StoryFutures

Location
Egham

Salary
£39,233 to £46,397 per annum - including London Allowance

Post Type
Full Time

Closing Date
23.59 hours BST on Friday 09 August 2024

Reference
0724-219

Right to work: Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

Full time, Permanent

The role: The CoSTAR National Lab is seeking to appoint an outstanding Research Fellow in Data Science. Working in a creative, inclusive, and dynamic environment, the specific responsibilities of the role include:

• Working with Head of Business Futures and CoSTAR/Strategic Business Unit management/core team members to identify problems that can be resolved using data science techniques. 
• Extracting data from multiple (and potentially heterogeneous) sources. 
• Cleaning, organising, processing, and archiving large datasets as necessary/appropriate to the task. 
• Using advanced programming and visualisation techniques, statistical models, and machine learning (including sentiment analysis/NLP techniques) to identify trends within data and derive insight from that data – developing appropriate (and innovative) models where necessary. 
• Applying business acumen to develop feasible (data-based) recommendations that will address organisational problems in an appropriate/innovative manner. 
• Communicating findings and recommendations in a manner appropriate and effective to the intended audience. 
• Providing data input and participating in completing funder reporting requirements.

As a key part of the Business Futures workstream, you will work closely with other teams across the Lab, such as the User Research team, to collaborate on the development and delivery of KPIs for the National Lab. Working knowledge of the Creative Industries would be an advantage.

About the CoSTAR National Lab: Royal Holloway, University of London, has been announced as the lead organisation to run the CoSTAR National Lab, a £51.1m investment by the UK Government to ensure the UK’s screen and performance industries have the infrastructure and the skills to stay ahead. By bringing together world leaders in technology, research, and story, we will catalyse innovation for the UK’s Creative Industries. Partnered with Pinewood Studios, BT, Disguise & Surrey County Council, the CoSTAR National Lab will place R&D at the heart of UK storytelling and storytelling at the heart of R&D. Our Lab will include dedicated Stage and Studio space, featuring advanced creative computing technologies including AI, virtual production and 5G systems. Our consortium brings together world-leading research teams from media production, psychology, business and drama at Royal Holloway, AI at University of Surrey; and Creative Technology at Abertay University; and professional training at the National Film & Television School.

Equality, Diversity and Sustainability is central to the work of the CoSTAR National Lab; from our team culture to the research programmes we run, to how we collaborate with partners.

About Business Futures: Business Futures is a key workstream in the CoSTAR National Lab examining what future creative (and other) businesses might look like as practices, processes and technologies converge in the context of the screen industries, live performance and, importantly, the spatial internet. The disruption arising from digital innovation and convergence is potentially dramatic and questions need to be addressed that relate to the potential and challenges that arise in materialising business futures, including business model, process, practice and policy, and social implications more generally for example.

You should apply if you have: 

• A background in data science/analytics, psychology, or engineering (or equivalent). 
• Good understanding of a range of interdisciplinary research methodologies (essential). 
• Excellent communication skills as a significant part will require interaction across the Lab’s workstreams (essential). 
• Extensive experience with modern data processing pipelines, analysis techniques, reporting tools (Miro, Excel, PowerPoint), and long-term data handling (essential). 
• Experience with analytics (e.g., R/RStudio and/or Python/Pandas) and data visualisation tools (e.g., ggplot2 or matplotlib or other commercial tools) (essential). 
• Familiarity with statistical software packages (SAS, Alteryx, SPSS) (desired). 
• Knowledge of Bayesian statistics and fluency in SQL (desired).

The post is based in Egham, Surrey where the University is situated in a beautiful, leafy campus near Windsor Great Park. You may be required to undertake work at our central London location and in other locations in the UK or overseas as the demands of the work dictate. 

 In return we offer a highly competitive rewards and benefits package including: 

• Generous annual leave entitlement  
• Training and Development opportunities 
• Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution  
• Various schemes including Cycle to Work, Season Ticket Loans and help with the cost of Eyesight testing.  
• Free parking 

For an informal discussion about the post, please contact the Head of Business Futures, Professor Mark Lycett (mark.lycett@rhul.ac.uk) 

For queries on the application process the Human Resources Department can be contacted by email at: recruitment@rhul.ac.uk 

Please quote the reference: 0724-219

 Closing Date: 23:59, 27 August 2024

 Interviews: Week Commencing 16 September 2024

Further details: Job Description & Person Specification