Senior Analyst

HS2 (High Speed Two); Greater London; On-site; GBP 44,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent rail development agency is seeking a Senior Analyst to provide expert analysis for economic appraisal and transport modelling. The role involves developing analytical tools and models, managing projects, and communicating findings to various stakeholders. Ideal candidates should have a degree in Economics or a related field and strong analytical skills, particularly in data interpretation and model development. This position offers competitive salary and flexible benefits, promoting a diverse workplace culture.

Benefits

Flexible benefits fund

Personal and professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in developing economic or transport related analysis.
• Strong background in managing complex datasets and appraisal models.
• Experience in building relationships with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert analysis across economic appraisal and transport modelling.
• Lead development of the PLANET Framework model.
• Manage external analytical contracts and a junior analyst.

Skills

Ability to perform analysis through analytical tools

Ability to communicate complex analytical information

Ability to lead analytical work programmes

Ability to develop innovative models

Education

Undergraduate or postgraduate degree in Economics, Mathematics, Finance or Statistics

Tools

Excel

Job description

Job Description

Base salary: £44380 pa to £52212 pa depending on skills and experience. In addition, we offer flexible benefits fund of 15% which is paid on top base salary and is fully pensionable, as well as a range of competitive benefits - check them out in the Benefits section on our website.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential. In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

As the Senior Analyst you will provide expert analysis across economic appraisal and transport modelling to inform decisions on the design, development, and delivery of High Speed Two (HS2) and other major rail schemes north of Birmingham, including Northern Powerhouse Rail. Their work ensures decisions are based on robust evidence and contributes directly to the successful delivery of nationally significant infrastructure.

One Senior Analyst will join the Benefits & Revenue Modelling team, leading the development and maintenance of the PLANET Framework model used to forecast passenger demand for HS2 and other future rail schemes. This analysis supports scheme development and underpins business cases.

The other Senior Analyst will join the Value for Money Analysis team, leading appraisal work to assess the impacts of HS2 and other northern schemes. This includes evaluating wider economic benefits, optimising designs, understanding the effects of construction inflation, and reviewing capital and operating costs. These insights ensure decisions are well‑informed and cost‑effective.

About the role:

• Apply expertise in economic appraisal and transport modelling to develop innovative models and tools that support a high‑quality modelling programme.
• Lead a challenging analytical work programme to deliver high quality analysis to provide the Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd with analytical advice and support to the agreed scope and deadlines.
• Proactively build and maintain working relationships with colleagues across HS2 Ltd. and the Department for Transport; agreeing the analytical requirements for senior official and Board‑level communication, ensuring decision‑making at all levels is informed by high‑quality evidence; and demonstrating a breadth of knowledge and experience to operate effectively among senior officials.
• Communicate project findings to key stakeholders, including non‑analysts, ensuring that communication styles are adapted to suit the audience, providing appropriate response to challenge from stakeholders. Proactively seek opportunities for the evidence to impact investment decisions.
• Draw conclusions on outputs from analytical models, presenting compelling evidence and the case for change to senior stakeholders, and giving well‑judged advice on a range of high‑profile investment decisions even where the evidence may be incomplete or ambiguous.
• Opportunity to manage external analytical contracts with a substantial budget, including procurement and financial management.
• Opportunity to manage a junior analyst, including conducting performance appraisals, people management, coaching and development of their direct report.
• Actively promote and embed Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work, and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

About you:

Skills:

• Ability to perform analysis through the application of analytical tools, models and techniques, and the synthesis of evidence from a range of sources as appropriate to produce analytical advice.
• Ability to analyse and interpret data from various sources, identifying and securing appropriate stakeholder inputs, to provide analytical advice to support policy decisions, ensuring that risks and implications are identified.
• Ability to reflect the wider strategic priorities of HS2 Ltd, and the views, perspectives, and diverse needs of the Department for Transport in their analytical work programmes and activities to achieve progress on shared objectives.
• Ability to develop and lead analytical work programmes from high level requirements and manage workloads through the clarification of roles and the prioritisation of resources and performance management to deliver analysis on time and to the required quality.
• Ability to plan and lead model development programmes, working with third parties to develop requirements, coordinate delivery and assurance, and manage budgets and workloads.
• Ability to communicate complex analytical information in a way that is easily understood by stakeholders (incl. non‑analysts) and produce effective presentation and briefing that facilitates decisions making, adapting communication style to suit the audience.

Knowledge:

• An undergraduate or postgraduate degree in Economics, Mathematics, Finance or Statistics, a closely related discipline (e.g. Business, Science, Geography etc) or equivalent experience (e.g. Engineering, Transport Modelling etc.)
• Knowledge or background in analytical areas relevant to Economic Analysis for example: public sector appraisal (Green Book, Magenta Book, Transport Analysis Guidance), passenger demand forecasting and transport modelling.
• Knowledge of specific analytical tools/methodologies e.g. economic analysis, statistics, transport models, commercial/financial analysis; and knowledge of Excel and the ability to interrogate a range of input data and identify trends or patterns using Excel based models.

Type of experience:

• Experience of developing and providing economic or transport related analysis in a team‑based or project environment, notably a government department, partner body or commercial/consultancy environment.
• Experience of managing and interrogating complex datasets and appraisal models, notably in relation to economic models and transport models.
• Experience of building and managing working relationships with stakeholders communicating complex evidence with clarity and authority to influence decisions and promote the value of analysis in decision‑making.
• Experience of working in a multi‑disciplinary analytical team, and quality‑assuring analysis done by peers, or developing quality‑assurance plans for their own workstreams.

The post‑holder is expected to behave at all times in a manner consistent with the HS2 values of Safety, Leadership, Integrity and Respect.

It is expected that you will actively promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

Workforce Sponsorship

As HS2 Ltd do not hold a sponsorship license from the Home Office, we are not able to provide sponsorship to any applicant. Applicants must already have the Right to Work in the UK at the time of application and our process involves a Right to Work validation prior to the interview stage. Note, there are certain types of time‑bound visas that we cannot accept.

Pre‑Employment Checks

Any offers made to applicants will be subject to satisfactory completion of pre‑employment checks which include Nationality & Immigration Status, employment references, DBS, Financial and Education checks.

We ask for a variety of detail in your online application, however we perform the first assessment of suitability for a role based solely on the information in your CV. In a further development of our efforts to create a more diverse workforce, your CV will be anonymised and personal information will be removed during the first stage of the application review. This removes bias from the process and makes it even more important that you attach an updated word version of your CV for each new application ensuring you include evidence directly related to the criteria in the job advert.

Watch this video on how we remove bias in the recruitment process: Removing bias in the recruitment process (youtube.com)

Any applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

About Us

High Speed 2 (HS2 Ltd) will be the UK's new high speed rail network. As well as improving capacity, the new scheme will shorten journey times between a number of Britain's major population centres, boost the economy and create thousands of jobs.

HS2 Ltd will create a skills legacy and develop a diverse range of talent. We aim to be a leader in EDI practice by creating a safe & inclusive working environment for all our staff - living our values of Safety, Respect, Integrity and Leadership.

In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

HS2 Ltd is also a safety‑critical organisation. Employees are required to ensure reasonable care of their own and others' health and safety by taking personal responsibility for working to our 'Safe at Heart' programme principles and following safe working procedures at all times.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential.