Team Lead Metrics and Reporting

Job summary

The Farming Directorate is responsible for designing and managing Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes. These schemes support farmers to farm in a more sustainable way.

We are looking for someone to lead the Metrics and Reporting team within the Evidence and Analysis function.

You will lead a small team of analysts, responsible for reporting, statistics and performance analysis. The team's work helps the directorate understand progress, make decisions and meet reporting requirements.

This includes publishing Official Statistics on the Farming Investment Fund (FIF), developing statistics that show how the directorate contributes to Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) outcomes, and improving how performance is measured and reported across the directorate.

We recognise that people with protected characteristics may experience challenges in the job market and in career progression. We want to make sure that everyone has equal opportunities. Defra has many staff networks and trade unions that represent staff and help to positively change how we work. We support flexible working and want to ensure that our staff have a good work-life balance. We provide support for employees with disabilities and health conditions. If you need support at interview, please let us know so that we can provide this. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups.

Job description

You will:

• manage a small team of analysts and support their development
• help create a team culture where everyone is respected and valued
• produce, manage and publish official statistics in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics
• improve internal reporting and make summary data more widely accessible
• manage, plan and carry out analysis using suitable methods
• develop and maintain reproducible analytical pipelines
• work with policy and strategy teams to present results and answer questions
• carry out quality assurance activities, including code reviews
• respond to requests for information, including Environmental Information Requests

For more information, please see Government Operational Research Service - Mainstream Recruitment - GOV.UK

Candidates should be a member of Government Statistical Group or provide evidence of meeting the minimum qualification criteria to join the Government Statistical Group. If you are not badged, we will support you through the badging process at the Grade 7 level.

Person specification

Eligibility Criteria

The accepted qualifications are one of the following:

• a first or second class honours degree in a numerate subject computer science or similar field that includes statistical skills.
• a postgraduate qualification, such as an MSc or PhD, in a subjects such as data science, mathematics, statistics or physics
• a level 6 apprenticeship
• at least 3 years of professional experience in statistics or data science, supported by a record of continuous professional development (via a log book), at a level comparable to a foundation degree or Higher National Diploma (level five).

For more information, please see https://gss.civilservice.gov.uk/careers/joining-us/#joining-as-a-government-data-scientist or Government Operational Research Service - Mainstream Recruitment - GOV.UK

Essential Criteria

You must be able to show that you:

• have advanced technical skills in R and use version control

• develop and publish official government statistics in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics

• have created and managed reports and dashboards
  
  
• conduct high-quality analysis, whilst having competing demands and meeting deadlines
  
  
• have successfully managed analysts, statisticians or a technical team
  
  
• create a supportive environment where people can learn and perform well
  
  
• explain complex findings clearly to non-specialists and senior colleagues
  
  
• work effectively with policy teams or strategy teams
  
  
• understand GDPR requirements and have experience handling data securely

Qualifications

If you are not currently a member of a Government analytical profession, please outline how you meet the minimum eligibility requirement for the Government Statistical Service.
The accepted qualifications are ONE of the following:
•a first or second class honours degree in a numerate discipline, computer science or IT equivalent which demonstrates core statistical skills.
•a higher degree, e.g. an MSc or PhD, in Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics (this is not a definitive list)
•have achieved or on track to achieve a level 4 apprenticeship including at least 2 years in a statistical/data analysis field in government and are able to demonstrate continuous professional development in statistics/data analysis (via a CPD log book signed off by a manager or mentor who are members of the statistical profession)
•have worked in a statistical or data science field and are able to demonstrate Continuous Professional Development (via a log book) in statistics or data science at the same level as a foundation degree or Higher National Diploma (level five)

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing

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

• Changing and Improving

Technical skills

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

• Data Analysis - Government Statistical Service
• Presenting and disseminating data effectively (Government Statistical Group)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,207, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £16,862 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).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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, Ability, Experience and Technical skills.

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test, Civil Service Numerical Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 23rd October 2026. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

You will be directed to the Talogy - True Talent – Scheduled Maintenance Window Webpage for online tests during an outage.

Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between 4.00pm and 7.00pm on 11th October 2026. You will be unable to access tests during this period.

If you are in the middle of a test when the maintenance begins, your progress will be paused. You will be able to resume your test from where you left off via your application centre once the downtime has ended. Please note that you will not be able to launch any new tests while the system is offline.

While the tests should work on most operating systems and modern browsers with a good internet connection, we cannot guarantee that every combination will work. At the beginning, the test will check which browser you are using, and alert you if it is likely to be incompatible.

It is highly recommended that you complete the online tests on a desktop computer, not a mobile phone or tablet.

Please note that online tests associated with this vacancy are not subject to time limits; for further information visit the Reasonable adjustments for online tests - a candidate guide

Application Process

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV, 500-word statement of suitability, a 250-word behaviour (changing and improving) and technical question (data analysis).

Please use your statement of suitability to provide evidence of your ability to meet the requirements of the post.

Please make it clear whether you are a member of the Government Statistical Service. If you are not currently, please outline how you meet the minimum eligibility requirement for the Government Statistical Service.

Applications will be sifted on CV, statement of suitability, the changing and improving behaviour and the Data Analysis (Government Statistical Group) or Presenting and disseminating data effectively (Government Statistical Group) technical skills.

If there are a lot of applicants, applications will initially be sifted on the lead technical skill, data analysis. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, be required to do a technical assessment or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Interview

Interviewees will be asked to complete a technical exercise using R at the interview. The coding exercise is designed to assess analytical thinking, use of R, code quality, interpretation of results and the ability to explain technical work. Candidates are not expected to complete every task perfectly.

You will be sent the dataset and details of how you will access R one calendar week before the interview.

The interview will be two hours. At the start of the interview, you will receive the technical assessment questions and have one hour to complete the coding exercise. You will be asked to remain on camera and share your screen throughout the coding exercise so that the panel can be confident that the assessment is being completed under consistent conditions for all candidates. You can use search engines and artificial intelligence tools to support your work, for example to look up syntax or troubleshoot coding issues. However, the analysis, interpretation and final solution must be your own work.

After the coding exercise, the panel will join. Around 20 minutes will be spent discussing your approach, code, assumptions and findings. The remaining time of the interview will consist of behaviour and technical questions.

Interview transcription: As a reasonable adjustment for a member of the interview panel, live transcription will be used during interviews. This will be used solely as a note-taking aid and will not form part of the assessment. Candidates will be assessed only on their interview performance, and transcripts will not be used for AI analysis or scoring. All transcripts will be deleted when no longer required.

The Civil Service is a diverse and inclusive workplace. We want to help you show your full potential whatever type of assessment we use. If you need any reasonable adjustments, tell us when you submit your application that you need an adjustment and how it will help.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Behaviours

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

• Changing and improving
• Communicating and influencing

Technical Skills

• Data Analysis (Government Statistical Group)
• Presenting and disseminating data effectively (Government Statistical Group)

Further Information

Location

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Reserve List

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

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order for each location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to DEFRA 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

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 Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as 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 an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

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.

Criminal Record Check

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be 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 circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Higher Security Clearance

All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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 : Amy Cairns
• Email : FCP_BusinessManagement@defra.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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