Principal Analyst - Centre for Workforce Intelligence (CWI)

NHS Ayrshire & Arran; West Virginia; Hybrid; USD 86,000 - 119,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life-work balance

NHS pension

Annual leave

Salary progression

NHS discounts

Job summary

PSD Scotland is seeking an enthusiastic Principal Analyst to join the Centre for Workforce Intelligence (CWI). You will design, plan and implement the CWI data science function, delivering both a minimum viable product and a longer-term model.

You will lead the assessment of the evidence base, identify data gaps, and determine resources required to establish a sustainable operating model for workforce planning across Scotland. Collaboration with data architects and engineers will be essential.

Qualifications

• Experience in analysis and interpretation of workforce service and financial data to support planning.
• Experience in scoping and implementing new analytical functions.
• Knowledge of workforce planning in health and social care in Scotland.
• Ability to translate evidence into actionable insights and guidance.

Responsibilities

• Design, plan and implement the CWI data science function including MVP and long-term model.
• Lead assessment of evidence base, data availability, gaps, and resource requirements for sustainable operating model.
• Develop analytical outputs and insight products with data architecture and engineering colleagues.
• Communicate methods and findings effectively to stakeholders and decision-makers.

Skills

Workforce data analysis

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder engagement

Project planning

Data governance

Job description

On 1 April 2026, NSS and NES became one national organisation, focused on continuity today and a stronger, more connected service for tomorrow.

As part of this transformation, NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) and NHS Education for Scotland (NES) have joined to form a new organisation: Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSD Scotland). This new organisation will play a pivotal role in supporting the renewal and ensuring the long-term sustainability of health and care services across Scotland.

Flexible Location: PSD Scotland is a remote-friendly employer with staff based throughout Scotland. We support office-based and hybrid working arrangements. We welcome conversations about alternative working patterns—please get in touch during the application process to discuss.

Work Pattern: Fixed Term,Full Time, 36 hours per week

Fixed-term or Secondment** until 31 March 2028

• For NHS applicants, an NHS secondment will be offered in the first instance. For non-NHS applicants, a fixed-term or secondment would be considered.

You must have eligibility and entitlement to work in the UK which is required to be maintained throughout your period of employment.

Who We Are PSD Scotland unites expertise from NES and NSS in a way that will allow us to accelerate national programmes to support the NHS to deliver better care, now and in the future.

We support staff with education and training, provide the tools and data that improve services, and run vital national functions such as procurement, logistics and blood, tissue and cell services.

Recognising the value and contribution of social care, PSD Scotland has established a new Social Care and Communities Directorate as a dedicated corporate function. The work of the Social Care and Communities Directorate builds on and expands the existing education, training, workforce development and workforce data and technology provided by PSD Scotland to the social care sector.

The Centre for Workforce Intelligence (CWI) is a new team that sits within the Social Care and Communities Directorate of PSD Scotland. Commissioned by the Scottish Government, as one of the key actions in the National Workforce Planning Improvement Framework, it aims to support strategic workforce planning across the system.

The Centre for Workforce Intelligence will provide structured planning and support at national and local levels, including translating national workforce strategy into tools, actionable intelligence and operational guidance to enable effective, evidence-based workforce planning. It will strengthen national coordination, improve data quality and support scenario modelling, feeding valuable workforce intelligence into national decision making. It will explore unexplained variation and support integration of workforce, service and financial planning.

The Centre for Workforce Intelligence will strive to be a “single source of truth”, delivering workforce insights but also educational resources, tools and guidance to further the skills development of workforce planners, therefore strengthening workforce planning capability across the system.

The Opportunity We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced Principal Analyst to join the newly established Centre for Workforce Intelligence (CWI) team.

Reporting to the Head of Programme, you will be responsible for designing, planning and implementing the CWI data science function, including both a minimum viable product and a longer-term model. You will lead the assessment of the evidence base required to support workforce planning, including evaluating current data availability, identifying gaps, and determining the workforce, technology and data resources required to establish a sustainable, long-term operating model for the CWI. You will also lead the development of analytical outputs and insight products in conjunction with the CWI Principal Lead and other relevant data architecture and engineering colleagues, ensuring methods are developed, documented and communicated effectively

Do you want to help shape the future of workforce planning in Scotland?

Do you enjoy rising to the challenge in a fast paced, complex and political environment?

Do you enjoy collaborating with lots of stakeholders to co-develop innovative solutions to complex problems?

Do you have a passion for workforce planning and data?

Do you want to use your data and analytical skills to improve the sustainability of the healthcare workforce?

Working within the Centre for Workforce Intelligence you will have the opportunity to be part of a high profile national programme that will help shape the future of workforce planning in Scotland, supporting real change within the system and making a difference to people’s every day working lives.

Does this sound like you?

What We Love To See Principal Analystoffer a broad range of skills and experience, if you can offer some or all of these, we’d love you to apply:

• Experience in the analysis and interpretation of workforce service and financial data from many sources to develop an evidence base to support workforce planning
• Experience of supporting the scoping, establishment and implementation of new analytical functions
• Experience of proposing service changes to support the development of an evidence base
• Knowledge of workforce planning in health and social care in Scotland
• Knowledge of information governance to support the acquisition, storage, linkage, analysis and reporting of data
• Demonstrate honesty, integrity, care and compassion when dealing with others, utilising tact and persuasion skills when necessary
• Ability to work on own initiative, to organise and prioritise own workloads, to meet strict deadlines

Benefits Which Matter As a valued employee of NHS Scotland, you can enjoy an extensive range of benefits including:

• Life-work balance - with opportunities for flexible working and hybrid working
• Generous NHS pension scheme
• Annual incremental salary progression (up to the maximum of the salary band) plus annual NHS salary scale review
• Annual Leave - 27 Days increasing in line with service plus 8 days public holiday
• NHS discounts and more

Diversity and Inclusion Developing a successful national service for Scotland means considering the diverse needs, perspectives, and backgrounds of everyone in Scotland. We are focused on hiring the very best talent and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. Our aim to ensure that everyone is treated fairly, with respect, and has a positive recruitment experience—regardless of the outcome.

We welcome applications from all under-represented groups, including racially minoritised people and disabled people. It is not essential to be in a Principal Analystrole right now—you may be returning from a career break (e.g., maternity, paternity, caring) or coming from another field. Your experiences can bring a fresh perspective to our work.

If you are considering applying and would like to discuss the opportunity, any adjustments or alternative work patterns, please contact Andrea Kwek, Head of Programme, Centre for Workforce Supply, [e-mail].

Next Steps

• NHS candidates will be considered firstly on a secondment basis, and so are strongly encouraged to discuss this with their current NHS employer at the earliest opportunity, ideally prior to application.

All applicants who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e‑mail.

In person OR online interviews including a presentation will take place on Monday 7th December 2026. The presentation topic will be sent to candidates selected for interview.

The deadline for applications is 23:59 hours on the closing date. Please note, CVs will not be accepted.

• Please be advised that if you are successful in being offered the role following the recruitment process, you will be expected to attend the office prior to your start date to complete face to face pre-employment checks. If you require any adjustments to support this, please let us know.
• To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.

As part of the pre‑employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre‑settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here.

For specific types of post, if you do not have the necessary eligibility to work in the UK, it might be possible (though not guaranteed) to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licensed Sponsor, and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or ‘going rate’. Further information on these criteria can be found here.

It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored BEFORE submitting your application form.