Head of Analytics Engineering

Justice Digital; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 68,000 - 89,000; Full time

Job summary

A government department seeks a Head of Analytics Engineering to transform the justice system through data. The role involves leading a team, setting technical direction, and delivering analytics solutions across multiple domains including prisons and courts. The successful candidate will bring leadership and a strong technical background in analytics engineering.

Benefits

£1k learning budget

Generous civil service pension

25 days leave plus bank holidays

Qualifications

• Strong background in analytics engineering or similar.
• Experience leading teams and setting technical direction.
• Track record of delivering data products across multiple projects.

Responsibilities

• Set vision and strategy for analytics engineering.
• Manage and develop a team of Lead Analytics Engineers.
• Deliver analytics engineering work across domains.

Skills

Analytics Engineering

Data Modelling

Team Leadership

Stakeholder Management

Job description

Social network you want to login/join with:

(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)

National: £68,967 £88,900 (inclusive of a potential allowance of up to £19,993)

London: £73,115 £93,025 (inclusive of a potential allowance of up to £19,910)

Working pattern: full-time, part-time, flexible working, job share

Contract Type: Permanent

*We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your local office. Office locations can be found ON THIS MAP

The Role Head of Analytics Engineering

Help transform the justice system through data

We’re recruiting for a Head of Analytics Engineering here at the Ministry of Justice , to be part of our integrated and collaborative Data & Analytics Engineering Hub.

We’re looking for a strategic and hands-on leader to scale a new profession Analytics Engineering and help turn raw data into real-world improvements in prisons, courts, probation and more. As the Head of Analytics Engineering you will work in harmony with Head of Data Engineering across multiple portfolios, delivering analytical datasets and self-service tools and making it available on our Analytical Platform .

Over the past 18 months, we’ve grown our Analytics Engineering team from a small pilot to over 40 people, including apprentices. We pioneered the profession across government. We are now looking for our first permanent Head of Analytics Engineering to take it further, ensuring that we can continue to scale sustainably.

You’ll lead a team of talented Analytics Engineers, work closely with Data Engineers, Analysts and Data Scientists, and shape the future of how we build, govern, and use analytical datasets at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). A summary of the type of work the teams are involved in can be found in our handbook .

This role aligns against Head of Analytics Engineering from the Government Digital and Data Framework

What you’ll do

Lead the profession and team:

• Set the vision and strategy for analytics engineering at MoJ.
• Manage and develop a team of Lead Analytics Engineers and shape the wider profession.
• Champion a diverse, inclusive, high-performance culture.
• Support progression and technical development across the profession, through mentoring, coaching and clear pathways.

Set technical direction:

• Lead the design of clean, well-modelled datasets across our analytical platform.
• Define and embed best practice on data modelling, quality, testing and governance.
• Stay close to tools and methods and bring fresh thinking from industry and government.

Deliver across the justice system:

• Oversee delivery of analytics engineering work across domains such as prisons, probation, courts, and corporate services.
• Support major cross-cutting data products for example, enabling linked models across courts, prison, and probation.
• Work alongside Heads of Data Engineering and engage with analysts, researchers, and digital teams to meet user needs.

Build a Centre of Excellence:

• Establish a community of practice and drive continuous improvement.
• Lead training, peer learning, and development pathways to grow skills across the profession.
• Promote the profession across government and build relationships with industry to share ideas, raise standards and stay ahead of the curve.

Business partnering and stakeholder engagement:

• Act as a business partner to senior leaders across data, analysis, and digital teams.
• Create a collaborative environment where analytics engineering is viewed as a strategic enabler of decision-making and service improvement.
• 37 hours per week and flexible working options including working from home, working part-time, job sharing, or working compressed hours.
• A £1k per person learning budget is in place to support all our people, with access to best in class conferences and seminars, accreditation with professional bodies, fully funded vocational programmes and e-learning platforms
• Staff have 10% time to dedicate to develop & grow
• Generous civil service pension based on defined benefit scheme, with employer contributions of 28.97% from April 1st 2024 ( Contribution Rates )
• 25 days leave (plus bank holidays) and 1 privilege day usually taken around the Kings’ birthday. 5 additional days of leave once you have reached 5 years of service.
• Compassionate maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!
• Wellbeing support including access to the Calm app.
• Nurturing professional and interpersonal networks including those for Carers & Childcare, Gender Equality, PROUD and SPIRIT
• Bike loans up to £2500 and secure bike parking (subject to availability and location)
• Season ticket loans, childcare vouchers and eye-care vouchers.
• Some offices may have a subsidised onsite Gym.

Who we’re looking for?

We’re after someone who can bring leadership, clarity, and technical depth and who’s excited by the opportunity to shape a new profession. You should have:

• A strong background in analytics engineering or similar (e.g. data modelling, BI engineering).
• Experience leading teams and setting technical direction.
• A track record of delivering data products across multiple projects or domains.
• Strong stakeholder skills and the ability to influence at senior levels.
• An understanding of agile delivery in a data context.
• Experience growing a profession, community, or Centre of Excellence.

Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for SC clearance

We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring and do not discriminate based on culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor.

Our values are Purpose, Humanity Openness and Together. Find out more here about how we celebrate diversity and an inclusive culture in our workplace.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy .

How to apply

In Justice Digital, we recruit using a combination of the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability and Success Profiles Frameworks. We will assess your Experience, Technical Skills and the following Behaviours during the assessment process:

Successful candidates who meet the required standard will be invited to a 1- hour panel interview held via video conference. Candidates will also be required to provide a 5-minute presentation during the interview stage. Details of the presentation will be sent across prior to interview.

Should we receive a high volume of applications, a pre-sift based on the below mandatory question will be conducted before the sift.

Please submit your application with:

• A CV outlining your employment history, roles, and achievements.
• A 750-word personal statement explaining how you meet the person specification.
• A 250-word response to the mandatory question below:

“Describe an initiative where you have devised and implemented a data and / or analytics strategy to enable business and deliver measurable value and benefits”

We’ll assess you using the Civil Service Success Profiles and the GDD Capability Framework.

Please note : Applications that do not include an answer to the mandatory question or personal statement will be automatically rejected and will not be reviewed.

For those invited to interview , we’ll focus on:

• Experience (how you’ve applied your skills in real-world contexts)
• Technical skills (particularly data modelling, engineering delivery and leadership)
• Behaviours, specifically:
  • Leadership
  • Developing Self and Others
  • Changing and Improving
  • Working Together
  • Seeing the Bigger Picture

Should you be unsuccessful in the role that you have applied for but demonstrate the capability for a role at a lower level, we reserve the right to discuss this opportunity with you and offer you the position without needing a further application.

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, from which further appointments may be made.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Terms & Conditions

Please review our Terms and Conditions which set out how we recruit and provide further information related to the role and salary arrangements.