Data Product Apprentice

This Data Product Apprentice role involves learning data analytics and product development while helping turn data into insights and AI-driven solutions for a media business.

Are you interested in how data powers AI and looking for a career that combines data, technology, and business strategy? Do you want to study while gaining experience and a salary at one of the UK’s leading media companies? Are you a natural problem-solver who wants to help shape the future of digital news? This might be the role for you…

The Data Team at News UK is looking for a curious and motivated individual to join us as a Data Product Apprentice. This role combines data management, product strategy, and business goals. It represents a unique opportunity to build the data foundations that power our product roadmap, ensuring that information is translated into scalable solutions and high-value outcomes.

Your Role: 

As a Data Product Apprentice, you will learn both in your role and through our apprentice training provider, studying towards your Level 4 Data Analyst qualification. You’ll join the Data Team at a pivotal time, helping to bridge the gap between business strategy and technical innovation.

You’ll contribute to the "lifecycle" of our data - ensuring it is gathered, processed, and turned into powerful products like recommendation engines and insight dashboards. Working in an agile environment, you’ll partner with Product Managers, Data Engineers, and Architects to build solutions that help everyone at News UK make smarter, data-led decisions.

Day to day you will:

• Master foundational data skills through the Multiverse Data Fellowship, spending 20% of your time learning SQL, Python, and data storytelling, and 80% applying these skills to real-world News UK data challenges.

• Learn the core principles of data management within the Data for Analytics squad, helping to identify and structure data requirements to ensure our foundational data is accurate, compliant, and accessible for the whole business.

• Support the end-to-end product lifecycle as you transition into the Insights Products squad, assisting with initial discovery, user research, and defining roadmaps for data tools used by editors and marketers across our brands.

• Act as a vital technical bridge between business and technology teams, collecting and analyzing requirements to create formal specifications that guide our engineering teams in building data solutions.

• Work alongside team members in an agile environment, participating in daily stand-ups and sprint planning to help maintain product backlogs and ensure our projects remain focused on delivering maximum value.

• Explore the intersection of data and AI by supporting Personalisation initiatives, learning how data products can create unique, tailored experiences for millions of readers of The Times and The Sun.

• Assist in developing essential documentation, including user guides and "how-to" materials, to help colleagues across the business understand and adopt our data products effectively.

What we’re looking for from you: 

• GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and Maths at grade 4 (equivalent to a C) or above

• A keen interest in the media industry.

• The energy & enthusiasm needed to quickly learn about News UK as a business, our products and our culture.

• An eye for accuracy, with a curious mindset connecting the dots between various pieces of information.

• Natural curiosity about data and AI, and their potential to drive business value.

• Ability to quickly learn new technologies, specially data governance tools such as data catalog, data lineage, data quality monitoring. 

• Good communication and interpersonal skills.

• Experience of using Excel/Google Sheets, Word/Google Docs and Powerpoint/Google Slides.

Benefits

Some of our benefits include:

• Private medical insurance including coverage for pre-existing conditions

• Discounted gym memberships, free ClassPass at Home, weekly in person/ virtual exercise classes

• ‘Bikes for Work’ and ‘Electric Car’ scheme

• Up to 60% discount on Harper Collins books

• Maternity leave up to 18 weeks full basic salary & paternity leave up to 2 weeks

• Access to exclusive events and competitions with exciting brands such as talkSPORT, Virgin Radio UK & The Times. Weekly virtual panel chats with top journalists and celebrities

• Access to wellbeing benefits such as EAP, physio/massage and counselling

• A generous pension scheme with employer contributions of up to 5%

• Wide range of training available, plus full LinkedIn Learning access

• 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays and up to 4 volunteering days per year