Analytical Model Quality Assurance Lead

Job summary

Do you want to use your analytical skills to make a real difference across government?

Are you curious, detail-focused and keen to improve the models behind important public decisions?

This varied role will see you lead reviews of government models, providing advice to improve their clarity, robustness and reliability while shaping how we deliver and develop our model quality assurance services. Our current and recent work includes assuring analysis included in ministerial submissions and departmental business cases, and models used in implementation of key policies supporting the government’s missions. We are advising on policies supporting the circular economy, cover for clinical negligence, managing the costs of nuclear decommissioning, education spending, healthcare funding and payment models and more.

About us

At the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) our vision is to be bold and trusted partners in risk and finance, enhancing decision making for lasted benefits to society. We work closely with clients to understand their needs, develop solutions together and deliver high-quality advice. We continually look for innovative and efficient ways to increase our impact and provide greater value. The department’s work covers quality assurance of analysis, financial modelling, and policy support in relation to insurance and contingent liabilities, pension schemes, financial risk, and social security.

Job description

About the role

The role sits within the Analytical Solutions Team (AST) which comprises around 80 analysts and actuaries and works across a wide and growing range of analytical areas. You will be part of the Models, Development & Assurance team whose mission is to deliver high-quality models and systems that help government make better decisions.

Models often sit at the heart of major financial, policy and operational decisions. As our Model Quality Assurance Lead, you will help ensure that the analytical models used by the clients we work with that inform important government decisions are robust, transparent and, fit for purpose and have appropriate governance and controls. You will also provide thought leadership to develop and strengthen our model quality assurance service offering.

This role would suit an experienced professional with a strong track record in model quality assurance and experience across a range of analytical methods and technical tools and environments. You will be comfortable leading analytical work, providing oversight and direction to others, and drawing on specialist expertise from across the wider organisation. Experience of consulting or working in / with government or public sector organisations and the analytical challenges they face, would be particularly valuable.

What does the role involve?

You will lead a varied portfolio of projects reviewing complex analytical models. While much of the team’s current work focuses on Excel-based financial models, it increasingly covers models built in tools such as R and Python and using statistical methods. Regardless of the tool, each project involves some element of validation (checking the model is fit for purpose), verification (checking the model has been correctly) or providing advice on governance, controls and good practice depending on the clients need. A key part of the role is bringing together and managing the right blend of skills and expertise to deliver high-quality assurance work, ensuring projects meet client requirements and are delivered on time and within budget. Alongside project delivery, you will help develop model assurance capability across the organisation, champion high standards, and contribute to the growth of our model QA offering. This is a varied role that combines technical challenge, stakeholder engagement and strategic influence. As such you will become an integral part of the Analytical Solutions Team with broad influence throughout the organisation.

Working closely with our client-facing Risk & Assurance team, you will help shape and develop our model QA portfolio, identifying opportunities where our expertise can add value and ensuring we are delivering the right solutions to client needs. You will directly manage two SEO specialists who support the delivery of model QA projects, while also drawing on a wider network of analysts and actuarial staff from across the department. This gives you access to a broad range of technical skills and expertise, allowing you to assemble and lead the right teams for each engagement.

Your primary responsibility will be ensuring the successful execution of diverse and sometimes unpredictable model QA projects undertaken by the team. This role requires the capability to adapt existing knowledge to novel and unfamiliar circumstances. As the analytical context within which we operate evolves we are also seeking you to provide thought leadership about how the organisation approaches its model QA offering and how we can adapt to meet new and emerging needs, such as Large Language Models.

Person specification

Managing delivery

• Lead the delivery of model quality assurance projects, ensuring work meets client requirements and is delivered on time and within budget.
• Build and manage project teams by drawing on expertise from across the department to deliver high-quality outcomes.
• Provide clear and practical advice on model risks, controls and good practice.
• Work with clients and stakeholders to understand their needs and ensure our services deliver value.

Building capability

• Lead and promote best practice in the quality assurance of analytical models across the organisation.
• Develop and maintain guidance, tools and resources to support effective project delivery.
• Plan and deliver training and knowledge-sharing activities to strengthen model QA capability.
• Drive continuous improvement in the quality and efficiency of model QA delivery.

Providing leadership

• Lead and develop a small team, providing coaching, support and direction.
• Help shape and grow the organisation's model QA offering, working closely with colleagues across the business.
• Act as a senior point of contact for model QA, providing leadership on complex or high-profile work.
• Build strong relationships and promote a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing culture

Other

• To ensure effective and agile co-operation with other teams within AST, including flexible working across teams as required to meet client demand.

Please note: Applications for part-time working will be considered; however, the minimum part-time working arrangement available for this role is 80% of full-time hours.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Experience of identifying model risks, errors, weaknesses or limitations, and making practical recommendations to improve quality, transparency and control. (Essential)
• Experience of identifying model risks, errors, weaknesses or limitations, and making practical recommendations to improve quality, transparency and control. (Essential)
• Experience with Excel/VBA for analytical and financial modelling. (Essential)
• Experience with Python or R for data science including the core Python framework (pandas, numpy, matplotlib etc) or R framework (base-R, tidyverse, data.table etc) for data science and visualisation. (Essential)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £66,361, Government Actuary's Department contributes £19,224 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

As well as competitive salaries, we offer a substantial package of benefits:

• Exceptional learning and development opportunities that you can explore alongside your day-to-day work.
• 25 days annual leave per year, increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service. In addition, we offer 9 days public and privilege days leave per year (pro rata for part time staff)
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• 5 days of paid volunteering leave
• Up to 9 months maternity leave on full pay + generous paternity and adoption leave
• Staff reward and recognition bonuses that operate throughout the year.
• Occupational sick pay
• Family-friendly policies such as help with caring responsibilities, special leave, generous paid maternity, paternity, and adoption leave.
• Access to employee assistance programme which offers staff 24/7 confidential support and resources such as counselling, debt guidance and management advice.
• The opportunity to join a trade union.
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity.
• Salary advances for travel costs, including annual season tickets and cycle-to-work schemes.
• Access to the Edenred employee benefits system which offers discounts to popular retailers and access to various useful resources such as financial and savings advice.
• Complimentary BUPA health check.

Things you need to know

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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Technical skills.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained.
• A Personal statement of up to 500-words explaining how you meet the essential criteria for the role, with particular reference to the criteria provided in the person specification of the JD.

Your CV and Personal Statement will be used to assess the essential criteria listed in the job description.

During the interview you will be assessed on the experience and behaviours listed in the Person Specification and detailed in this advert. The interview will include a presentation, details of which will be sent to those invited to interview.

Application deadline: 23:55 hrs on 02 November 2026

Shortlisting: w/c 02 November 2026

Interviews: w/c 16 November 2026

Interview location: In office (London, E14 4PU)

Please apply via our recruitment portal below.

As part of the application form process, please submit your CV and supporting statement. Please do not email your CV outside of this process as it will not be accepted.

Shortlisting criteria is based on the Person Specification as set out in the Assessment Criteria section of the Job Description. Please ensure you provide examples of how you meet the Assessment Criteria; a strong application will also demonstrate that you meet the required criteria that are identified as key for this role. Applications will be shortlisted in line with the essential criteria for the role. The desirable criteria will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates. Behaviours will be assessed at sift and interview stage. Candidates who are successful at shortlist will be contacted as soon as possible and advised of the interview process and assessment (exact times and dates will also be confirmed).

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

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.

Agency Notice: We will not pay agency fees for any candidate submitted in response to this advertisement unless we have explicitly agreed and contracted with an agency to support that specific role prior to advertising. Agency referrals will only be recognised where prior approval has been obtained from the Recruitment Team for the specific vacancy. Any other candidate submissions will be treated as direct applications.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : GAD Recruitment Team
• Email : recruitment@gad.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@gad.gov.uk

Further information

The Government Actuary’s Department’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the recruitment principles of the Civil Service Commissioner, which outline that selection for appointment be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitm… If you feel at any time your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you may make a complaint, by contacting the recruitment team at recruitment@gad.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commissioners.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/government-actuarys-department

Attachments

Model QA Lead G7 Job Description Opens in new window (pdf, 577kB)