HR Business Analyst

Job summary

The HR Business Analyst role is an exciting opportunity to lead a small, high performing team that turns complex people data into meaningful insight. Working within the People and Organisational Change function, you will help ensure the organisation has the evidence it needs to plan effectively, understand workforce trends and make informed decisions that support its long-term direction. You will play a key part in shaping how people information is used, strengthening the quality and impact of evidence across a wide range of stakeholders.

This position is well suited to someone who enjoys bringing clarity to detailed information, building relationships and supporting others through clear, purposeful analysis. You will contribute directly to organisational priorities by ensuring people data is accurate, trusted and presented in a way that supports strategic thinking. The role offers the chance to make a visible contribution, collaborate widely and help build a mature, insight driven culture.

Job description

As our HR Business Analyst, you will lead the delivery of high-quality visualisations, reports and insight products that support workforce planning, people strategy and wider organisational work. You will work closely with colleagues and senior stakeholders across the FSA to understand their needs, ensuring that insights are timely, reliable and clearly presented. A key part of the role involves interpreting trends, anticipating future needs and providing evidence-based recommendations that help shape strategic and operational decisions.

You will bring curiosity and openness to new and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, and explore how these can be used responsibly to enhance insight, improve decision making and support better business outcomes. You will also oversee the continuous improvement of people data processes, applying your technical expertise to enhance efficiency, streamline approaches and introduce better tools or automation where appropriate.

The role includes responsibility for coaching and developing team capability, promoting a positive and inclusive culture and ensuring data quality and security are maintained to the highest standards. Through your leadership, you will support the organisation in strengthening its understanding of its people and driving more confident, evidence‑informed planning.

Working pattern guidance

If applying as a job share partnership you should both complete separate application forms on Civil Service Jobs but should make it clear that you are applying as job sharers. Further details on job sharing can be found here JSF – What is the recruitment process for job sharers? , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)

Applicants who wish to work compressed hours are welcome to apply - however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Person specification

Please read the attached Candidate Pack to discover further details about the role, our organisation, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process.

We look forward to receiving your application and wish you every success.

Qualifications

Associate CIPD member or willingness to achieve

Technical skills

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

• Associate CIPD member or willingness to achieve

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £42,596, Food Standards Agency contributes £12,340 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.Our candidate pack details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached Terms and Conditions statement.

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 Ability, Experience and Technical skills.

Full details of the selection process can be found in the attached candidate pack.

Application and shortlisting

You will be asked to provide personal details (not seen by the Panel) and to confirm your eligibility to apply for the role.

Ability: You will be asked to complete an online test and, if successful, will proceed with the rest of the application.

Technical: You will be asked a question to confirm that you meet the Technical requirements of the role.

Associate CIPD member or willingness to achieve

If you cannot answer yes to this question – you will not be able to proceed further with your application.

You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential and desirable criteria. (Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie between candidates).

Essential criteria

Experience

Lead criteria: Demonstrable understanding of core HR functions and experience of working with people related data

· Experience of BI Toolsets (Tableau, Power BI)

· Experience eliciting business requirements, translating into effective analytical solutions and delivering within expected timescales and budget

· Experience of effectively engaging with and influencing senior colleagues using people insights to support their sound understanding and decision making.

Desirable criteria (Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie between candidates).

Experience

· Experience of using Workday

· Previous line management experience

Lead Criteria An initial sift will take place on the Lead Criteria.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, the minimum pass mark for the Lead Criteria may be raised at shortlisting stage. Candidates who apply under the DCS, GPTW or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.

Interview

If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to a final interview in which we will assess you against the following Experience requirements of the role.

Experience

During the interview, you will be assessed against the same Experience criteria that were used to evaluate candidates at sift.

Assessment exercise

As part of the interview process, you will be asked to prepare a seen analytical exercise. Further information will be provided to you 24 hours before your interview.

Expected Timeline

Advert closes: 13th April

Sift: Expected to take place from 14th April

Final panel interview: Expected to take place from 5th May

Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams. (If you do not have the Microsoft Teams application installed on your computer, you can join on the web without installing the application).

Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to the Food Standards Agency from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare.

Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Reserve List

A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that the FSA does not offer visa sponsorship and cannot provide advice on visa applications

Regrettably we are unable to refund travel costs if candidates attend an interview/selection stage for the vacancy.

Making a complaint

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

If you feel your application has not been treated fairly in accordance with the principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should email the FSA’s Director of People at jo.bushnell@food.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

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 : Nicola Elliston
• Email : Nicky.Elliston@food.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hr.recruitment.campaigns@food.gov.uk

Further information

If you wish to raise a complaint then please email hr.recruitment.campaigns@food.gov.uk in the first instance.

Attachments

Candidate Pack - HR Business Analyst (SEO) Opens in new window (pdf, 1007kB)Terms and Conditions as at April 2020 Opens in new window (pdf, 42kB)