Chief Analyst(Updated)

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP); Pontypridd; On-site; GBP 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A government department in Pontypridd is seeking an experienced Chief Analyst. This role involves leading a significant analytical community and providing expert advice on welfare spending. The successful candidate will manage up to 400 staff, drive value for over £350 billion, and collaborate with various executive teams. With a focus on continuous professional development, this is a unique opportunity to influence strategic decisions within a complex organization.

Benefits

Salary of £100,000

Generous annual leave

Health and wellbeing support

Family-friendly policies

Funded learning and development

Qualifications

• Track record of influencing Board level stakeholders.
• Experience in managing high performing teams.
• Demonstrable commitment to quality of analysis.

Responsibilities

• Directly responsible for c400 staff in the Central Analysis and Science Directorate.
• Part of the Finance Group Executive Team to drive value across welfare spend.
• Provides expert advice to Secretary of State and other teams.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Team management

Leadership

Analytical methodologies

Strategic planning

Education

Professional qualification in relevant field

Job description

Overview

If you are an experienced leader who is passionate about being part of the Analytical Community and the Senior Analyst Leadership Team then we want to hear from you. DWP is looking to fill the Chief Analyst role for the department. The post will sit in the Finance Group. The Chief Analyst is directly responsible for c400 staff in the Central Analysis and Science Directorate. This role may, over time, also include responsibilities relating to the function of the chief scientific adviser. Outside of the Directorate there are c600 members of the analytical community for whom the Chief Analyst has professional responsibility. The postholder is part of the Finance Group Executive Team and works closely with finance and policy colleagues to drive value for money across c£350bn welfare spend and over £15bn operating costs. The role sits at the heart of decision making, providing expert advice to the Secretary of State, Ministerial and Executive Team. The analytical community within DWP is large and expert, encompassing statisticians, economists, operational researchers and social researchers. As the Head of that community, you will be responsible for its capability, promoting collaboration and continuous professional development. This is a unique opportunity for an experienced analyst to support the design and delivery of over £350bn of welfare spend and over £15bn of operating costs, including the National Jobs and Careers Service and employment support and new responsibilities for Skills. The department has an ambitious reform agenda including priorities set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper and the Pathways to Work Green Paper and a focus on tackling rising youth inactivity. It’s an exciting time to be part of DWP! Please see the candidate pack attached to the advert for more about this role and the Directorate priorities.

Responsibilities

• Directly responsible for c400 staff in the Central Analysis and Science Directorate.
• Potentially responsible for chief scientific adviser functions.
• Professional responsibility for c600 members of the analytical community outside the directorate.
• Part of the Finance Group Executive Team; drives value for money across approximately £350bn welfare spend and £15bn operating costs.
• Provides expert advice to the Secretary of State, Ministerial and Executive Team.
• Leads the analytical community’s capability, promotes collaboration and continuous professional development.

Qualifications

• A track record of influencing Board level stakeholders, building collaborative relationships and operating with political astuteness and calmness under pressure.
• A leader with a track record of successful and inclusive team management. Extensive experience of providing visible and collaborative leadership within a complex organisation with a proven ability to build high performing teams - growing confidence and capability, employee engagement, and an inclusive culture.
• Evidence of enterprise and systems leadership, having impact beyond boundaries and direct control.
• A driver of innovation, bringing fresh thinking to the evidence base and analytical methodologies that support complex policy making and implementation.
• Demonstrable commitment to standards and quality of analysis and the trust that comes from it, including for complex modelling.
• Evidence of strategic planning and prioritisation, deploying resources effectively in a constrained environment.
• A professional analyst.
• who role models continuous learning and builds capability within the function.

Benefits

• Salary of £100,000. Department for Work and Pensions contributes £28,970 towards Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme membership.
• Working patterns to support work/life balance.
• Generous annual leave – at least 25 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro‑rated for part‑time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest‑free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle‑to‑work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including an Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA – a first‑class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family‑friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry‑recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.
• If you think you have the experience and energy to take on this stretching and demanding role, we would be very keen to hear from you.

Eligibility and Conditions

We value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, especially those that are under‑represented in our workforce. We consider visible and non‑visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact [e-mail] as soon as possible, before the closing date to discuss your needs. Complete the "Reasonable Adjustments" section in the "Additional requirements" page of your application form to tell us what additional support or adjustments you might need during the recruitment process. For further information regarding reasonable adjustments, see the following link: Reasonable Adjustments.

Civil Service Careers Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. The assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise. As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not written into your terms and conditions or the employing organisation binding you. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs.

Security: Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check and meet the security requirements before appointment. The level of security needed is security check. See our vetting charter. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.

Nationality Requirements

• UK nationals
• National of the Republic of Ireland
• National of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• National of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre‑settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• National of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre‑settled status under the EUSS
• Individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
• Further information on nationality requirements available.

Other Policies and Commitments

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. We run a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants at risk of redundancy who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.