Higher Statistical Officer – Road Safety Statistics

Job summary

Can you communicate complex information in a straightforward way to a range of stakeholders?

Do you want to work on the publication and dissemination of one of the Department for Transport’s most high-profile National statistics series?

Have you got experience analysing complex data sets to extract the key information.

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

The Department for Transport’s award-winning Transport Statistics community is offering an exciting opportunity to join its high-profile Road Safety Statistics team.

The Road Safety Statistics team manages the collection, publication, and dissemination of road casualty statistics, which are among the most widely used of any of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) statistical series and support one of its most high-profile policy areas with a wide range of internal and external users.

This is an exciting time to join the team with the new road safety strategy recently published, and the team’s statistics used to inform high-profile policy areas for example on e-scooters and drink-driving. The team also has a stretching programme of work to develop data collection, publication and dissemination pipelines.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at Department for Transport Central - Department for Transport Careers

Job description

This is a wide-ranging role which would support the team’s work on publication and analysis, leading on several statistical publications and defined data collection and analysis projects, as well as managing the relationship with key internal stakeholders. The range of the team’s work means that it is possible to tailor the precise responsibilities to match the preferences of the successful candidate to some extent, but it is anticipated that the post will involve leading on managing the team’s external correspondence, publication (leading publications on provisional road casualties, delivering continuous improvements in processing and outputs) and data analysis (linking police road casualty data to other sources, for example weather data or exploring trends in casualty data for specific groups).

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

• Contributing to the team’s annual road casualty statistics publications, with opportunity to lead on some statistical releases, project managing inputs from colleagues within the team to deliver timely and high-quality publications which meet user needs
• Working on continuous improvement of elements of the team’s publications, using a reproducible analytical pipelines approach and version control software (Git) to streamline existing processes for producing publications and quality assurance
• Supporting the production and development of road safety dissemination tools, including improving the team’s casualty dashboard (using R Shiny) and developing internal data tools (likely in PowerBI)
• Leading on managing the team’s external correspondence, the team receives a large number of requests for data from internal and external users of the road casualty statistics. This role would lead on triaging these and working with the team to respond to these requests.
• Contributing to the team’s work to support users of road casualty statistics including providing statistical support to the high-profile Think! campaign team, topical analyses and responding to a range of requests from policy and stakeholders, including briefing, PQs and official enquiries

For further information on the role, please read the attached role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Person specification

Essential qualifications/licenses

Candidates must either be a member of the Government Statistical Service or hold a professional statistical qualification as per the requirements for membership of the Government Statistical Service.

If you are not a current member of the Government Statistical Service and are successful in this recruitment campaign, you will be expected to become a member once in post and therefore need to be eligible to join. This can usually be demonstrated through a minimum of:

• A 2:2 degree in a numerate discipline such as statistics, mathematics, economics, psychology or geography or similar. Your degree should contain at least 25% taught statistical content.
• Having worked in a statistical or data science field for a minimum of two years and being able to demonstrate Continuous Professional Development in applying statistics or data science at the same level as a foundation degree or Higher National Diploma (level five)
• Having achieved or being on track to achieve a level 4 apprenticeship including at least 2 years in a statistical/data analysis field in government and being able to demonstrate continuous professional development in statistics/data analysis

Non-GSS members would be required to complete a statistical test.

You will be required to provide evidence that you hold any essential qualifications/licenses at some point during the recruitment process. If you cannot provide evidence, your application will be withdrawn.

Required experience:

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Experience in working with, manipulating, and extracting data for analytical purposes from large databases (using a coding language, for example SQL or R) as well as spreadsheets.
• Experience in presenting and visualising data for example in reports, tabulations and charts
• Experience of working with a wide range of people/colleagues to communicate messages effectively

Additional Information

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

Occasional travel to other offices will be required, which may involve overnight stays.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

DfTc does not offer Visa Sponsorship for this role

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

Technical skills

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

• Presenting and disseminating data effectively - GSG Competency Framework at HEO
• Data analysis - GSG Competency Framework at HEO

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,663, Department for Transport contributes £10,331 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies (opens in a new window).

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.

How to apply:

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's qualifications, skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Stage 1: Sift

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (750-word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:

• Experience in working with, manipulating, and extracting data for analytical purposes from large databases (using a coding language, for example SQL or R or the Google Cloud Platform) as well as spreadsheets.
• Experience in presenting and visualising data for example in reports, tabulations and charts
• Experience of working with a wide range of people/colleagues to communicate messages effectively

Please note: the sift will be completed on a rolling basis whilst the campaign is still live, so you may receive your sift scores before the advert closing date.

The sift will take place week commencing 23/02/2026

Stage 2: Interview

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Behaviours –

• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

Technical – Candidates will also be assessed against GSG Competency Framework at HEO

• Presenting and disseminating data effectively
• Data analysis

Please note that the technical elements of the role will be assessed Competency framework for the Government Statistician Group (GSG) which you will be able to access here

The interviews will take place week commencing 02/03/2026

This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site (opens in a new window).

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.

Further information on the selection process

Feedback on your application can only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

We will also hold a12-month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for. You can read more about our reserve lists here.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

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

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document 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.

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit theHow We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

Pre-employment Checking

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.

All External applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour

Threats or acts of violence

Illegal activity or substance misuse

Sexually explicit material

Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public.

Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle—it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture.

If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

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 : David Clark
• Email : david.clark@dft.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dftrecruitment.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: dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here

Attachments

Role Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 174kB)