Higher Analytical Officer

Job summary

We are recruiting for three Higher Analytical Officer roles within the Data and Insight team.

Higher Analytical Officers are the powerhouse of Data and Insight, delivering high‑quality analysis that informs decision‑making and policy development. You will be responsible for a range of analytical products, including data analysis and the dissemination of findings to stakeholders.

Roles are based within one specialist remit area: schools, further education and skills, early years, or social care. You will develop expertise in your area’s data, build technical capability to extract, quality assure and analyse it, and apply an understanding of the policy context to deliver clear and impactful outputs.

While core analytical skills are common across all posts, responsibilities vary by team. Some roles will require proficiency in SQL, R, Python and/or advanced Excel.

We are looking for analytical, detail‑focused individuals who can manage complex datasets and communicate insights clearly to a range of audiences.

This is a fantastic opportunity to further your experience in Ofsted’s well-established team. The post holder will work with high-achieving professionals at all levels, surrounded by a friendly and supportive team. They will have access to amazing benefits, such as flexible working hours, the Civil Service Pension Scheme, and 32.5 days annual leave + 8 bank holidays. We offer a hybrid working model, so you may also choose to spend a proportion of time working from home.

Job description

Please refer to the job specifications for further information.

Person specification

Please refer to the job specifications for further information.

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• Skilled in analysing data and information from a variety of sources, identifying insights and checking for data issues.
• Proficient in Excel and /or experience of working in R, SQL or similar programming languages.
• Proven written and verbal communication skills with experience of maintaining relationships with stakeholders.
• GSG Competencies - Acquiring data and understanding customer needs.
  (Please refer to the GSG document for further information).
• GSG Competencies – Data analysis.
  (Please refer to the GSG document for further information).
• GSG Competencies - Presenting and disseminating data effectively.
  (Please refer to the GSG document for further information).

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

• Skilled in analysing data and information from a variety of sources, identifying insights and checking for data issues.
• Proficient in Excel and /or experience of working in R, SQL or similar programming languages.
• Proven written and verbal communication skills with experience of maintaining relationships with stakeholders.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,524, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills contributes £10,870 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Full details of the benefits available can be found in our Ofsted Offer brochure.

Ofsted is devoted to equality, diversity and inclusion. Within our Ofsted Strategy 2023-2027 we have stated that we will improve the representation of under-represented groups across the organisation and publish our progress on this annually. We are always looking to expand on our diverse workforce by recruiting candidates from varied backgrounds and differing experiences. We are proud to be a Disability Confident – Leader, we continually engage with our 5 staff networks for protected characteristics, and highlight the work of our Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Group. We ensure all candidates are treated with fair and open competition, with all appointments being made on merit and we use our Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) to provide assurance to all candidates of this.

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.

Application and shortlisting:

The selection panel will assess your application based on your evidence you have provided against the essential criteria as set out in the person specification.

You will also be asked to provide information within the “Employer/Activity History” section of the application form. This information is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV setting out your career history (this may be used in the sifting process).

Interview and assessment:

Candidates who pass the benchmark at the shortlisting stage will be invited to an interview and assessment where they will be assessed against a mixture of the Civil Service behaviours and the experience/technical skills set out in section 3 of the job specification.

Assessment and interviews will be held during the week commencing Monday 25 May 2026 via Microsoft Teams

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 : People Services Delivery Team
• Email : Jobs@ofsted.gov.uk
• Telephone : 03000 131 487

Recruitment team

• Email : Jobs@ofsted.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 email Ofsted recruitment at jobs@ofsted.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact Civil Service Commissioners the Civil Service Commission at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/civilserv…

Attachments

GSG-competency-framework-2021-reviewed-february-2023 (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 148kB)Job specification - Higher Analytical Officer Opens in new window (pdf, 199kB)