About the job

Job summary

The Digital Data and Technology (DDaT) profession enable the Home Office to keep the UK safe and secure. They do this by designing, building, and running the services that help people apply for visas or passports, support policing and counter-terrorism operations, and protect the UK’s borders.​​

Team members have specialised knowledge and a calling to build on it. We want the best people to come to the Home Office and work in the diverse roles and communities they’re passionate about. This is how we produce exceptional outcomes.​​

The Home Office has created a government-leading bespoke career framework that enables career planning, while ensuring our people can be the best they can be. The framework includes Heads of Role, who are industry specialists. They build communities, set standards for what ‘good’ looks like, and ensure we have the right people in the right jobs at the right time.​​

We also have a profession management unit, which aims to provide the best professional experience to all our technical staff with a real passion for – and focus on – continuous professional development. We invest heavily in our people as part of growing our collective capability.​

Job description

A Business Analyst will receive direction from more senior business analysts on task-based delivery but will be responsible for the output. You will make sure outcomes are aligned with the service vision and business strategy by connecting the current and future business models and delivering to the future business architecture strategy or plan. You will also be involved in supporting and informing product iteration, evolution and optimisation.

You will help to develop and enhance stakeholder relationships in order to facilitate collaboration. You will be expected to draw on expertise of more senior colleagues to help you develop technical specifications and plans. 

Hybrid working may be available for these roles. This enables employees to work partly at home and at an agreed Home Office location. Employees may need to travel to strategic hubs in Croydon, Manchester, Sheffield or Southport.

Person specification

Your main day to day responsibilities will be: 

• Developing knowledge of key Business Analysis skills (e.g. requirements, engineering, workshops facilitation, process mapping etc) and understanding of BA resources/templates/best practice guidance.
• Developing breadth and depth of understanding of a variety of project approaches and software engineering lifecycles (e.g. agile, waterfall, incremental).
• Developing techniques and knowledge around developing acceptance criteria which are scenario-based within processes that support thorough testing.
• Understanding and defining the problem to be solved and ensuring strategic decision-making supports business outcomes as well as user needs.
• With support, identifying service and process improvement opportunities, contributing to the implementation of proposed solution setting up and supporting workshops to enable requirements to be identified and clarified.
• Drafting requirements/user stories as required to support the delivery of features.
• Evidence gathering to support analysis of the business needs including user feedback sent in as the product progresses through its lifecycle.
• Supporting the production of periodic performance measures to inform stakeholders and drive discussion around the required service.

Other day to day activities

You will also be expected to carry out the following day to day activities:

• Collaborate with other professions within the scope of delivery to develop understanding of the value of each role in a multidisciplinary team.
• Support business process testing, quality assure outputs under supervision and understanding the role of testing and how it works.
• Evidence gathering to support building any required business case and benefits realisation.
• Work towards a BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.

Professional Development

Successful candidates will join the DDaT Business Analysis Profession with a vibrant, enthusiastic community of peers, spanning several Home Office technology portfolios, other Government departments, and wider industry.

DDaT is committed to achieving excellence through the effective recruitment, development and retention of staff. We are committed to maintaining an open and inclusive working environment where staff can influence how we deliver objectives. Learning and development is available on the job, supported by both in-house and formal learning initiatives.

As part of our commitment to your development, you will:

• Have opportunities and support to develop and enhance skills.
• Work in an open and inclusive environment.
• Be recognised and valued for your contribution.
• Explore interesting and diverse problems and help deliver the solutions.
• Have the opportunity to work in rapidly changing, innovative environments.
• Continually develop as a Business Analyst with our help and investment.

Essential Skills

You’ll have a demonstrable passion for Business Analysis, with the following skills or strong experience in:

• Analytical and problem-solving skills to help you assess and understand problems, break them down and devise and propose new solutions.
• Eliciting, analysing and validating business requirements before peer review from more senior business analysts, in the most appropriate and effective manner and format.
• Communicating in a variety of methods, knowledge of when to apply the appropriate method to each scenario/audience.
• Building strong relationships with a broad range of people from a varied background (technical and non-technical), and applying proven communication, and analytical skills to ensure the team’s plans and objectives are achieved.
• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to understand, negotiate and influence individuals and groups.
• Working as a team player contributing ideas and seeking innovation.

The skills listed above are reflective of the Home Office DDaT Profession Skills and Competency Model (based on the industry standard SFIA framework).

Please refer to the below for the relevant skill levels required for this role:

Strategy and Architecture 

• Technical Strategy and Planning
• Methods and Tools (METL) – Level 2

Change and Transformation

• Business Change Management
• Business Analysis (BUAN) – Level 3
• Business Modelling (BSMO) – Level 2
• Requirements Definition and Management (REQM) – Level 3

Development and Implementation

• User Experience
• User Experience Analysis (UNAN) – Level 2

 Relationships and Engagement

• Stakeholder Management
• Relationships Management (RLMT) – Level 2

Desirable Skills

Ideally you will also have the following skills or some experience in:

• Experience/knowledge of working in the delivery of technology-based projects or been involved in applying techniques to improve operational processes.
• Understanding the importance of evidence-based design or analysis.
• Developing your skills by being an active member of the team and advocating on its behalf.
• Awareness of innovation and what it involves.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £34,350, Home Office contributes £9,274 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 Experience and Technical skills.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete

• A CV.
• A Statement of Suitability (Max Word Limit: 1000).

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please note your Statement of Suitability should be aligned to explain your motivation for applying for this role and offer evidence of how you meet the Essential skills criteria as set out in the job advertisement.

The sift will be based on the Statement of Suitability.

The CV is for information purposes only and will not be marked.

Candidates shortlisted will be invited to an interview which will be Technical and Experience-based questions as listed in the job advertisement.

Sift and Interview dates

The sift will commence from 19th February 2024.

Interviews are expected to take place from 11th March 2024.

Candidates shortlisted will be invited to an interview which will be Technical and Experience based questions, as detailed on the advert. Candidates will also be required to complete a 10 minute presentation. Details of which will be provided prior to interview.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to time constraints we may not be able to offer alternative interview date(s). It is therefore expected that candidates who are successful at sift stage will make themselves available during the above time frame given.

Interview's will be carried out virtually using Microsoft Teams.

Further information

Please read the essential skills for this position carefully. We will only consider those who meet the listed requirement.

If you have previously made an unsuccessful application for a role with the same essential skills and are not able to demonstrate how you have developed these skills since your last application please reconsider applying as your application is unlikely to be successful.

For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV. A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

We often have similar roles available at different grades. If a candidate is suitable for a similar role, or a lower grade than they have applied for, we may offer the candidate that role without the need to go through a further selection process providing the role has the same behaviours and essential skills

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.

We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are Stonewall top 100 Workplace Equality Employer and a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.

We encourage applications from people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. We particularly welcome applications from women, people with disabilities and LGBT+ as they are currently under-represented in the Home Office at this grade level. Appointments will be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.

Hybrid working enables employees to work partly in their workplace(s) and partly at home in line with the Home Office Hybrid Working policy. Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working.  Where this is the case, employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in the office.  Applicants can discuss any specific questions with the Vacancy Holder.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

This post is eligible for DDaT RRA. Successful candidates with exceptional skills and experience may apply for a Recruitment Retention Allowance. This allowance is subject to an initial review within six months of taking up the post and thereafter an annual review in line with departmental priorities and could be reduced or withdrawn at any time.

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.

For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.

Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary.

If you are invited to an interview you will be required to  bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.

Any move to the Home 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

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is 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 HOrecruitment.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 interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional

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

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security 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.