About the job

Job summary

This position is based nationally

Job description

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Overview

We have 4 roles in the Prisons, Probation and Reoffending team, within the Data & Analysis Directorate.

Roles are open to:

1.    Existing analysts from all professions (GORS/GSS/GSR/GES) either on level transfer or on promotion.
2.    Other candidates that are not members of GSS, GORS, GSR, GES professions but possess and can demonstrate similar experience at the appropriate level. Badging opportunities will be available once in post for those who wish to apply.

Minimum requirements to apply:

Candidates must be able to show the relevant experience and skills and must meet the criteria for entry:

•    You have significant work experience (usually a minimum of four years) evidencing use of data and/or analytical skills. Time spent on an analytical PhD can count towards this.
•    You have significant experience of managing projects
•    You have experience of leading or managing a team.

With the exception of the Head of Proven Reoffending Statistics Post (role 1) which is London based, we welcome applications from candidates based across the UK. Candidates will have the option of being based in the Leeds or London HQ offices (with flexible working arrangements available) or your nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. These are based at the following JCCs: Cardiff, Leeds, Nottingham, South Tyneside, Brighton, Ipswich and Liverpool, and the following JSOs: Ashford, Beverley, Haverfordwest, Hull, Merthyr Tydfil, Manchester, Newport, Birmingham, Sheffield, North Shields, Bristol, Wolverhampton, Weston-Super-Mare, Stafford, Truro, Winchester and Leeds.

Alternative locations may be available and will be discussed and agreed on the completion of background checks.

Interviews are likely to take place in May 2024 and will be held via MS Teams. We will keep a merit list for a year for those who successfully pass the interview board but who are not offered a post.

About Data & Analysis

We are passionate about improving justice outcomes through innovative research, data and analysis. In Data and Analysis, we provide high quality data and analysis helping to ensure strategic, policy, finance, corporate and operational decisions are based on robust evidence.

We create a culture in which people are empowered with the data and information to make excellent decisions; using cutting edge tools, techniques and collaboration; putting evidence at the heart of the justice system.

We are a multi-disciplinary team of around 650 staff that sits at the heart of the Ministry of Justice providing analytical support across a diverse and exciting agenda. We work in a dynamic and fast-paced context and our skills are in heavy demand across the Ministry of Justice. Our collaborations beyond government are seen as ground-breaking. The Data and Analysis community is made up of analysts and specialists including: Social Researchers, Economists, Operational Researchers, Statisticians, Data Engineers, Data Scientists and other data specialists (such as data strategists, data dissemination, generalists and assurance experts).

Why work in Data and Analysis?

In Data and Analysis, we want all our people to feel valued for who they are and for the work they do. We provide a warm, inclusive place to work and offer a wide range of flexibilities and benefits as part of our people offer to reward our staff.

What we offer

•    Flexible working arrangements and a focus on equality of opportunity – including welcoming part-time and/or job-share arrangements, compressed hours, working from home or your nearest Justice Collaboration Centres or Justice Satellite Office.
•    Career development – regular development and promotion opportunities across a wide range of roles, career development support, with a generous individual learning and development budget.
•    Range of new areas of work and new tools and techniques – we pride ourselves on our excellent deployment of well-established analytical methods, but also our progress to date. Progress such as our ambitious and innovative transformation programme to leverage departmental data and drive evidence-based decision-making using cutting-edge tools and techniques (for example: experimentation, personalisation, artificial intelligence).
•    Analysis is at the centre of the Department’s decision making – our transformation programme is focused on maximising our impact on departmental outcomes. The Ministry of Justice’s Senior Team and our Ministerial Team want all decisions to be evidence driven – your analysis will be key in influencing decisions and real-world impact
•    Vibrant community – part of a multidisciplinary team that has a supportive culture and is looking to further develop the community with the help of everyone.
•    See the frontline and what your work is influencing – regular opportunities to visit our front-line service providers, including courts, prisons, and probation to better understand the areas your analysis is affecting.

What you’ll do

All four roles are based in Prisons, Probation and Reoffending Division. 

Role 1: Head of Proven Reoffending Statistics:
Reducing reoffending is one of three key priority areas. The statistics produced by this team are high profile and underpin the work being undertaken by colleagues across MoJ and beyond. Your responsibilities will include delivery of the quarterly publication of National Statistics on proven reoffending, managing a programme of analytical research projects into reoffending, and acting as a key contact for users of the reoffending statistics. 

As well as the role requiring to be London based, the successful applicant will be required to get non-police personnel vetting which requires 3 years continuous residence in the UK prior to application.

Role 2: Head of Probation Statistics: 
You will lead a team to deliver the quarterly National Statistics on Probation (currently as part of the Offender Management Statistics quarterly publication) as well as the annual publication Deaths under Supervision in the Community Statistics. You will also lead a large review of probation statistics, including modernising data processing methods and data pipelines away from legacy systems to enable greater functionality, and reviewing what probation data is published and how.

Both role 1 and 2 deal with a large number of fast turn-around adhoc requests, as well as a high volume of PQs and FOIs. Analytical support and advice is provided on a regular basis to a wide range of policy and operational stakeholders, including MoJ senior leaders and Ministers. 

Role 3: Head of Prison Data Development Projects:
You will lead a flexible team of data specialists in providing data assurance and development to new projects relating to prisons and prisoners. You will provide leadership to your team in getting to grips with new subjects and data streams; negotiating with operational and policy stakeholders; planning a portfolio of projects; supporting performance metric development; and providing authoritative data, management information, topic expertise and insight for analytical, policy and operational teams.

Role 4: Head of Electronic Monitoring Performance and Statistics:
You will oversee the work of the team and through close working with senior stakeholders and partners, provide the authoritative narrative of the trends in the numbers fitted with an electronic device and deliver insights to aid policy development and operational practice. You will be responsible for regular MI, PowerBI dashboards and Official Statistics publications, and will provide valuable analysis and insight to the HMPPS Electronic Monitoring Programme, policy, and operational facing teams. New electronic monitoring contracts come in to force during 2024 with exciting new data streams providing the opportunity to design smart new tools and facilitate accurate reporting for stakeholders.

Who you are

The following experience and skills will be required:

•    Strong written and oral communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to explain complex technical concepts and practices to non-technical stakeholders, such as senior leaders and ministers, and the ability to build and sustain strong working relationships with partners.
•    Confidence in analysing data and presenting it appropriately, including leading others in its use.
•    Experience of leading a team, guiding their development, acting as a technical mentor, prioritising and delegating tasks in line with organisational objectives.
•    Representing your team in discussions with partners, managing partners’ expectations, dealing constructively with challenges and where appropriate adapting the analytical or data programme when requirements and circumstances change.
•    Strong organisational skills with the ability to plan and prioritise your own and your team’s workload when faced with competing priorities and able to work at pace.
•    Developing an expert understanding of an area of focus and sharing insight with others.

The following experience and skills are desirable:

• Programming skills – including R, SAS, GIT & SQL
• Prior knowledge of the Criminal Justice System
• Experience of managing and producing statistical publications (for roles 1,2 and 4).
• Experience in assuring new data sources and developing them for wider use, potentially including Knowledge of the Government Data Quality Frameworkincluding the data maturity models (for role 3)

Experience in assuring new data sources and developing them for wider use, potentially including Knowledge of the Government Data Quality Frameworkincluding the data maturity models (for role 3)

How to apply

You’ll need to submit an anonymised CV and evidence against the three Civil Service success profiles behaviours and one technical element listed below.  You will not be considered if you do not provide both a CV and behaviour examples.

Your CV should be no more than 2 pages long and should show us your work history and previous experience. It should be well structured, succinct and written in clear language. 

You will be assessed against the following behaviours in the Civil service success profiles framework:

•    Leadership (lead behaviour)
•    Communicating and Influencing
•    Changing and Improving 

Please also refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details at the relevant grades:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf

As well as the three civil service behaviours stated above, you are also asked to provide evidence of suitability for one technical element based on your particular profession.

•    Professional Competency (1) Knowledge & Skills

Please provide a written example demonstrating the following competency from your profession at G7 level:

•    GSS - Data Analysis.
•    GORS - Knowledge and application of OR Skills and Techniques.
•    GES - Analysis of Data.
•    GSR - Knowledge and application of GSR technical skills.

For external (non-Civil Service) candidates (and unbadged candidates within the Civil Service), you will be assessed on your analytical knowledge, experience and abilities, and the impact of your analytical work.

Selection Process

There will be an initial sift of applicants. In the event there are a high number of applications, the lead behaviour (leadership) may be used to conduct an initial sift and applications that do not meet the minimum requirement for this criterion will not progress to a full sift.

Those who make it through the full sift will be invited to a Civil Service Success Profile interview. In the Civil Service we use Success Profiles to help us find the right person for the job. We will be using a mixture of methods to assess your experience, technical skills and behaviours. We highly recommend learning about Success Profiles and using the Situation, Task, Action, Result and Reflection (STARR) framework when structuring your answers.

The highest scoring candidates that pass the interview will be offered the roles. The whole process can take up to a month.

Behaviours

You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework at interview stage:

•    Leadership 
•    Communicating and Influencing 
•    Changing and Improving 
•    Delivering at Pace 

Please also refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf 

For existing analysts from all professions, as well as the four civil service behaviours stated above, you will be assessed on two sets of professional competencies at interview.

For external (non-Civil Service) candidates (and unbadged candidates within the Civil Service), as well as the four civil service behaviours stated above, you will be assessed on your analytical knowledge, experience and abilities, and the impact of your analytical work.  

Professional Competencies

•    Professional Competency (1) Knowledge & Skills 
•    GSS - Data Analysis. 
•    GORS - Knowledge and application of OR Skills and Techniques. 
•    GES - Analysis of Data. 
•   GSR - Knowledge and application of GSR technical skills 

•    Professional Competency (2) Influence & Impact 
•    GSS - Presenting and disseminating data effectively. 
•    GORS - Achieving impact with analysis. 
•    GES - Effective communication. 
•    GSR - using and promoting social research 

For more information regarding Professional Competency (2) please refer to the analytical profession internet links below. Please note that some aspect of the professional competency may overlap with the MoJ competencies listed above. We therefore recommend that in providing evidence for the professional competency, candidates focus on the technical and methodology aspects of the competencies that are specific to the profession. We will use evidence presented for the MoJ competencies in assessing the wider skills candidates have.

Government Statistician Group (GSG): Further information, including a user guide, can be found within the link below:  
GSG Competency Framework 2021

Government Social Research Service (GSR): Further information can be found within the link below: 
GSR Competency Framework 2022

Government Operational Research Service (GORS): Further information can be found within the link below:  
GORS Competencies 

Government Economic Service (GES): Further information can be found within the link below: 
GES Professional Standards 2022 

Applicants invited for Interview  

You will be required to give a 5-minute presentation. Details of this will be sent to those candidates who are invited for interview. 

Further Information

If you require any additional information about the roles, please contact:
•    Liz Whiting for Roles 1 and 2 (Liz.Whiting@justice.gov.uk) 
•    David Dawson for Role 3 (David.Dawson@justice.gov.uk) 
•    Ed Rowland for Role 4 (Edward.Rowland@justice.gov.uk) 

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £54,358, Ministry of Justice contributes £15,165 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

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.