Head of Data Research Unit

Job summary

Come along to our recruitment open event where you can meet the team and explore what a Head of Data Research Unit at Ofgem does. This is a free to attend event with a Q&A section for you to ask any questions you may have.

To book your spot, click here: https://buytickets.at/ofgem/2040040

At the forefront of the fight to ensure energy markets deliver fair outcomes for millions of consumers, Ofgem is harnessing data and research to shape smarter, evidence-led regulation. We’re looking for a Head of Data Research Unit to join us and lead the analytical capability that underpins some of the most important decisions in the retail energy market.

Ofgem is Great Britain’s independent energy regulator. We’re at the forefront of change across the energy sector, driving toward Net Zero whilst protecting energy consumers, especially vulnerable people.

We’re offering a permanent opportunity working at the heart of the Office of Research and Economics. This leadership role has direct influence over how consumer behaviour, pricing and market outcomes are understood during a period of significant change. You will lead a specialist team responsible for delivering the rapid insight and longer-term research that informs high-profile regulatory and policy decisions.

You will oversee the ownership and analysis of granular retail market data, ensuring robust, timely and policy-relevant insight. You’ll guide the application of sophisticated analytical techniques to assess causation, evaluate interventions and understand distributional impacts, strengthening the evidence base across Ofgem. Working closely with policy, strategy and economics colleagues, you will help shape how data informs regulatory priorities and market reform.

You’ll also play a key role in enhancing our data capability, identifying new and valuable data sources, championing innovation in analytical approaches and raising awareness of the power of insight across the organisation.

We’re looking for someone with strong and inclusive leadership skills, alongside significant experience leading data analysis and insight functions. You’ll bring advanced technical research capability, including coding skills in R or Python and data visualisation expertise, and the ability to translate complex analysis into clear, compelling narratives for varied audiences. A proven track record of building strong stakeholder relationships and initiating impactful data initiatives will be essential.

You’ll have access to a terrific benefits package within a role offering intellectual challenge, visibility and the chance to leave a lasting mark on how the retail energy market is understood.

Read on and find out more.

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a small team of data researchers and econometricians
• Manage demand for granular data projects including leading educational initiatives and raising awareness
• Oversee both rapid analysis and insights in response to urgent market questions, and longer term research pieces for policy teams
• Own, manage and analyse granular data sets on consumer behaviour, pricing and outcomes
• Oversee the use of sophisticated analysis techniques to assess causation, to support other ORE functions including Evaluation, competition, teams analysing distributional impacts and economic drivers within the data
• Create and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with regulatory teams

Key Outputs and Deliverables

• Analysis and maintenance of granular data sets to answer policy questions
• Insights, reports and data visualisations
• Enable access to new and valuable data sources
• Educational initiatives to increase awareness of the data insights team

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Strong leadership and management skills including empathetic, inclusive line management and teamwork (Lead Criteria)
• Strong stakeholder relationship skills including the ability to elicit, understand and act on Policy’s research priorities (Lead Criteria)
• Significant experience leading data analysis and insight, and strong technical research skills including hypothesis development, economic modelling, coding in R and/or Python, data visualisation, telling a story with data
• Track record of leading and initiating new and innovative data initiatives, demonstrating value and bringing others with you

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• You will be asked to conduct a presentation at interview. Further details will be provided in your interview invite.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,446, OFGEM contributes £17,800 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; 30 days annual leave after 2 years; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; hybrid working (currently 1 day a week in the office but this is kept under review), flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.

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.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel) and upload a copy of your CV anonymising all details where necessary.

You will then be asked to provide a 1250 word ‘personal statement’ evidencing how you meet the essential criteria listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your supporting statement, how you meet each of the criteria listed in the role profile.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected, you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found by [https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn].

At Ofgem, we expect our staff to carry out their roles with honesty, fairness and openness. They should follow the Civil Service code and be free from any influence or bias. We are committed to making sure interests are recognised, declared and managed appropriately so that we can fulfil our duties as an energy regulator. Our Conflicts of Interest policy outlines the types of interests Ofgem staff must declare before onboarding, and the rules they must follow throughout employment so that we can clearly demonstrate that our decisions are not influenced by private interests.

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 : Lewis Buckley
• Email : recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of these Recruitment Principles.

In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website.

Attachments

Head of Data Research Unit Role Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 168kB)Head of Data Research Unit, Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 728kB)Terms and Conditions April 2025 Opens in new window (pdf, 366kB)