Lead Analyst for Digital Transformation Group - Department for Work and Pensions - SCS1

Manchester Digital; Manchester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is seeking a Lead Analyst to set the vision for analytics work within the Digital Analytics Directorate and wider Transformation Group. You will lead a large, multi-disciplinary team, drive evaluation strategies, and provide strategic analytical advice to executive leaders and Ministers.

As part of the Senior Civil Service, you will champion evidence-based decision making, strengthen the evidence base, and embody inclusive leadership to grow talent and

Qualifications

• Excellent leadership with multi-disciplinary teams.
• Strong analytical skills across large evaluation programmes.
• Ability to translate evidence into clear recommendations.
• Proven capability to build talent and inclusive culture.
• Experience advising senior decision-makers and boards.

Responsibilities

• Set the vision for the programme of analytical work across the Directorate.
• Lead the division with clear objectives, develop capability and staff engagement.
• Collaborate to establish a high impact evaluation and analysis programme.
• Act as senior analytical adviser for major transformation programmes.
• Champion customer and colleague insight to inform service transformation.
• Develop transformation measurement frameworks and benefits realisation.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical thinking

Strategic advising

Stakeholder management

Team building

Expertise in evaluation

Job description

Location

Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Pontypridd, Sheffield.

For candidates requesting to work in Sheffield King's Court, please note these roles will initially be based at King's Court and then move to 1 West Bar by early 2028. Similarly for candidates requesting to work in Sheffield Hartshead Square, please note these roles will initially be based at Hartshead Square and then move to 1 West Bar by early 2028.

For candidates requesting to work in Newcastle Benton Park View, please note these roles will initially be based at Benton Park View and then move to Newcastle Pilgrim Place by the end of 2027.

About The Job

The Digital & Transformation Group (D&T) in DWP designs and transforms services around user needs, delivering major change programmes supported by Data and Insight. These programmes include Service Modernisation, and initiatives addressing Fraud, Error and Debt. The focus is on helping citizens access the financial support they need, reducing fraud and error, supporting progression, and lowering the cost of service delivery.

This role is also embedded within DWP's Analytical Community (AC) which has over 900 analysts madeup of Economists, Operational Researchers, Social Researchers, Statisticians and Data Analysts. Analysts are grouped into 20 Lead Analyst areas, embedded across the Department. Our services are in high demand from ministers, senior leaders and policy and operational stakeholders.

Virtual Engagement Session

Date: Friday 16th October 2026

Time: 11:10 - 12:10

This virtual session is an opportunity for you to find out more about the role and what it's like leading the Digital Transformation Group. You'll get the opportunity to hear directly from Paul Francis, Catherine Hutchinson and Beverley Morton, who will provide an overview of the role and hold a Q&A session.

Job Description

As Lead Analyst you will be responsible for:

• Setting a clear overall vision for the programme of analytical work in the Digital Analytics Directorate and the wider Transformation Group in collaboration with the Director and other Deputy Directors – championing the use of quality analysis so that it has maximum influence over the work of the directorate and across Digital and transformation, whilst maintaining alignment with the DWP data strategy and Department Priorities
• Strong personal leadership, setting a clear vision and objectives for the division, building capability, pride and staff engagement whilst effectively managing performance, continuing to push the boundaries in building a collaborative culture and harnessing expertise from all professions and individuals.
• Collaborating with stakeholders across DWP and wider government and externally to establish a high impact evaluation, research and analysis programme that drives continuous improvement in the way DWP digitises and transforms its services.
• Acting as the senior analytical adviser for major transformation programmes, providing strategic challenge, analytical assurance and insight to executive leaders, programme boards and Ministers.
• Championing the use of customer and colleague insight and evidence to inform Operational Delivery, Policy Development and service transformation to improve outcomes for customers.
• Leading the development of transformation measurement frameworks, including performance metrics, benefits realisation and value-for-money assessments. Championing innovative approaches where appropriate.
• Strengthening the evidence base and developing evidence narratives to support transformation activities. Whilst ensuring decision makers understand both the strengths and limitations of evidence used to support policy, operational and transformation decisions.
• Acting as the accountable senior analytical leader for the quality, integrity and use of evidence across the Lead Analyst area, ensuring appropriate quality assurance, governance, publication standards and adherence to professional best practice. Managing analytical and reputational risk associated with the interpretation and use of analysis, research and data.
• As a member of the Senior Civil Service and Senior Analytical Leadership Team, the Lead Analyst has wider leadership responsibilities across the DWP, visibly leading on activities that support improved diversity and inclusion, talent and capability growth.

Person specification

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their knowledge, experience and skills against the following essential criteria:

• Excellent leadership skills with a track record of designing, developing and motivating high-performing and diverse multi-disciplinary teams and ideally experience of setting up new analytical functions and ensuring the work lands with influence and impact,
• Outstanding, broad and interdisciplinary analytical skills, with strong experience of leading large evaluation programmes and scrutinising and challenging methodological approaches, with extensive experience of developing, commissioning and managing complex research/evaluation programmes,
• Excellent communication and influencing skills and proven ability to build highly effective and trusting relationships and to work collaboratively with senior leaders across DWP, Ministers, and wider government,
• Experience providing strategic analytical advice to senior decision-makers, boards and governance forums, translating complex evidence into clear recommendations and business outcomes for both operational and strategic purposes,
• Experienced in building capability and growing talent across teams and professions, using inclusive leadership to build a new division and create a culture of inclusivity and wellbeing, where individuals are valued and diverse talent can thrive and succeed,
• Preferably experience of delivering analytical leadership within large-scale digital, operational or organisational transformation programmes.

The successful candidate will be from one of the government analytical Professions or will need to be suitably qualified to join.