Are you passionate about data?

Can you help us keep data and evidence at the heart of our work to keep food safe?

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) believes that data is key to our ability to ensure that food is safe, what it says it is, and increasingly healthy and more sustainable.

We are looking for an Associate Product Manager who can keep data at the heart of our operations. You’ll support the development of our data, reporting and analysis function, offering support to teams across the breadth of the organisation as we seek to deliver meaningful protection for consumers.

So much of the work we do relies on insights drawn from wide ranging data, and you’ll play a key role in extracting and manipulating data sets and presenting outcomes in a meaningful format that will empower our teams to make the most of our findings.

You’ll be a talented communicator who can help colleagues understand complex ideas, offering up insights that will make a real difference to the work our teams do across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

If you can offer a fresh perspective when faced with a problem, and are excited to indulge in your love of data in an arena where it can really make a difference, apply for the role of Associate Product Manager today.

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.

Full details of the selection process are detailed 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.

You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential criteria.

Experience

1.       Lead criteria: Proven experience of applying basic techniques for the analysis of data and synthesis of findings   

2.      Proven experience of using software such as Power Bi for data visualisation and reporting

3.      Ability to apply logic and creativity to approach a problem, networking across teams to resolve issues

4.      Strong verbal and written communication skills, and ability to present insights and influence stakeholders

5.      Project management, ability to engage with stakeholders to gather requirements, manage the work and timely delivery

Lead Criteria An initial sift may take place on just the identified Lead Criteria indicated.

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 Civil Service Behaviours Level 3

Behaviours

·         Changing and Improving

·         Delivering at Pace

·         Working Together

Full details of the positive indicators being assessed for each Behaviour can be found in the Candidate Pack.

Expected Timeline

Advert closes: 07/01/24

Sift: Expected to take place 08/01/24

Final panel interview: Expected to take place 22/01/24

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.

The FSA is dedicated to a policy of equal opportunity for all.

Being truly reflective of our society and building a culture where everyone can perform at their best is critical to the work of the FSA. We are looking to recruit from the widest possible talent pool and encourage candidates to apply from a diverse range of backgrounds. We are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer and are committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment and selection process and beyond. All appointments are made on merit.

Please be assured that diversity or socio–economic information requested during the course of your application plays absolutely no part in our selection processes and is not seen by anyone assessing applications.  Any information provided is anonymised and used for statistical purposes only.

We actively review the deployment of talent on a periodic basis in the interests of optimising personal development and the achievement of business plans.

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 hold a licence to sponsor any visa applications and we are unable to provide any advice about visas.