NSW govt to appoint chief data scientist

The NSW government's lead technology agency is looking to recruit a state govenment chief data scientist to head its newly-established analytics hub.

Innovation Minister Victor Dominello unveiled NSW’s data analytics centre (DAC), to be housed in the Department of Finance, Services and Innovation, last month.

He described it as a “first of its kind” dedicated data unit where “researchers, start-ups, companies and the [non-governmental organisation] sector can work directly with experts from government”.

The NSW chief data scientist will act as CEO of the new entity, whose shape and composition is still being nutted out by a panel of stakeholders which includes privacy commissioner Dr Elizabeth Coombs, information commissioner Elizabeth Tydd, customer service commissioner Mike Pratt and chief scientist Mary O’Kane.

A spokeswoman for DFSI said formal recruitment has yet to begin for the role.

The appointment was foreshadowed in October 2014 when Finance Minister Dominic Perrottet revealed he was looking to establish a state government “data broker”.

The eventual hire will make NSW the first Australian government to bring on a peak data officer at a whole-of-government level.