Head of Insight and Data Science

Job summary

HM Treasury

If you’re interested in making a difference to people’s lives, the Treasury can offer you an exciting opportunity to influence decision making that affects the whole of the UK. Working at the heart of government, we collaborate across government to promote responsible public spending and drive strong and sustainable economic growth.

Our work ranges from protecting customers through the regulation of the financial sector, helping to reduce carbon emissions and creating a greener economy, to promoting British trade around the world and supporting people across the country on jobs, growth and more.

Job description

The Head of Insight and Data Science is a key leadership role within NISTA Data and Insight team. Working in close partnership with others in NISTA’s Data and Insight leadership, you will help shape the strategic direction for how we use data, generate insight and develop AI‑enabled capabilities, both within NISTA and across the wider government Project Delivery Function.

You will lead a talented and motivated team of data scientists and analysts, driving the growth of data science capability in the organisation. Collaborating closely with subject matter experts across NISTA, wider Treasury and the Project Delivery Function, you will ensure our data is high‑quality, relevant and transformed into insight products that genuinely meet user needs. You will champion data storytelling, guiding the team to turn complex analysis into clear, engaging narratives that help leaders make confident, evidence‑based decisions and increase the value we deliver to decision makers across government.

You will bring proven experience in leading data science projects and a strong grasp of the technical landscape, including the ability to apply analytical techniques to solve complex problems creatively. This role demands a balance of strategic vision and hands-on delivery experience, with the ability to communicate effectively across technical and non-technical audiences. You will champion positive change and are comfortable navigating ambiguity in an evolving, fast‑moving environment.

You will also help set the strategic direction for developing the team’s technical capability, while nurturing a culture that encourages curiosity, experimentation and continuous improvement. Alongside this, you will actively support the personal growth of individual team members, helping them develop their skills, broaden their experience and realise their full potential. The role also offers significant opportunity to deepen your own expertise, both technically and as a leader, within a supportive, ambitious and forward‑thinking environment.

Key Accountabilities for this role include:

• Providing credible technical leadership to a multi-disciplinary team to
  • apply advanced analytical techniques to extract meaningful insight
  • develop clear and engaging products to communicate insights from data, including creating interactive visualisations
  • develop innovative tools to support project delivery
• Identifying and creating opportunities to develop and deliver data science products to support organisational objectives
• Building and maintaining positive relationships with a range of partners, including colleagues across multiple departments
• Driving continuous improvement, increasing quality and user experience for our departmental customers and central government colleagues alike
• Being an excellent line manager, with the ability to motivate people to deliver and perform at their best even in challenging circumstances
• Fostering a culture of experimentation and learning, through leadership of our Innovation workstream e.g. hackathons and innovation days
• Championing the role of data, digital and analysis in supporting organisational priorities and communicating data science outputs confidently to senior leaders and ministers

Candidate Drop-In Session

The hiring manager will be running a candidate drop-in session to give you greater insight about the role and HM Treasury, and ask any questions you might have. If you would like to join us, use the link below to join the call at the right time.

Thursday 2nd April 10:00-10:45Click the Link to Join

If you would like to speak to the hiring manager informally prior to the closing date, please contact Sarah Boutle (sarah.boutle@nista.gov.uk)

Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Person specification

Application Form

Applications should consist of a CV including your employment history, and a 1000-word statement demonstrating evidence of each of the below shortlisting criteria. Your CV and employment history won’t be scored. It’s used to give context to your application and support discussions at interview.

The panel will review applications and invite those that best demonstrate evidence of the shortlisting criteria below for interview. Please keep this in mind when writing your application.

Please note that only applications submitted through Civil Service Jobs will be accepted.

1. Delivering business impact: Experience of leading development of data science products to support organisational objectives
2. Developing data science capability: Experience deploying a range of data science tools and techniques, which you can use to solve problems creatively
3. Leadership: Ability to inspire and motivate teams to be fully engaged in their work and dedicated to their role
4. Programming and build (data science): Ability to produce high-quality code in at least one language (e.g. Python) and experience leading collaborative development on shared codebases

Interview Stage

If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Technical: Delivering business impact
• Behaviours:
  • Leadership
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Delivering at Pace

Interview Presentation

Prior to your interview, we will contact you about a presentation that the panel would like you to deliver as part of the assessment. Further details will be communicated to you nearer the time.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• Experience of leading development of data science products to support organisational objectives and the Ability to produce high-quality code in at least one language (e.g. Python) with experience leading collaborative development on shared codebases.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £72,820, HM Treasury contributes £21,095 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 25 days’ annual leave (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus 8 public holidays and the King's birthday (unless you have a legacy arrangement as an existing Civil Servant)
• Flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours)
• Generous parental and adoption leave package.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and average employer contributions of 28%
• Onsite restaurant and coffee bar. The London office also offers a gym, showers and prayer room
• Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving
• Access to a retail discounts and cashback site
• A Rental Deposit Advance Scheme to help meet the total costs of deposits for privately rented homes
• A range of active staff networks, based around interests and diversity

Flexible Working Arrangements

HM Treasury views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they can enjoy a long-lasting career with us. All employees have the right to apply for flexible working and there are a range of options available including; part-time, compressed hours and job sharing. Additionally, we operate flexitime systems, allowing employees the flexibility to adjust their working patterns throughout the week which is subject to operational needs and line management approval.

At HM Treasury we have an incredibly broad remit; our work touches every citizen of the country. So, it’s important our employees come from the widest possible range of backgrounds, bringing us the widest possible range of perspectives and ways of thinking. We are committed to ensuring that all staff can realise their potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.

HM Treasury operates an office based working approach across all Treasury sites - Darlington, London, and Norwich, and along with the rest of the Civil Service, has an expectation of a minimum of 60% attendance in the office, along with working remotely. This blended working approach allows you to work collaboratively, meet stakeholders face to face, support others and promotes a healthy work life balance (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review. All our offices have been recently modernised and designed to collaborate and connect with colleagues as well as desk and quiet space to allow a range of ways to work.

The office working expectation is linked to the location of the role. If you apply to a post in a single location, then you will not be able to meet this expectation at any of our other sites or move your role to another location.

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.

The reference to Experience above is system-generated. For this role, experience is not assessed at any stage. We will ask for some CV details in your application form, but this is for reference only and will not be scored.

Candidate Guidance

Please review our candidate guidance for an overview of the Success Profiles and STAR approach, along with top tips for applications and interviews.

Recruitment Timeline

• Closing date: 12th April 2026
• Shortlisting: w/c 13th April 2026
• Interviews: w/c 20th April 2026

This timeline is indicative and may be subject to change. We will inform you if there is a substantial change to the recruitment timeline.

If your contact details change at any time during the selection process, please ensure you update your Civil Service Jobs Profile.

Please note that only applications submitted through Civil Service Jobs will be accepted.

Reserve Lists

You will be placed on a reserve list if your application is successful, but we cannot offer you a post immediately. Where more than one location has been advertised, candidates will be approached for roles in merit order according to the first preferred location stated on your application form.

Please note that a place on the reserve list does not guarantee an offer. We would still encourage you to apply for other HM Treasury opportunities that you are interested in. If you are offered a role in your first preferred location and you decline the offer or you are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe, you will be removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances.

Those on the reserve list may also be approached for similar roles at a lower grade. If you are offered a role at a lower grade and choose to decline, you can remain on the reserve list.

Eligibility Statement

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role in the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. Checks will be performed as part of pre-employment checks in line with this. Please refer to the Candidate FAQ document attached to the advert for more information.

Everyone working with government assets must complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks. Additionally, individuals appointed to the Treasury group will be subject to National Security Vetting. The level of security vetting required for this role is Security Check (SC)

To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out, applicants will need to have lived in the UK for at least 3 out of the past 5 years. In exceptional circumstances, for example if you have been working abroad on a government posting, a lack of residency would not be a bar to security clearance however the Department will need to consider eligibility on a case-by-case basis once the advert closing date has passed.

Please read the Vetting Charter for information on what to expect during the vetting process and what will be expected from you. Many areas of your life may be explored during your vetting journey, and it is important that every individual, regardless of their background and experiences, should feel comfortable going through this personal process, whilst having confidence that it is fair, proportionate, and inclusive.

These short videos address common concerns and preconceptions which applicants may have about national security vetting. If you have questions relating to security clearances, please contact HMTSecurityVetting@hmtreasury.gov.uk

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.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 : Sarah Boutle
• Email : Sarah.Boutle@nista.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk

Further information

Complaints Process: Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment based on fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact HMT by email at: hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.

Attachments

Role Profile 452858 Opens in new window (pdf, 151kB)HM Treasury Guidance on Pay 2024 October 2024 (25) Opens in new window (pdf, 74kB)