Data Scientist – Simulation & Digital Twins
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Nov 9, 2026. First seen by Alion on Nov 9, 2026. Tesco scores A on the Alion truth index.
About the role
Develop and connect simulation models to help Tesco understand, evaluate and improve operations, including supply chain, and assess proposed changes before implementation. Working with experienced colleagues, contribute to distributed simulations that bring together models of different processes and systems, developing awareness of relevant interoperability standards and approaches. Build models at different levels of fidelity, learning to choose the appropriate detail for the business question, available data and computing needs. Use operational data and scenario experiments to validate models, explore trade-offs and inform decisions. Follow agile delivery methods and contribute to continuous integration and delivery practices, including version control, automated testing and repeatable deployment, to help maintain reliable simulation tools.
What is in it for you
We’re all about the little helps. That’s why we make sure our Tesco colleague benefits package takes care of you - both in and out of work. Click Here to find out more!
- Annual bonus scheme of up to 20% of base salary.
- Holiday starting at 25 days plus a personal day (plus Bank holidays).
- Private medical insurance.
- 26 weeks maternity and adoption leave (12 months service required at the qualifying date) at full pay, followed by 13 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay or Statutory Adoption Pay, we also offer 6 weeks fully paid paternity leave.
- Free 24/7 virtual GP service, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for you and your family, free access to a range of experts to support your mental wellbeing.
The above information is a shortened summary, refer to our policies for full details
You will be responsible for
- Building and maintaining simulation models using Python and relevant tools, drawing on simulation and data science skills.
- Creating models at different levels of detail, with guidance on choosing an approach that balances accuracy, available data and computing needs.
- Helping connect models so they can run together and exchange information, including across different tools or computers in distributed or federated simulation environments.
- Developing awareness of the standards and approaches used to connect simulations and applying them with support from experienced colleagues.
- Preparing and analysing operational data to set up models, identify gaps and represent real-world variation.
- Checking that models work as intended and comparing their results with real-world data and feedback from operational experts.
- Running repeatable experiments to assess proposed operational changes, including supply chain scenarios, and compare effects on capacity, cost, service and resource use.
- Explaining findings clearly, including the assumptions made, uncertainty in results and limitations of the models.
- Working in an agile team to plan and deliver tasks in manageable steps, respond to feedback and raise issues early.
- Writing clear, maintainable code and contributing to code reviews, version control, automated testing and reliable software releases.
You will need
§Python programming, with the ability to write clear, structured and testable code.
§Simulation modelling and an understanding of how to represent real-world processes at different levels of detail.
§Data analysis and basic statistics to prepare model inputs, understand variation and interpret results.
§Checking that models work correctly and produce results that are credible for their intended use.
§An understanding of how separate models or software components can exchange data and work together.
§Familiarity with version control, such as Git, and an awareness of automated testing and software delivery practices.
§The ability to explain technical work clearly, document assumptions and work collaboratively.
§An organised approach to solving problems, learning new methods and delivering tasks in an agile team.
About us
You might know us as a supermarket, technology company or even for our award-winning mobile network. Truth is, we’re all of those things, and much more. Our colleagues work with one goal in mind, helping to make every day a little better for our customers, colleagues and communities all over the world. No two customers are the same, neither are our colleagues.
At Tesco, we champion a balance that lets you thrive both in and out of work. Spend 60% of your week collaborating with colleagues at our office locations or local sites and the rest remotely. Whether you're just kicking off your career, juggling passions, or navigating big life events, we're here to support you. We always welcome a conversation about flexible working, so talk to us throughout your application about how we can support.
We're proud to be an accredited Disability Confident Leader, where everyone’s welcome. That’s why we commit to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you need support with your application, click here for more information. And if you're interested in joining our team but don't tick every box, don't let that hold you back from applying.
When you join us in this role, you'll be employed by Tesco Stores Limited, the Tesco legal entity responsible for your employment.