{"id":2124665,"url":"https://alion.io/job/npl-higher-scientist-informatics","title":"Higher Scientist - Informatics","company":{"id":1766463,"name":"NPL","domain":"npl.co.uk","url":"https://alion.io/company/npl-co-uk","size_band":"201-500","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Eploy","truth_index":null},"role":"Science & Research","role_family":"Science & Research","seniority":null,"employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Teddington, United Kingdom"],"countries":["GB"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":50000,"max_usd":90000,"period":"year","method":"role_country_seniority_unknown","sample_n":115},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":true,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Knowledge Graph","optional":false},{"name":"C#","optional":true},{"name":"FastAPI","optional":true},{"name":"Flask","optional":true},{"name":"Git","optional":true},{"name":"GraphDB","optional":true},{"name":"Java","optional":true},{"name":"MySQL","optional":true},{"name":"Neo4j","optional":true},{"name":"Oracle","optional":true},{"name":"PostgreSQL","optional":true},{"name":"Python","optional":true},{"name":"Rest API","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-18T09:43:12Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-09","last_verified_at":"2026-10-12T08:22:19Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":24,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":24},"description":"About the Role\nAt NPL, we are looking for an experienced scientist with a real passion for tackling some of the biggest challenges in industry, energy, the environment, and healthcare to join our Informatics group within the Data Science & AI department. As a Higher Scientist, you'll be expected to acquire new knowledge to find solutions to advance our research, build our capability and provide impact to our clients through project delivery.\nThe work conducted within the Data science & AI department responds to the national challenges of:\nProsperity: delivering measurement solutions to maximise innovation and prosperity in advanced manufacturing \nSecurity and resilience: managing the risks to our national security and resilience infrastructure \nEnvironment: science-directed measurement solutions for environment climate action and a sustainable future \nHealth: supporting healthcare, life science and the bio economy \nYou will be working on data-based projects through practical and theory-based learning in the field of data engineering by developing semantic web technologies, ontologies, knowledge representation, knowledge graphs and Natural Language Processing to support data used in a range of complex systems.\nAs a Higher Scientist, you will collaborate with a variety of teams, both internal and external to NPL, within academic, industrial and governmental sectors, and at national and international levels. You will be expected to use logical thinking skills for designing and following a work plan, along with developing technical documents including scientific publications. Additionally, you will contribute to project idea generation, bidding support and consideration of digital products and services that could be built upon your research.\nThe role can be based at either of our Glasgow and Cambridge hub offices, or at our main Teddington (London) site with occasional travel required between these three sites. Additional opportunities to travel both nationally and internationally will become available as part of your role in delivery projects, collaborating with partners, and through conference attendance.\nAbout You\nWe are seeking a experienced Higher Scientist to work on data engineering aspects of Informatics. You will understand how data science works within areas such as semantic technologies, ontologies and knowledge representations / graphs, and have an appreciation of how the subject is being researched, how it can be implemented through software tools, and its impact within real-world applications.\nTo be successful in the Higher Scientist role, you will have the following skills and qualifications:\nEducationPhD (desirable) / Bachelor / Master's in computer science, software engineering, physics, mathematics or an applicable scientific / technical field\n\nProficientAn object-oriented programming language, e.g. Python, Java, C#\nWorking with relational database systems, e.g. MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL\nWorking with Git version control system\n\nDesirableInterest in metrology and scientific research\nWeb application dev framework, e.g. Flask, ReACT, Spring\nExperience in data modelling and data architecture\nExperience in working within scientific domains \nDemonstrable interest / experience in semantic web technologies, ontologies, knowledge representation, knowledge graphs or Natural Language Processing\nExperience in accessing and exposing data through Rest APIs, e.g. through application of FastAPI, OpenAPI etc.\nExperience in RDF, OWL, SPARQL\nExperience with graph databases (e.g. GraphDB, Neo4J)\nKnowledge of existing ontologies such as Schema.org, PROV-O, QUDT, SOSA/SSN\n\nPersonal\nProven ability to work in a team to achieve a common goal, with good communication, presentation and collaboration skills \nEnjoy problem solving and can demonstrate critical thinking, assessing the pros and cons of your approach \nExperienced in writing scientific technical reports \nAbility to complete work which requires a high level of attention to detail \nUnderstand the value of providing good customer service, delivering high quality work and proactive communication \nCommitted to your personal development and taking on learning opportunities to get the most from the role \nBe eligible to live and work in the UK at the time you start employment (we cannot provide visa sponsorship at this time) \nWe actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in specific departments means that nationality, residency and security requirements can be more tightly defined than others. You will be asked about this throughout the recruitment process. To work at NPL, you will need to obtain BPSS security clearance.\nHowever, to work in this role in the Data\nScience & AI department, you will need to have a current SC clearance, or\nyou must have the ability to obtain an SC clearance.\nPlease note: Applications will be reviewed, and interviews conducted throughout the duration of this advert therefore we may at any time bring the closing date forward. We encourage all interested applicants to apply as soon as practical.\nAbout Us\nThe National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK.\nNPL and DSIT have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women, disabled and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular are encouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.\nAt NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we hold memberships and accreditations to ensure we’re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome, please see our Diversity & Inclusion page.\nWe are committed to the health and well-being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work-life balance, along with a broad range of benefits. Our values are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success.\nTo ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please contact us.","description_format":"text","description_chars":6856,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"master","optional":true},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Flexible schedule"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":[],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-09T00:28:14Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"GB","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"Licensed UK visa sponsor (Skilled Worker)","filings_12m":null,"filings_prev_12m":null,"green_card_filings_12m":null,"median_offered_wage_usd":null,"route":"Skilled Worker","cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-10T06:21:00+00:00","sources":["UK Home Office: register of licensed sponsors (workers)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":51,"band":"ok","label":"Likely open","p_open":1,"p_active":0.685,"p_room":0.75,"age_days":23,"expected_fill_days":28,"reasons":["conf:3","velocity","win:late"],"computed_at":"2026-10-12T06:55:09Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/npl-higher-scientist-informatics","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/npl-higher-scientist-informatics.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-12T11:06:30Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":17240,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-13T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":1766463},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=1766463"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fnpl-higher-scientist-informatics"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fnpl-higher-scientist-informatics"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fnpl-higher-scientist-informatics"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/npl-higher-scientist-informatics\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fnpl-higher-scientist-informatics"}]}