Social Housing Lettings - Data Collection and Analysis Role

Job summary

We are MHCLG

Join our Social Housing Statistics, team and play a key role in producing the data and analysis that informs decisions on social housing, affordable housing and housing delivery across England.

As an Analyst, you'll work with a rich case-level dataset covering social housing lettings and sales, helping to deliver high-quality statistics that support policymakers, housing providers and the wider public. This is an excellent opportunity to gain experience across the full statistical production cycle, from data collection and quality assurance through to analysis, publication and user engagement.

You'll collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders, including local authorities, housing associations and policy colleagues, using data to answer important questions about social housing tenancies, tenants and property sales. Your work will directly contribute to improving understanding of the social housing sector and supporting evidence-based decision-making.

You'll be part of the Housing and Planning Statistics team in MHCLG, a friendly, supportive and influential analytical community working on some of the Government's highest-profile housing priorities. We are committed to helping our people grow and develop, offering stretching opportunities, tailored support and the chance to build a rewarding career in analysis and statistics.

This vacancy is for candidates applying under the GES, GSR or GORS professions, either as current members or as applicants who are eligible for professional membership, as well as current members of the Government Statistical Service (GSS).

If you are not currently a member of the GSS but believe you meet the entry criteria to join, please apply to vacancy 482726. 6

Job description

About the role

This role sits within the Social Housing Statistics team, part of MHCLG's central analytical directorate. The team is responsible for collecting, assuring, analysing and publishing data on social housing lettings and sales, providing valuable insights that help shape housing policy and decision-making.

This is a varied and rewarding role offering exposure to the full statistical production cycle. You'll work across data collection, quality assurance, statistical publications, bespoke analysis and stakeholder engagement, making an important contribution to the delivery of high-quality official statistics. The role would suit someone who enjoys working with data, solving complex problems, communicating insights clearly and collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders.

Key responsibilities

As an Analyst in the team, you will:

• Build strong relationships with data suppliers, including local authorities and housing associations, supporting them to provide high-quality, complete and accurate data.
• Carry out data validation and quality assurance activities, investigating issues and working with providers to resolve queries and improve data quality.
• Lead key aspects of the annual quality assurance process, ensuring the data is robust and suitable for inclusion in Accredited Official Statistics publications.
• Contribute to the production of annual statistical releases by carrying out analysis, drafting outputs and quality assuring the work of colleagues.
• Produce bespoke analysis to support policy development, ministerial priorities and external information requests, applying appropriate disclosure control techniques where required and developing clear commentary.
• Help develop and improve the data collection to ensure it continues to meet evolving policy, operational and user needs.
• Work collaboratively across the team, directorate and wider department, sharing expertise and contributing to continuous improvement and innovation.

In this role, you'll have the opportunity to develop your analytical, technical and stakeholder engagement skills while working on data and statistics that support some of the Government's most important housing priorities.

Person specification

Essential criteria

We're looking for someone who can demonstrate:

• The ability to communicate analytical findings and insights clearly and accurately, both verbally and in writing, tailoring messages for non-technical audiences.
• Effective obtainment and use of data, including assuring its quality and understanding how it can be improved to meet the needs of a variety of users.
• Strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively and collaboratively with colleagues, data providers and a range of data users.
• The ability to work independently, use sound judgement to solve problems, and manage competing priorities to deliver high-quality work.
• Strong organisational skills, with the flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and work across a varied portfolio of activities.
• An aptitude for learning and applying analytical and coding tools to support data analysis and statistical production.

Experience of analytical tools such as SQL, Python, R or Power BI would be beneficial. However, we're equally interested in candidates who can demonstrate the ability and enthusiasm to develop these skills and apply them in a data and analytical environment.

Analysts in MHCLG must be affiliated to a government analytical profession. This is usually one of the following:

• Government Economic Service (GES)

• Government Operational Research Service (GORS)

• Government Social Research Service (GSR)

• Government Statistical Service (GSS)

Stage 1: Filter and eligibility questions, entry tests

Candidates who successfully pass the initial filter and eligibility questions will be asked to confirm which of the analytical professions they belong to or are applying to be part of. This information will be used to progress successful applications to the appropriate professional checks element of the process.

Existing civil servants who are currently a member of one of these professions will retain their professional membership in this role. Applicants on promotion will be assessed for promotion within their profession as part of the selection process. Please make any current affiliation clear in your application.

External candidates or civil servants without a current profession affiliation may be considered for accreditation to one of the professions as part of the recruitment process. If you are not currently a member of a government analytical profession you will be put through the membership process for your chosen profession as part of this application. You must pass the membership process for your application to be successful. If you do not pass the relevant profession entry test your application will not be taken further. See the Guide for Analytical Candidates document for more details of the membership process for the relevant profession.

You will need to address the technical competences for your profession in the application and at interview.

Please refer to the Guide for Analytical Candidates which provides:

1 – the technical competences for each analytical profession – GES, GORS, GSR and GSS

2 – details of the entry requirements to each analytical profession

3 – details of the entry process for each analytical profession

Entry Qualifications

The entry qualifications are listed below. Please list FULL details of your degree in your application form.

Government Economic Service (GES):

• Hold, or be expected to achieve, a first or upper second class honours degree with at least 50% of modules in economics, or hold a Master’s degree in economics. Modules must include both microeconomics and macroeconomics;

• If you graduated more than five years ago, you must provide evidence within your application of how you have maintained your economic knowledge.

Government Operational Research Service (GORS):

• Hold a 2:1 degree in a numerate subject (as a guide, at least 50% of modules should have a mathematical content);

• Applicants with a 2:2 degree may be considered where they can demonstrate wider skills and experience relevant to Government Operational Research. For example, a Master’s qualification in Operational Research would be considered sufficient evidence of this.

Government Social Research (GSR):

You must meet one of the following routes:

1. Degree route

Hold an undergraduate degree at a minimum of 2:1 or 2:2 with a postgraduate degree, in a social science subject.

A qualifying social science subject must include substantial social research methods training (comprising around one third of modules taken in the course). This must include:

Quantitative methods (mandatory), including research design, data collection (e.g. questionnaire design, sampling, weighting) and data analysis (e.g. statistical analysis); and

At least three of the following:

• Systematic or literature reviews

• Qualitative methods, including research design, data collection (e.g. interviewing, focus groups, ethnography) and analysis (e.g. thematic analysis).

• Interpretation of data (qualitative and quantitative), presentation of results, and development of recommendations or conclusions.

• Study design, hypothesis formation, testing and evaluation.

• Application of ethics to research.

Relevant degree subjects in the social sciences can be varied. You will need to demonstrate the substantial social research methods training you have undertaken, not just the subject of your degree.

1. Professional Experience route

Hold an undergraduate degree at a minimum of 2:1, or 2:2 with a postgraduate degree, in any subject (or a degree equivalent, such as an advanced Certificate or Diploma from MRS), and have at least four years’ social research practice experience.

For Main Stream applicants, the degree requirement is an undergraduate degree at a minimum of 2:2, with no requirement for a postgraduate degree.

Social research practice experience typically includes work in a research agency, market research agency or specialist research team.

To enter GSR through this route, you must clearly demonstrate the breadth and depth of your research experience and skills. This must include quantitative research methods and at least three of the following:

• Systematic or literature reviews.

• Qualitative methods.

• Interpretation of data and presentation of results.

• Study design and hypothesis testing.

• Application of ethics to research.

Government Statistical Service (GSS):

You must meet one of the following criteria:

• Hold a first or second class honours degree in a numerate subject (2:1 minimum for Assistant Statistician and 2:2 minimum for Statistical Officer), containing at least 25% taught statistical content (e.g. statistics, mathematics, economics, sciences, business studies, psychology, geography or similar);

• Hold a higher degree (e.g. MSc or PhD) in a subject containing formal statistical training (e.g. statistics, mathematics, economics, sciences, business studies, psychology, geography or similar);

• Have worked in a statistical or data science field and be able to demonstrate continuous professional development (via a logbook) in statistics or data science at the same level as a foundation degree or Higher National Diploma (level five);

• Have achieved, or be on track to achieve, a Level 4 apprenticeship, including at least two years in a statistical or data analysis role in government, and be able to demonstrate continuous professional development in statistics or data analysis (via a logbook signed off by a manager or mentor who is a member of the statistical profession).

Statistician Candidates (entry test):

Candidates who are notmembers of the Government Statistical Service (GSS) will be invited to sit the Government Statistical Services Test. This is the first part of the GSS membership process and you must pass this test for your application to progress to the next stage of the recruitment process.

If you are not currently a member of the GSSbut meet the entry criteria to join this profession, please apply to vacancy 482726.

Social Researcher candidates (entry test):

Candidates who are not members of the Government Social Research service (GSR) will be invited to sit the Government Social Research Knowledge test. This is the first part of the GSR membership process, and you must pass this test for your application to progress to the next stage of the recruitment process.

We will arrange for you to sit the GSR Knowledge Test as soon as possible. This test must be completed prior to interview, and if you do not pass this test, your application will not progress further.

Candidates who are existing members of the Government Social Research Service (GSR) do not need to complete this test as part of their application.

Candidates who do not pass the filter and eligibility questions will not progress to the second stage.

Competencies

You will need to address the technical competences for your profession in the application and at interview.

Professional technical competences are listed below:

Economic competences

Economics: Application of knowledge

Economics: Analysis of data

Economics: Effective communication

Operational Research competences

Operational research: Sustaining and developing operational research professionals and professionalism

Operational research: Knowledge and application of operational research skills

Operational research: Achieving impact with analysis

Social research competences

Social research: technical skills

Social research: using and promoting social research

Statistics competences

Statistics: Acquiring data/Understanding customer needs

Statistics: Data analysis

Statistics: Presenting and disseminating data effectively

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,997, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £11,297 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Staff Benefits Scheme, Childcare Vouchers, and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.

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

Application and Selection
The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:

Behaviours , Strengths , Technical

Stage 1: Sift

• Technical (Lead Element): Please tell us about a time when you collected, prepared and quality assured data in response to a particular customer need (GSG: Strand 1: Acquiring data and understanding customer needs).

• Behaviour: Changing and Improving

• Behaviour: Communicating and Influencing

• Behaviour: Delivering at Pace

There is a 250-word limit per question.

When writing your application, remember:

• the assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially

• do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers

• if talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!)

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead behaviour listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

If you run into any technical problems when applying through Be Applied (for example, trouble logging in or submitting your application), their support team can help. Please contact them at hello@beapplied.com.

Stage 2: Interview

• Technical: Assessment against the core competencies of your analytical profession
• Behaviours: Changing and Improving, Communicating and Influencing and Delivering at Pace
• Strengths: The strength-based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.

Candidates will be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation, further details will be provided on invitation to interview.

Sift and Interview Dates

Sifting is envisaged to take place the week commencing 05/10.

Interviews are envisaged to take place the week commencing 19/10 and are currently being held remotely via videocall. This could be subject to change.

Disability Confident Scheme (DCS)

We are a Disability Confident employer.

We apply a fair and proportionate interview process for all candidates. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to progress candidates who apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and meet the required minimum selection criteria.

However, where high application volumes are received, progression to interview may be limited to those who best meet the role criteria. In these circumstances, the benchmark required to proceed to interview may be raised for all candidates.

How We Recruit

Find out more about our recruitment processes here.

• Applying

• Sifting

• Interview

• Interview Results & Feedback

• Reserve List

• Near Miss

• Civil Service Grades

• We are a Disability Confident Scheme, Redeployment Interview scheme & Great Place to Work for Veterans employer

• Reasonable Adjustments

How to Apply

Find out everything you need to know before applying here.

You must review the following information from the MHCLG Career's Site before submitting your application. This step is essential to ensure your eligibility for the role and that your application is completed correctly.

• Security Clearance Requirements

• Civil Service Nationality Requirements

• Right to Work

• Civil Service Code and Recruitment Principles

• CV Declaration

• Sponsorships

• Salary and Grade

• Existing Civil Servants

• Conflict of Interest

• Location and Flexible Working

• Internal Fraud Database

• Appeals and Complaints

• Fixed Term Appointments for:

• External Candidates

• Existing Civil Servants (Including Loans)

• Secondments

• MHCLG employees

Security Clearance Requirements

National Office:

London Office: + CTC

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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

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 : Imogen Johnson-Ormston
• Email : imogen.johnsonormston@communities.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@communities.gov.uk

Further information

If you are unsure about any part of the process or require additional information about the post to enable you to progress your application, you should speak to the Resourcing team - recruitment@communities.gov.uk. Candidates can appeal at any stage of the recruitment process if they believe there has been:

a procedural irregularity

an infringement of the Civil Service equal opportunities policy

exceptional circumstances which were not notified to the interview panel which might have affected performance on the day.

It is important to note that these are appeals about the process not the decision. In the first instance, an appeal should be directed to the MHCLG Resourcing Hub at recruitment@communities.gov.uk.

If the MHCLG Resourcing Hub is unable to satisfactorily resolve your complaint, you may contact put your complaint in writing to the Civil Service Commission, Room G8,1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ or by email to: info@csc.gov.uk

Attachments

20171009 Guide for Analytical candidates (2) Opens in new window (pdf, 310kB)