

As a Research Data Scientist, you will have the opportunity to derive insight and deliver impact from our unique data assets and affiliated projects. The role will entail the analysis of these data assets, and the creation of innovative and impactful data products (e.g., maps, metrics, aggregations), and contribution to the wider objectives of the data service, to assess the health and sustainability of places.  

We are looking for three Research Data Scientists who are driven and creative, with skills in one or more of the following domain areas (please specify which domain area(s) you are applying to in your cover letter):

1.    Data visualisation. You will have expertise in deriving insight from datasets by designing and implementing data visualisations. 

2.    Data Engineering at Scale. You will have expertise in manipulating and analysing large datasets. This will include knowledge of SQL, and experience with Hadoop, Apache Spark, or similar platforms would be beneficial. 

3.    Geospatial data. You will have expertise in manipulating, analysing and visualising data that contains geospatial information. 

For the full list of requirements, please view the candidate brief. 

Salary Requirements of the Skilled Worker Visa Route

Please note that this post may be suitable for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route but first-time applicants might need to qualify for salary concessions. For more information, please visit the Government’s Skilled Worker visa page.

For research and academic posts, we will consider eligibility under the Global Talent visa. For more information, please visit the Government’s page, Apply for the Global Talent visa.

What we offer in return

•    26 days holiday plus approx.16 Bank Holidays/days that the University is closed by custom (including Christmas) 

•    Generous pension scheme options plus life assurance

•    Health and Wellbeing: Discounted staff membership options at The Edge, our state-of-the-art Campus gym, with a pool, sauna, climbing wall, cycle circuit, and sports halls.

•    Personal Development: Access to courses run by our Organisational Development & Professional Learning team.

•    Access to on-site childcare, shopping discounts and travel schemes are also available.

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact

 Professor Nik Lomax, Professor of Population Geography, email: N.M.Lomax@leeds.ac.uk

Closing Date: 25 Apr 2025

Section: Professional & Managerial

Salary: £39,105 to £46,485 per annum