Head of Performance Analysis

Job summary

About the Government Legal Department

From healthcare to artificial intelligence, energy to national security, we provide legal advice to government departments on nation-changing subjects.

At Government Legal Department we have a vital, single-minded purpose: to help the Government govern well within the rule of law. This is complemented by our exciting vision to be an outstanding legal organisation, committed to the highest standards of service and professionalism and a brilliant place to work where we can all thrive and fulfill our potential.

Our work touches almost every aspect of public life. We are the largest provider of legal services across government, working on high profile matters.

Our respected professionals are involved in everything from regulation and litigation to advice on drafting legislation. They provide expertise to the full range of government departments. We are at the heart of delivering the government’s priorities and our success depends on our people.

GLD is a non-ministerial government department headed by the Treasury Solicitor, our Permanent Secretary, and employs nearly 4000 people, including nearly 3000 legal professionals. We have offices nationwide, in Bristol, Leeds, inner and outer London and Manchester. Our lawyers can also be located within other departments and overseas.

GLD also depends on a range of cross-functional professionals to provide our corporate services. There are nearly 1000 colleagues playing an essential part in helping GLD to achieve its purpose and truly deliver much more than law.

This is an exciting time to join GLD, with cutting edge legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda which is ensuring the Department exemplifies the Modern Civil Service.

To find out more about what we do you can view our introductory film. On our website you can hear from team members, find out how to apply and learn about the benefits of working for GLD. You can also read more about the future vision for GLD in our GLD Strategy 2024 – 2027.

Job description

About the Chief Operating Officer Group

The Chief Operating Officer Group (COO Group) is led by a DG level Chief Operating Officer who, along with two other COO Group Directors are members of GLD’s Executive Team. The Group enables GLD to deliver excellent legal services by providing high quality, efficient and user centred corporate services.

These cover a wide breadth of professions and functions, including Finance, Commercial, HR, Digital, Communications, Policy, Legal Operations, Knowledge and Information Management, Security, Project Delivery and many more. It operates in partnership with the rest of GLD to enable the department to succeed.

The COO Group is committed to ensuring that GLD is using the most modern corporate and operational service approaches from the Civil Service and wider legal sector to maximise their impact and value for GLD, and ultimately the departmental clients it supports. As such the very essence of the COO Group is a commitment to continuous improvement and evolution; thinking differently about how we can integrate and automate the delivery of our services, providing the best user experience for users whilst ensuring the best career offer for those delivering those services.

The Group is around 450 strong and comprises three directorates with staff spread across all of GLD’s national locations:

• Finance, Operations and Digital (Executive Team member)
• Strategy, People and Culture (Executive Team member)
• Legal Operations

The COO Group is embarking on a new and ambitious approach to the development and delivery of performance analysis across GLD, driving excellence and integration in everything it does.

If you are excited about the opportunity to work at the heart of a Government Department that is helping every department enable the delivery of the Government’s reform agenda, then this is somewhere you will thrive and grow. We look forward to hearing from you and welcoming you into our teams.

About the Role

Like many organisations the building a high-performance culture is at the heart of the Government Legal Department’s (GLD) transformation. We know that this high-performance culture requires outstanding analysis and data professionals to communicate and assure the data and insight GLD uses to help it understand and drive our performance across both our legal and corporate services.

This post the opportunity to shape the performance and analysis landscape in a department that is critical to everything that the Government wants to deliver and is committed to being a role model for Civil Service reform.

This is an exciting role with the scope to really shape it. We are seeking a dynamic and ambitious data or analysis professional to build a new performance and analytics capability for GLD. This will be positioned in our central strategy team in the first instance; but your reach and impact will be GLD wide.

You will act as the senior performance and data analysis professional across the Department and forge new relationships and understanding between the power of analytics and the business, whilst building a new team of great data and analytical specialists.

You will be at the heart of shaping and leading a new community of practice, forging our data analysis and performance system and ensuring that best practice analytical and analysis tools are deployed consistently and efficiently across the Department. In doing so you will lead across the GLD system to shape and support our high-performance culture through great analysis.

Building best in class performance and analytics capablity is a vital part of our organisational transformation plans, GLD 2030. As such you will work closely with the Department’s Executive Team and other key stakeholders to set the

strategic direction for performance analysis & data insights, ensuring that our performance framework reflects the GLD’s performance goals and strategic priorities.

You will embed robust measurement frameworks, performance governance, and high-quality analytical practices across the organisation, using the modern tools and techniques.

In doing so you will help to simplify an inconsistent landscape and bring innovation to a refreshed system for developing and delivering performance analysis services and products which help to create a strengthened relationship between GLD’s risk and performance systems, ensuring that these compliment each other in a dynamic way.

You will identify the rich picture of data which exists across GLD’s legal and corporate service activities and work closely with the wider digital and data function to ensure that data is stored in a consistent, secure and accessible way to support the work of our new performance analysis capability.

Your ongoing professional leadership across GLD will also include working closely with, and providing direct support to, the Attorney General’s Office to support their performance and data requirements.

You will have responsibility for the delivery of high-quality performance and risk reports to GLD’s Advisory Board, chaired by Dame Janet Paraskeva and Executive Committee and influence the direction and content of a suite of other corporate reporting products, ensuring that the data and analysis in them is consistent and timely.

You will lead the development of a catalogue of performance and reporting products, which customers can ‘self-serve’, confident in the knowledge that they represent the highest standards of analytical practice and presentation. You will also be a leading and influence part of ensuring that new legal and corporate technology GLD is introducing, including a legal practice management system and Enterprise Resource System is configured to provide the right data and management information to support GLD’s performance and analysis requirements.

In building this capability you will work closely with the Head of Strategy, Head of Digital and the Director of Strategy, People and Culture (SPC), as well as the Chief Operating Officer Senior Leadership Team (SLT). This is made up of the DG and three Directors of the Group, including the SPC Director.

You will have excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships across professions and functions and work confidently with senior leaders. These will be complemented by curiosity, strong insight and problem-solving skills that delivers outstanding performance and analytical products.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development of a new performance and analytics capablity, including the design and build of the function within GLD, building relationships with stakeholders across GLD and the Attorney General’s Office.
• Champion and role the power of data and performance insight and its pivotal role in building a high-performance culture.
• Lead the development and delivery of performance reporting frameworks and requirements to support GLD’s senior decision making and governance forums, including the Executive Committee and GLD Board and organisational groups.
• Build a governance and assurance system that ensures the presentation and communication of data and insight in performance and analytical products is trusted and represents the best practice across modern analytical discipline.
• Develop a product catalogue that supports the needs of GLD and builds in the principles and tools of self service over time, enabling leaders to access the data and analysis they need, when they need it.
• Influence discussions about future systems and technology requirements to ensure they support an accessible, integrated and secure data landscape from which to deliver performance analytics and other data led products and services.

Person specification

Behaviours

Below are details of the Success Profiles that make up this role. Demonstrating all the behaviours listed below is essential at either application or interview. You can read more about Success Profiles and how they are used as an assessment method before completing your application.

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

• Managing a Quality Service (lead behaviour)
• Leadership
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing

Key Skills

Essential – must be demonstrated at application and interview

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

• Performance Analysis and data insights
• Communicating analysis and insight
• Performance measurement
• Quality Assurance and Data Analysis

Technical Experience

Essential – must be demonstrated at application and interview

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

• Technical understanding (performance analyst)
• Understanding analysis across the product life cycle
• Working within constraints (performance analyst)
• Digital and Data technical skills including evidence of using data analysis and visualisation platforms and tools e.g. power BI

Desirable - will be used when there is a need to distinguish between candidates who are closely tied or the same after the initial consideration of essential criteria, at sift and / or interview.

• Knowledge of systems leadership

Security Clearance Level

All GLD employees must hold BPSS. If successful for this post you must hold or be willing to obtain SC level clearance for this role. You can start this position while obtaining this clearance level, however continued appointment will be conditional upon obtaining the required security clearance. More information can be found about the vetting and clearance levelsbefore completing your application.

Sponsorship and Visas

There is the possibility that GLD can provide sponsorship for skilled workers, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria set down under current immigration legislation. GLD does not guarantee sponsorshipwill be provided or that an applicant will be successful in gaining a skilled worker visa.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that they meet the criteria for sponsorship. They also have the responsibility to notify the Resourcing Team that they require Sponsorship at the start of the onboarding process into GLD. This applies to existing civil servants as well as external candidates.

Candidate Information Session

We will be holding a candidate information session for these roles on Microsoft Teams from 11:00am – 12:00pm on11th June 2026.

Candidates will have the opportunity to hear from the Director of the Strategy, People and Culture Directorate, Damian Paterson.There will also be an opportunity to ask questions about the role.

If you are interested in further information on this role, please join the link below:

11th June 2026 and 11:00am – 12:00pm– from Teams invite

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 321 293 031 472 926

Passcode: pm6jF2uA

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Leadership
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £70,984, Government Legal Department contributes £20,564 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%

Benefits of working for the Civil Service

Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously and want to enable you to build a really successful career with the Department and wider Civil Service. It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead, and you’ll benefit from regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As a Civil Service employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits.

Learning and Development at GLD

GLD has a comprehensive learning and development offer for all employees.

We offer a programme of in-person/hybrid and virtual sessions providing learning on profession-specific, soft skills, technical skills, and different topics. We also support colleagues through a range of different professional qualifications.

Cross-Functional Professional

We support all Professions with building their careers and capability aligning with the wider Civil Service offerings for each Profession.

There are also talent and development opportunities offered throughout the year these include:

Senior Leaders and Future Leaders Schemes – cross Civil Service accelerated development schemes.

Beyond Boundaries – cross government development programme designed to help participants develop the knowledge, skills and networks required to build a satisfying and effective career in the Civil Service.

Mentoring and Coaching – we encourage all colleagues to share their knowledge, capability, and experience.

Apprenticeships - We have a range of apprenticeships on offer across all professions with the opportunity for all employees to explore a profession specific apprenticeship to support their development in role.

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 Experience.

Application

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application on Civil Service Jobs, searching the reference below. The deadline for this application is Monday 15th June 2026at 12:00 Midday.

In your application you will be assessed on the following:

A Statement of Suitability of no more than 1250 words demonstrating through examples how you meet the following behaviours, as well as the key skills and technical experience set out in the person specification. Please provide clear subheadings for each of the behaviours, the key skills and technical experience. Communicating and Influencing will be assessed throughout the full process.

Behaviours

• Managing a Quality Service (lead behaviour)
• Leadership
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

Application Errors

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, please contact us via: activecampaigns@governmentlegal.gov.uk . Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – ‘Please re-open my application – [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]’.

Selection Process

After the closing date, the appointing panel shall assess candidates’ suitability for the role based on evidence provided in their application against the behaviours, key skills and technical experience outlined in the person specification.

STAGED-SIFT: If there are a large number of applications the panel will conduct a staged sift where the initial sift will be on lead behaviour, Managing a Quality Service alone. If you meet the minimum criteria for the lead behaviour, you will then go to the full sift on the remaining behaviours, key skills and technical experience.

In the eventuality that there are a high number of applicants successful at sift, GLD may operate a longlist, whereby applicants who have been shortlisted and met the minimum pass mark but are not selected for interview will have their application placed on hold. After the initial interview round candidates on the longlist may be offered an interview, should there still be posts available.

Interview

If you are invited to interview, you will be assessed on your performance in the criteria listed in the Person Specification.

These criteria are:

Behaviours

• Managing a Quality Service (lead behaviour)
• Leadership
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing

Key Skills

Technical Experience

Presentation

You will be asked to deliver a 5-minute oral presentation with no visual aids. This will assess the behaviour, Communicating and Influencing.

You will be provided with further information before your interview to give you sufficient time to prepare.

Your interview is expected to take place online in week commencing 29th June 2026.

Offer

The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, and all shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter.

All communications regarding your application will be made through Civil Service Jobs.

All candidates will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible after the interview. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

We appoint in strict order of merit. If you meet the minimum criteria for this position but are not successful for a post, you will be placed on the reserve list. We may contact you to see if you are interested in a post at the same, or a lower grade, in GLD should one arise.

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.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 : Damian Paterson
• Email : damian.paterson@governmentlegal.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : activecampaigns@governmentlegal.gov.uk

Further information

You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of the Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application hasn’t been treated in accordance with these Principles and wish to make a complaint, please contact recruitment_feedback@governmentlegal.gov.uk in the first instance. Please title your email as follows: Job Reference Number – Job Title – Recruitment Complaint. Complaints must be submitted in writing within 30 days of the incident or the decision which has caused the complaint. To fully engage with the issues raised GLD require that you submit evidence of your complaint.

Attachments

464066 - G6 Head of Performance Analysis - orig2 Opens in new window (pdf, 829kB)