Data Scientist Apprenticeship – Level 6 – Product Group – London/Salford/Newcastle
Contract Type: Fixed‑Term Apprenticeship, Full‑time for 36 months
Department: Product Data, BBC Public Service
Location: London – Broadcasting House; Salford – Quay House; Newcastle – Broadcasting Centre
Salary: £22,950 (+ £5,441 London Weighting if based in London)
COULD A BBC APPRENTICESHIP BE THE NEXT ROLE FOR YOU?
Join us as an apprentice at the BBC to give yourself the opportunity to kick‑start your career in a job you’ll love. We’re committed to your skills and talent development. You’ll learn on‑the‑job, developing your knowledge and skills in an area that interests you, while working towards your apprenticeship qualification with one of our learning providers.
WHY JOIN THIS SCHEME?
Data Science is evolving the way the BBC operates. Our data scientists help us to better understand the customers we serve and the content served to them, turning raw data into valuable insights and products to better serve audience needs. Whether audiences are watching on BBC iPlayer, listening on BBC Sounds, reading BBC News and BBC Sport articles or learning on BBC Bitesize, behind the scenes data scientists are at work. Fancy being one of them?
To find out more about the schemes we offer, you can register to join one of our webinars here.
WHY JOIN THE TEAM?
As a Data Scientist apprentice at the BBC, you’ll join a supportive, forward‑thinking community where your work has real impact. The BBC has been serving audiences online for decades, across key products such as BBC iPlayer. As we evolve to deliver more personalised content and experiences, Data Science is at the heart of that transformation. As a team, we use ML/AI to enrich our content and power personalised experiences for millions of audience members.
You’ll grow through a mix of hands‑on projects and dedicated study, earning an industry‑recognised qualification. You’ll be part of a culture that values curiosity, creativity, and collaboration, helping to shape the future of media while building a strong foundation for your data science career.
We value diversity and are committed to being truly inclusive and a place where everyone belongs.
We're looking for 2 apprentices based a commutable distance from either our London, Salford or Newcastle offices for this role.
YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT
As a Data Scientist apprentice (DSD26), this is a brilliant opportunity to learn, grow, and contribute – you will:
* Learn about the value of data to organisations like the BBC.
* Discover how the BBC uses data to both improve its connection with audiences and improve internal tooling and workflows.
* Be part of a team using data to enhance the way the BBC operates, using AI and machine‑learning approaches to deliver valuable audience insights and products.
* Learn about and contribute to all aspects of the Data Science lifecycle from inception to production deployment and beyond, including cleansing, validating data and building and evaluating predictive models.
You’ll study for your industry‑recognised apprenticeship qualification, learning both on and off the job. You’ll spend at least one day a week studying for a BSc (Hons) in Data Science with BPP University remotely learning:
* Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning.
* Machine Learning.
* Data Infrastructure & Tools.
* Data Visualisation & Dashboards.
For more information on the apprenticeship standard you will be studying, please visit this link.
YOUR SKILLS AND ELIGIBILITY
We’re interested in your passion for working at the BBC and your enthusiasm for delivering world‑class content and operational excellence to our audiences. We’re not focused on your qualifications; instead, we look for potential and offer you the opportunity to apply your transferable strengths and experience to work in different ways.
If you can bring some of these skills and experiences, along with transferable strengths, we’d love to hear from you and encourage you to apply:
* A passion for data and a love of maths and applying this to real‑world scenarios.
* Excited about embracing the latest AI and Machine Learning technologies to transform working practices.
* Have brilliant organisational skills and are great at problem‑solving and negotiating.
* Can manage multiple deadlines and demands on your time.
* Have a calm and focused approach to changing circumstances.
* Have a keen interest in the BBC and how people consume content, bursting with fresh ideas to introduce new perspectives.
* Able to think big and small, and therefore able to appreciate the nuance of local perspectives as well as the importance of patterns that emerge when you zoom out to a global scale.
* Are an enthusiastic self‑started, flexible and adaptable to working across time‑zones.
This scheme is aimed at non‑graduates. If you have a degree and you’re interested in similar roles at the BBC, we recommend applying for jobs on the BBC careers site or looking at our other apprenticeship schemes.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
To be eligible for an apprenticeship at the BBC, you must:
* Be 18 years old or over by the time the apprenticeship begins in September 2026.
* Have lived in the UK continuously for the last 3 years prior to the start of the apprenticeship.
* Be legally eligible to work full‑time in the UK for the entire duration of the apprenticeship.
* Not currently be enrolled in another apprenticeship programme, whether with the BBC or another organisation.
* Not already hold a qualification in the same subject area at the same or a higher level than this apprenticeship.
To apply for this scheme, you must also:
* Have maths and English GCSE at Grade 4/C or above or National 5 (Scotland) at C or equivalent qualification.
* Have achieved, or expected to achieve, by the start of the scheme, a minimum of 104 UCAS points. This should include A Level/Higher Maths, or an extended BTEC in Engineering with Engineering Maths, or an equivalent qualification.
READY TO APPLY?
Don’t leave yourself wondering “what if?” – this could be your chance to be part of something exciting. See yourself thriving in this role? Just click ‘Apply Now’!
You’ll create a candidate profile and answer a few questions – no CV or cover letter needed.
If you’re eligible, we’ll guide you through the next steps of the process and what to expect.
You’ll need to live within a commutable distance of where this role is based. Interested in a different location? Check out our other adverts – but please only apply to one.
This is a fixed‑term apprenticeship – your contract lasts for the duration of the scheme. Once completed, you’ll be supported with career development, employability training, and networking opportunities to help you take your next step – whether that’s at the BBC or elsewhere in the industry. #LI-DNI
Disclaimer
This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.
Our apprenticeship roles are also subject to you having the required qualifications that we have deemed to be necessary for your role and the requirement of the training provider for your scheme. The offer would be subject to you undergoing and meeting the requirements of a skill scan process with the BBC nominated training provider to determine your eligibility.
Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include reference checks; eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, safeguarding and adverse media/social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.
This is your BBC
At the BBC you can create and innovate in an inclusive environment while contributing to some of the world’s best‑loved content, and the BBC’s mission to inform, educate and entertain.
Life at BBC
Here you will benefit from:
* Excellent career and professional development.
* Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a 35‑hour working week, 25 days annual leave (26 days for BBC Studios), a range of policies to support your work/life balance, a defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care and gym.
* A values‑based organisation where the way we do things is important as what we do.
As an Apprentice you will also receive:
* An industry recognised qualification.
* Industry‑leading training through the BBC Academy and our learning providers (this may involve travel to locations across the UK).
* A dedicated Team Manager and Scheme Specialist to help with your development.
* Training and mentoring by industry professionals.
* A bespoke BBC apprenticeship experience including apprenticeship development days and membership of the BBC Apprenticeship community.
* Employability and networking training and support to help you secure your next role.
* The opportunity to apply for financial support for relocation subject to eligibility.
You belong
We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual’s unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential.
We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.
We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio‑economic background, religion and/or belief.
Find out more about diversity, inclusion and belonging in our strategy below.
Disability confident
We take inclusivity seriously and want to ensure all candidates who are disabled or have long‑term health conditions receive the support and adjustments they need. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the recruitment process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via the Early Careers Recruitment contact form and we’ll be happy to discuss how we can support you through the process.
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