About the job

Job summary

The award-winning Commercial and Contracts Capability Team is a division within the Government Commercial Function. It was formed in 2014/15 and was established to ensure all government departments bolstered their commercial and contract management capability to deliver the best value for the taxpayer.

This role supports the Commercial Capability Programme (a directorate of the Government Commercial Function (GCF) with the Cabinet Office) in delivering its objectives.  The Commercial Capability Programme (CCP) develops commercial and contract management capability across all government departments and is expanding into other public bodies, making this a unique role. The Business Analyst will be mainly responsible for supporting the data for all our products. The work is engaging and involves interaction with a wide range of stakeholders.

 We have to operate efficiently and be flexible as well, to meet changing demands and deliver value for money. The Business Analyst is a pivotal role in helping us deliver this for our customers. It requires somebody who is adaptable, proactive and collaborative. The successful applicant will be an expert in managing and modelling data, is organised, analytical, and a good ‘problem solver’. It will suit someone that enjoys complexity and challenge; someone who is experienced working with data as well as engaging across a wide range or stakeholders.

The Business Analyst will own all aspects of the faculty financial model as well as providing support for recharging in other areas. You will work with a wide range of stakeholders to understand and scrutinise inputs and assumptions.

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Design and re-build the faculty product costing model, incorporating the different Faculty L&D products and ensuring the data is up to date and relevant.
  
  
• As the Faculty product financial data asset owner, you will ensure this model is regularly updated, remains accurate and incorporates any new products/ other changes that may come along from time to time. You will also build and maintain a linked scenario model to the faculty costing model to allow scenario planning based on the movement of key parameters of the model

• Lead on flexible modelling tools for cost efficiency changes and projects as appropriate. Partner with Finance to drive efficient cost objectives, including recharging and costing products/ services of the Faculty.
  
  
• Work closely with stakeholders regularly, including the Faculty Deputy Director and Head of L&D for each product set, to gather and interrogate product data and quantify it appropriately and provide appropriate challenge on quality.
  
  
• Using data, ensure we have effective pricing and cancellation policies to provide value for money for our external customers and maintain financial sustainability for the organisation.
  
  
• Lead on data with to support product planning, identifying implications on total resources across different teams and support planning an appropriate pipeline. Lead on information for budget development and management. Provide financial data from the various models (costing model, scenario planning) as appropriate for forecasting, budgeting and pricing, as needed.
  
  
• Lead on costing projects and business cases as needed including providing any sensitivity analysis. Oversee our existing product strands and aligning it to our strategy; establish a cohesive integration of new products.
  
  
• Provide analytics and interpret results to support decision making.
  
  
• Governance and compliance – support as required.
  
  
• Any other tasks as required to support the organisation.

Person specification

Essential Requirements

• Extensive experience working in a similar/ equivalent role. Able to successfully identify data from qualitative information for a full product life cycle to calculate cost of goods sold.
  
  
• Identify and use appropriate tools and techniques needed for efficient and accurate data management. Extensive experience with data analysis tools/ systems, including: Excel to advanced level; Power BI, R Studio etc.
  
  
• Strong analytical skills combined with excellent communication skills - able to present data to a range of audiences with clarity for decision making.
  
  
• Problem solving and outcomes focused – proactive at identifying trends, issues and detecting data anomalies; able to find solutions and mitigation to progress outputs.
  
  
• Excellent stakeholder management skills – able to provide guidance on tools or methods to use, be experienced in identifying and meeting the needs of internal stakeholders. Demonstrable experience of delivering for multiple stakeholders. Experience of working within constraints, able to influence, challenge and collaborate.
  
  
• Technological awareness as well as ability to support other data analysis requirements for the directorate.

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,800, Cabinet Office contributes £15,876 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.

Application process

As part of the application process, you will be assessed on your Experience and technical skills and will be asked to complete:

• A name-blind (anonymous) CV which includes job history & skills and experience.
• 250 words covering an example of a financial model you have built.

Selection process

If successful at sift, we will invite you to interview for the position. The interview will assess you against the Civil Service "Behaviours" success profiles.

Candidates will also be asked to do a 10-15min presentation. Details on the topic of the presentation will be given to candidates who are successful at sift.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – w/c 25th March
Expected interview date/s – w/c 8th and 15th April
Interview location - Virtual via Google Meet

Reasonable adjustments

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 at  cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the ‘assistance required’ section in the ‘personal information’ page of your application form to provide information we should be aware of that will enable us to support you further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further information

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.

Please note that this role requires CTC clearance, which would normally need 3 years’ UK residency in the past 3 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

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 

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to Cabinet Office 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

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

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.

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. 

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a 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.