Senior Data Analyst (G7)

Department for Education

Hybrid

Expires: Expiring in less than 3 weeks

Education

Flexible

£58,185 per year

Job summary

The Department for Education (DfE) is delivering a priority government mission – to ensure every child is achieving and thriving. Transformation of digital services, systems and policies is critical to realising the government’s ambition for change. The Schools Digital division in the DfE is leading transformation in key areas of education reform. We are seeking talented Senior Data Analysts to join us at this exciting time.

In Schools Digital, we partner with policy teams to identify and deliver the most impactful policies and services. We have proven impact on teacher recruitment and retention and are now growing our division to solve problems across the whole school system, such as driving reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system or putting data at the centre of school improvement strategies. Our empowered and inclusive teams focus on how digital services, combined with bold policy making, can break down barriers to opportunity for children and young people, and empower world‑class teachers. We join up policy and delivery to build and grow effective, user‑centred services.

As a Senior Data Analyst, you will play a leading role in shaping how Schools Digital uses data to drive strategic decisions and deliver impact across the education system. You will work across multiple services and policy areas, connecting insights at a system level and advising senior stakeholders on where data can unlock opportunities for improvement.

You will lead complex analytical projects, set direction for how data is used across teams and champion high analytical standards. You will bring expertise in SQL, modelling and data integration, and use this to design robust analytical approaches, identify gaps in underlying data and influence improvements to data quality and collection. You will also support the development of analysts across the team, helping build a strong, collaborative analytical community.

You will help ensure that evidence and insight underpin the Department’s most important reforms, ultimately contributing to a better education system for all.

Job description

As a Senior Data Analyst you will be responsible for:

Defining and implementing the analytics data strategy and vision for digital services both in services and across Schools Digital.
Applying tools and techniques for data analysis and visualisation to summarise and present data and conclusions in the most appropriate format to a range of both technical and non-technical audiences.
Mapping and connecting analytics data across user journeys for better insights, identify gaps and weaknesses in underlying data structures and implement improvements and modifications to the collection and data validation processes, ensuring accuracy and quality.
Leading the analysis on business-critical data analysis projects, working in close partnership with other disciplines to build insights
Develop and contribute to the to enhance analytics features and capabilities for analysts across Schools Digital
Building relationships with stakeholders to understand needs to ensure data analysis has a positive real-world impact.
Proactively sharing knowledge and promote a data-driven culture as a leader in the community and with stakeholders
Communicating and embedding best practice data standards
Supporting the development and upskilling of colleagues in the use of data analysis
Line management and mentorship of more junior data analysts.
Being ambassador for analytics across communities, departments and government.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

Analysis, synthesis and modelling: Able to lead and prioritise data analysis across several related service or policy teams, producing high-quality insights that drive real decisions. Able to apply and quality assure a range of analytical techniques, and support others to do the same. Experienced in designing analytical data models using a range of methodologies.

Data visualisation and communication Able to translate complex data into clear, compelling outputs for technical and non-technical audiences, including senior stakeholders. Can set direction of analysis within a team, confident advising and reviewing team outputs, including visualisation and setting standards for the team.

Technical knowledge. Strong proficiency in SQL with experience in extraction and transformation of data. Able to create reports and dashboards using appropriate data visualisation tools. Able to provide guidance and technical support to other analysts to use the most appropriate methods.

Data quality assurance and standards. You have experience applying appropriate approaches for verifying, validating and cleaning data and analysis and can support the team to meet the appropriate level of assurance. Able to use your experience to ensure data quality is maintained across teams, drive improvements to collection and validation processes and uphold ethical standards

Delivering impact through data. Experienced in developing and enhancing scalable data products and insight outputs that align to organisational priorities. Able to define clearly the business value of analytical work and identify opportunities to maximise the use of data across a programme.

Desirable Criteria

The following criteria would be beneficial but not essential:

Experience using Google Cloud Platform tools to deliver analytical insights and products using BigQuery, Data Studio and Power BI
Leading data projects end to end Experienced in managing data analysis projects end to end, from defining objectives to reporting findings, adapting ways of working to suit different contexts and teams.
Line management experience. Experience managing, coaching or mentoring team members to achieve their best in their respective roles.
Experience working in digital, agile, multidisciplinary teams.

Desirable criteria will only be assessed at interview, in the event of a tie break situation, to make an informed decision.

Behaviours

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

Leadership
Communicating and Influencing
Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

Data Analysis

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,185, Department for Education contributes £16,856 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK.

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.

We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.

Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.

Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

Part‑time hours available, from a minimum of 80% FTE.

As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.

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

To apply for this role you will be asked to provide:

A CV detailing your employment history. This should include qualification, roles held and any skills and experience gained from those roles.
A Statement of suitability (max 750 words) which should show how your skills and experience meets the essential criteria listed above.

In the event of a high volume of applications, we will sift on the first three Essential Criteria only

More guidance on personal statements can be found here – completing your application.

Interview

At interview you will be asked questions to assess your experience in line with the essential criteria listed above.

At interview you will be asked questions around the behaviours / technical skills listed in the advert.

Behaviours are the actions and activities that people do which result in effective performance in a job. We want to get an understanding of the actions and activities that you have done (or would do) that result in effective performance.

We will assess you against the following behaviours during the selection process:

Managing a Quality Service
Communicating and influencing
Leadership

Candidates invited to interview will also need to prepare a short presentation. The presentation brief will be sent with the invitation to interview

Other Information

Interviews may be via Microsoft teams or face to face; the vacancy manager will confirm prior to the Interview.

In your application, please don’t include personal information that identifies you.

This means we can recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - it's called name blind recruitment (opens in a new window).

Please ensure that you remove from your application, all references to your:

name/title

educational institutions

gender

email address

postal address

phone number

nationality/immigration status

We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.

The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks.DFE@education.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

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.

Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs

Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information.

Reasonable adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Department of Education via centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

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

Please refer to the attached ‘Reasonable Adjustments Guide 05_2025 – accessible version’ at the bottom of the advert, for further information.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming 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/

For more information on the selection process, including guidance on how to write a personal statement, answer behaviour and strength-based interview questions, and the STAR approach click here: Top tips for acing the application.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Other Information

Interviews may be via Microsoft teams or face to face; the vacancy manager will confirm prior to the Interview.

In your application, please don’t include personal information that identifies you.

This means we can recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - it's called name blind recruitment (opens in a new window).

Please ensure that you remove from your application, all references to your:

name/title
educational institutions
age
gender
email address
postal address
phone number
nationality/immigration status