Commercial Data and Insights Officer

Kent County Council; Maidstone; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid working

Supportive team environment

Learning & development opportunities

Build expertise in analytics and BI

Work across services & stakeholders

Contribute to corporate priorities

Job summary

Kent County Council is seeking a Commercial Data & Insights Officer to join the Commercial Standards and Improvement Team in Maidstone. The role focuses on transforming data into clear dashboards, reports and recommendations to support procurement, contract management and governance across the Council.

You will analyse spend, supplier and contract data, develop dashboards, measure performance and promote an evidence-led approach to decision-making.

Qualifications

• Experience gathering, analysing and interpreting quantitative and qualitative data.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills and experience of developing or maintaining reports, dashboards or visualisations using tools such as Power BI.
• Excellent attention to detail and the ability to work accurately with complex datasets.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex information clearly to non-specialists.
• The ability to manage competing priorities and deliver work to agreed deadlines.
• Good stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills.
• An interest in procurement, contract management, performance reporting, governance or public sector improvement activity.

Responsibilities

• Analyse spend, supplier, contract and procurement activity data to identify trends, opportunities, risks and areas for improvement.
• Support the development and maintenance of commercial dashboards, reports and analytical products.
• Help measure and report on the effectiveness and performance of KCC's commercial function.
• Support transparency and performance reporting requirements, including helping ensure data is accurate, timely and fit for purpose.
• Work with colleagues across the Council to improve the quality, consistency, reliability, accessibility and use of commercial data.
• Support workshops, information-sharing sessions and user support activities that help embed an evidence-led approach to commercial decision-making.
• Respond to requests for commercial data, insight and analysis from colleagues across KCC.
• Build relationships across KCC and with external partners to share best practice and support continuous improvement.

Skills

Data analysis

Excel/Power BI

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Prioritization

Stakeholder engagement

Procurement knowledge

Tools

Power BI

Excel

Job description

KCC's Commercial and Procurement Division is looking to recruit one Commercial Data & Insights Officer to join our Commercial Standards and Improvement Team. This is an exciting opportunity to help shape how one of the largest local authorities in the country uses commercial data, reporting and insight to improve procurement and contract management practice, support value for money, strengthen governance and manage risk. The role supports the delivery of the Council's Commercial Strategy for 2026-2028 and will play an important part in helping ensure that commercial decisions are informed by high-quality data and evidence.

As a Commercial Data & Insights Officer, you will support the development, improvement and use of commercial data, reporting and insight across KCC. Working with colleagues from across the Commercial and Procurement Division, Directorates, Finance and Analytics, you will help transform complex data into clear dashboards, reports and recommendations that support commercial planning, performance reporting and service improvement.

• Analyse spend, supplier, contract and procurement activity data to identify trends, opportunities, risks and areas for improvement.
• Support the development and maintenance of commercial dashboards, reports and analytical products.
• Help measure and report on the effectiveness and performance of KCC's commercial function.
• Support transparency and performance reporting requirements, including helping ensure data is accurate, timely and fit for purpose.
• Work with colleagues across the Council to improve the quality, consistency, reliability, accessibility and use of commercial data.
• Support workshops, information-sharing sessions and user support activities that help embed an evidence-led approach to commercial decision-making.
• Respond to requests for commercial data, insight and analysis from colleagues across KCC.
• Build relationships across KCC and with external partners to share best practice and support continuous improvement.

This is a varied role which combines data analysis, business intelligence, stakeholder engagement, continuous improvement and problem solving. It would suit someone who enjoys both working with data and helping others use information effectively.

This is an opportunity to join a high-profile team at an exciting time for the Commercial and Procurement Division. You'll support work that directly influences commercial decision-making across the Council, helping improve how procurement and contract management activity is planned, managed and monitored.

We offer

• Flexible hybrid working, combining home and office-based working.
• A supportive and collaborative team environment.
• Access to learning and development opportunities.
• The opportunity to build expertise in commercial analytics, business intelligence and performance reporting.
• The chance to work across a wide range of services, functions and stakeholders.
• Opportunities to contribute to high-profile corporate priorities and continuous improvement initiatives.

Make a Difference

If you're looking for a challenging and rewarding role where you can help improve how one of the largest Councils in England uses data and insight to make better commercial decisions, we'd love to hear from you.

This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.

Are you passionate about using data to solve problems, improve performance and support better decision‑making? Do you enjoy turning complex information into clear insight and helping others understand what the data is telling them?

We're looking for someone who is analytical, curious, organized and passionate about using evidence to improve outcomes. You will be comfortable working with large volumes of information, drawing out key messages and presenting findings in a clear, accessible way to different audiences. You will have:

• Experience gathering, analysing and interpreting quantitative and qualitative data.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills and experience of developing or maintaining reports, dashboards or visualisations using tools such as Power BI.
• Excellent attention to detail and the ability to work accurately with complex datasets.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex information clearly to non‑specialists.
• The ability to manage competing priorities and deliver work to agreed deadlines.
• Good stakeholder engagement and relationship‑building skills.
• An interest in procurement, contract management, performance reporting, governance or public sector improvement activity.

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.