Farming Statistics Analysts

Job summary

Defra Farming Statistics teams are responsible for producing key departmental statistics on all aspects of the farming sector to monitor the structure, size and value of the industry. We are also responsible for monitoring farmer incomes, profitability, land use, activities of the agricultural industry and volumes of domestic food production. Our data are used extensively across the department and wider industry for monitoring the English and UK farming sectors, for UK commodity market monitoring and for international agricultural data reporting. The data are also heavily used in secondary analyses such as calculating greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, fertiliser use, and soil nutrient run-off for policy development and monitoring.

All our publications are available to view at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/food-farming-and-bio-security-statistics

The team consists of approx. 30 data analysts and statisticians and we currently have a number of analyst vacancies across the team.

The roles can be carried out from any of the listed Defra policy hub locations, with an expectation of occasional travel to the other hubs for team meetings.

Job description

Your specific areas of responsibility will depend on priorities at the time of recruitment along with the your interests and experience. Examples of the type of work you could be involved in include:

• Running farm-based surveys to estimate the size, structure and incomes of the farming sector.
• Running monthly primary processor surveys to monitor volumes of food production (milk, meat and eggs).
• Running an annual inventory to monitor pedigree livestock breed populations.
• Valuing the economic contribution, productivity and profitability of the farming sector.
• Producing bespoke analyses for policy teams, often to tight deadlines for ministerial briefings or in response to sector emergencies.
• Preparing regular statistical publications for the Defra website or compendium publications, such as “Agriculture in the UK”. All our publications are based on the standards of the UK Statistics Authority Code of Practice for Statistics, maintaining trustworthiness, quality, and value.
• Adopting modern analytical approaches using R (including use of GitHub, Reproducible Analytical Pipelines, process automation, Cloud data storage).
• Developing improved data collection methods, including opportunities to link data from administrative data sources.

Person specification

To be suitable for these roles, you must have:

Good organisational skills, high attention to detail and the ability to manage projects to strict deadlines.

A positive, can-do attitude and a pro-active approach to building good relationships with colleagues and customers.

Experience of using Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, SQL or R (or similar programming languages) for data manipulation, analysis and/or visualisation.

Experience of data presentation and dissemination, including to non-technical audiences.

Either:

• At least 2 years of experience working with data (data manipulation, validation and analysis) OR;
• A first or second-class honours degree (2:2 minimum) in a numerate subject or a higher degree (MSc/PhD) with formal statistical training. Your degree must include at least 25% taught statistical content, such as Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Sciences, Psychology, or Geography.

No prior farming knowledge is required but an enthusiasm to learn is essential.

There is no prior requirement to be Government Statistical Service (GSS) professionally badged but if you already hold this accreditation and are successful on promotion, you will subsequently be badged at the higher substantive grade.

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Working Together

Technical skills

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

• Statistical: Acquiring Data/Understanding Customer Needs
• Statistical: Data Analysis
• Statistical: Presenting and Disseminating Data Effectively

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• Statistical: Acquiring Data/Understanding Customer Needs

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £34,765, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £10,071 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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, Experience and Technical skills.

In your application, you will be asked to submit your CV and a personal statement. Please use your personal statement (in no more than 500 words) to explain how you meet the skills & experience required for the roles.

You will also be asked to submit an example (250 words max) of how you demonstrate the Technical element mentioned in the advert.

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on personal statements. If you are successful in the sift and progress to interview, you will be interviewed against all the Behaviours and Technical skills listed in the advert. During the interview, you will also be asked to give a 5 minute presentation on a topic given to you in advance.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Location

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Reserve List

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

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to DEFRA 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order for each location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

Criminal Record Check

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Internal Fraud Database Check

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a 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.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

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 : Helen Hoult
• Email : helen.hoult@defra.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.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, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here