Data Analyst

Job summary

The Government Digital Service (GDS) is the digital centre of government. We are responsible for setting, leading and delivering the vision for a modern digital government.

Our priorities are to drive a modern digital government, by:

1. joining up public sector services
2. harnessing the power of AI for the public good
3. strengthening and extending our digital and data public infrastructure
4. elevating leadership and investing in talent
5. funding for outcomes and procuring for growth and innovation
6. committing to transparency and driving accountability

We are home to the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (I.AI), the world-leading GOV.UK and at the forefront of coordinating the UK’s geospatial strategy and activity. We lead the Government Digital and Data function and champion the work of digital teams across government.

We’re part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and employ more than 1,000 people all over the UK, with hubs in Manchester, London and Bristol.

The Government Digital Service is where talent translates into impact. From your first day, you’ll be working with some of the world’s most highly-skilled digital professionals, all contributing their knowledge to make change on a national scale.

Join us for rewarding work that makes a difference across the UK. You'll solve some of the nation’s highest-priority digital challenges, helping millions of people access services they need.

The GDS IDEA (Insight, Data Science, Economics, and Analysis) Unit is looking for talented data analysts to join our dynamic, high-impact, multidisciplinary team. We combine cutting-edge AI, advanced data science, and analytical expertise to deliver powerful insights, automation efficiency, and build the evidence base that drives smarter, more impactful decisions across DSIT.

We are responsible for:

• Our priorities are to drive a modern digital government, by:
• Joining up public sector services
• Harnessing the power of AI for the public good
• Strengthening and extending our digital and data public infrastructure
• Elevating leadership and investing in talent
• Funding for outcomes and procuring for growth and innovation
• Committing to transparency and driving accountability

Job description

As a Data Analyst, you will make sure data is collected, prepared and used in a way that supports clear decision-making and aligns to GDS priorities. You will ingest data from multiple sources and formats, and apply robust validation, cleansing and quality assurance so stakeholders can trust what they are seeing. You will turn analysis into practical outputs, including well-designed reports and interactive dashboards, that help teams understand what is happening, why it matters and what to do next.

As a Data Analyst you’ll:

1. Deliver analytical support and insight - Lead the provision of analytical support across the GDS IDEA Unit, providing timely insight that helps teams make decisions and improve outcomes.
2. Manage data-to-insight delivery - Ingest, validate and quality assure data from a range of sources, and apply appropriate analytical methods to generate reliable findings.
3. Own workforce/pay framework analysis - Lead ongoing analysis of the Government Digital and Data Pay and Capability Frameworks (delegated and SCS), working with content designers, user researchers and policy/subject matter leads to identify evidence-based improvements using internal and external data.
4. Develop reporting and visualisation products - Design, build and iterate interactive dashboards and reports that communicate complex insights clearly to technical and non-technical audiences, aligned to user needs.
5. Explore and evaluate AI opportunities - Identify, scope and deliver AI proof-of-concepts, assessing feasibility, business value and practical application, and supporting the transition from concept to use where appropriate.
6. Communicate findings for action - Present and communicate insights to senior decision-makers in a clear, accessible and actionable way, setting out implications, limitations and recommended next steps.
7. Enable adoption through collaboration and governance - Work with programme leads and stakeholders to ensure analysis is proportionate, methodologically sound and meets end-user expectations, including appropriate documentation and quality controls.

Person specification

We’re interested in people who have:

• the ability to build interactive dashboards and reports using tools such as Plotly, Dash, Matplotlib or Streamlit
• strong experience with core libraries (pandas, numpy, scikit-learn) and writing clear, modular, reusable code with error handling and logging
• experience on how to apply techniques for analysis of research data and synthesis of findings. You know how to involve your team in analysis and synthesis.
• are able to recognise and identify appropriate ways to collect, collate and prepare data. You can decide if data is accurate and fit for purpose. You know how to do your own data preparation and cleansing with limited guidance
• the ability to translate and communicate accurate information to technical and non-technical stakeholders. You know how to facilitate discussions within a multidisciplinary team, with potentially difficult dynamics
• the ability to produce data models and understand where to use different types of data models. You know how to reverse-engineer a data model from a live system. You understand industry-recognised data-modelling patterns and standards
• knowledge and experience of project management methodologies, including tools and techniques. You know how to adopt those most appropriate for the environment
• experience working with cloud tools such AWS ( S3, Lambda, Bedrock, Athena, or SNS.), or other cloud services Azure, or GCP; and familiarity with version control (Git/GitHub), command line, and IDEs

We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every single qualification. Applications from candidates who have previously worked as a Data analyst, Performance analyst or Data science type role should feel welcome to apply.

Benefits

There are many benefits of working at GDS, including:

• flexible hybrid working with flexi-time and the option to work part-time or condensed hours
• a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• 25 days of annual leave, increasing by a day each year up to a maximum of 30 days
• an extra day off for the King’s birthday
• an in-year bonus scheme to recognise high performance
• career progression and coaching, including a training budget for personal development
• a focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
• job satisfaction from making government services easier to use and more inclusive for people across the UK
• advances on pay, including for travel season tickets
• death in service benefits
• cycle to work scheme and facilities
• access to an employee discounts scheme
• 10 learning days per year
• volunteering opportunities (5 special leave days per year)
• access to a suite of learning activities through Civil Service learning

Any move to Government Digital Service from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Office attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.
DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).

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

The standard selection process for roles at GDS consists of:

• a simple application screening process - We only ask for a CV and cover letter of up to 750 words. Important tip - please ensure that your cover letter includes how you meet the skills and experience listed in the “person specification” section above
• a 45 minute video interview

Depending on how many applications we get, there might also be an extra stage before the video interview, for example a phone interview or a technical exercise.

In the event we receive a high volume of applications, we will conduct the initial sift against the lead criteria which is: the ability to build interactive dashboards and reports using tools such as Plotly, Dash, Matplotlib or Streamlit

In the Civil Service, we use Success Profiles to evaluate your skills and ability. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, increases performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. We’ll be assessing your technical abilities, skills, experience and behaviours that are relevant to this role.

For this role we’ll be assessing you against the following Civil Service Behaviours:

• working together
• changing and improving
• managing a quality service
• delivering at pace

We’ll also be assessing your experience and specialist technical skills against the following skills defined in the Government Digital and Data Capability Framework for the Data Analyst role:

• Applying statistical and analytical tools and techniques
• Communicating between the technical and non-technical
• Data visualisation
• Developing code for analysis

Want to know more about who Government Digital and Data are? Click Here

Recruitment Timeline

Sift completion: 3/2/26

Panel interviews: Starting from 10/2/26

Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.

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

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

For meaningful checks to be carried out, you will need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time, to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. Whilst a lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance, and expectation of UK residency may range from 3 to 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements needed for the role may result in the withdrawal of provisional jobs offers.

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.

Sponsorship

DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.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 : gdsrecruitment@dsit.gov.uk
• Email : gdsrecruitment@dsit.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : gdsrecruitment@dsit.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact gds-complaints@dsit.gov.uk in the first instance.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission by email: info@csc.gov.uk Or in writing: Civil Service Commission, Room G/8 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ.