Data Analyst
HM Revenue and Customs
About the job
Job summary
HMRC is looking for people with the experience or aptitude to join us as a Data Analyst. You can look forward to receiving our 12-month tailored training programme, the support of a mentor and excellent potential for career development.
See what it’s like to work at HMRC: find out more about us or ask our colleagues a question. Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.
Job description
As a Data Analyst you will have access to one of the biggest data platforms in UK government. This will enable you to lead on the exploration of a range of sophisticated data sets using a variety of analytical tools and techniques. You’ll work with teams across HMRC, enabling you to be at the forefront of tax fraud, evasion, and avoidance. Your analysis will support frontline colleagues across HMRC to deliver our Compliance strategy.
You will need to have real passion for analysis, an innovative approach and be able to enhance analytical products to maximise revenue. You’ll fully exploit new data and technology to ensure that a wide set of innovative opportunities are explored, evaluating options, impacts, risks, and solutions to provide clear problem definitions. This opportunity will give you the skills to help us identify and predict patterns of behaviour to understand emerging trends.
Key Responsibilities
- Using a variety of software to analyse and interpret data to come up with conclusions and recommendations.
- Ensuring a set of innovative opportunities are explored; evaluating options, impacts, risks, and solutions to provide transparent problem definitions and encourage exploitation of data and technology.
- Working with collaborators to identify and clarify the overall scope and requirements of the analytical work.
- Identifying and sharing best practice and continuously reviewing our business processes, proactively using analysis to improve our insight and the products we provide.
- Summarising and presenting data and conclusions in the most appropriate format for users.
Person specification
As a Data Analyst you’ll be part of the Digital, Data & Technology (DDaT) profession in the Civil Service. The essential and desirable criteria below are aligned to the DDaT framework - you can read more about this here.
Essential Criteria
Your application must demonstrate:
- Analysis and synthesis You are able to use software to manipulate and analyse data. For example, using Excel or other software to merge, analyse and consolidate data using pivot tables, functions, and charts.
- Communication You can demonstrate good verbal and written communication skills. You understand how to share insights with technical and non-technical audiences.
- Data quality assurance, validation, and linkage You can identify appropriate ways to collect, collate and prepare data. You can decide if data is accurate and fit for purpose.
- Logical and creative thinking You can apply logic and creativity to approach a problem.
Desirable criteria
To succeed in this role, the following experience would be an advantage:
- IT and mathematics You can demonstrate IT and mathematical skills through relevant qualifications or work experience.
- Analysis and synthesis You have an understanding of, or experience of using, data modelling tools and techniques, and the ability to apply this knowledge when developing targeted solutions to deliver business benefits. (e.g. SPSS, SAS, SQL, R, PYTHON).
- Data visualisation You can use the most appropriate medium to visualise data to tell compelling stories that are relevant to business goals and can be acted upon.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £35,092, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £9,474 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 Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.How to Apply
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a Civil Service Numerical Test, CV and Personal Statement (750 words). Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Once you have completed the short application form (basic information only, not assessed) you will need to pass the following online test:
- Civil Service Numerical Test.
Click here to learn more about Civil Service online tests.
Please complete the online test as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the test is 23:55 on 25th March 2024. 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.
If you meet the minimum pass marks for the online test, you will be invited to provide a:
- CV detailing your job history, qualifications, and experience. We recommend that your CV includes the last 3 years of employment history, plus any other roles that you feel are relevant. A short narrative (up to 100 words per role) outlining what you delivered, and your key achievements, will help you to demonstrate your experience more clearly.
- Personal Statement up to 750 words. This should provide working examples and outcomes that demonstrate how your experience meets the Essential Criteria and aligns with the key responsibilities. Using the STAR format will help you to structure your examples.
Interview
If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to a face to face interview with a panel of up to 3 people and will last up to 60 minutes, consisting of:
- Experience and Strength questions.
- A Technical exercise - You will be asked to deliver a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation, to demonstrate a piece of analysis you have undertaken which delivered a real business benefit.
Vacancy timeline
- Complete online tests and submit application by: 23:55 on 25th March 2024.
These dates are indicative only and subject to change:
- Sift will take place during the week commencing 25th March 2024.
- Interviews will take place during the week commencing 8th April 2024.
Probation
If you join us as a new employee and have not worked in HMRC or the Civil Service, you are required to complete a 6-month probationary period. If you’ve worked in another part of government or another Government agency, where a probation period has already been successfully completed as a Civil Servant, or you have already completed your probation in HMRC, you might not need to undertake a probationary period, or it might be shorter than 6 months. Usually, where continuity of service is preserved or where you have other eligible periods of service, then any previous period of successfully completed probation will count towards the current period of probation.
Data Analyst Training Programme
A condition of employment is the completion of the Data Analyst Training Programme (DATP). You will need to meet the required standards (of the DATP) to remain on the programme and to be successful in moving from training to the Data Analyst role.
To help you achieve this, your journey through the DATP will be continually evaluated, by modular and work-based assessments, against the Profession framework. You will be supported not only by your manager, but also by our dedicated learning team and business-based coaches and mentors known as Practical Training Officers (PTOs). We also encourage participants to self-assess performance during the DATP and seek support where needed.
The DATP includes several multi-day courses. These courses take place in two specialist training suites, so you may be required to travel to our locations in Newcastle or Liverpool and stay for up to 4 days. HMRC will pay all travel and subsistence expenses.
We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process in order to manage numbers.
A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles – if this applies to you, we’ll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.
Eligibility
To check that you are eligible to apply, review this eligibility information.
This role is not eligible for sponsorship.
Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers
This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance to the office will be required where there is a business need, so please review the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the ‘location preferences’ section that you are able to travel to.
Reasonable Adjustments
We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process because of a disability, condition, or impairment. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.
If you need a reasonable adjustment or a change to be made so that you can make your application, review this information on reasonable adjustments, and contact hmrcrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible.
Diversity and Inclusion
At HMRC we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues and creating an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve.
Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role. We’re committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues here at HMRC. We want everyone to feel valued and supported to achieve their potential at HMRC.
For more information on how we make this happen, review this information on our culture and values
Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.
We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible after considering operational and customer service needs. We can’t guarantee that we can meet all requests to work flexibly, as agreement will be subject to business ability to accommodate, and any request to work a more flexible arrangement should be made prior to your acceptance of the provisional offer.
Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.
The Civil Service runs 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.
Locations
HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.
Security Update
For more information on the level of security checks we will carry out, review this information on security checks.
Additional Security Information
Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for SC is 5 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting.
Further Information
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.
Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application/s will be withdrawn from the process.
Duplicate applications for the same vacancy will also be withdrawn.
Transferring into HMRC from Civil Service If you are currently working for an ‘Other Government Department’ (OGD) and would like to consider the impact on your pay when joining HMRC, please see the attached document "Combined T&C and OGD Pay English”, found at the bottom of this advert. Further information on staff transfers can be found on gov.uk.
Problems during the application process
If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
If you think you’ve made a mistake on a short application form (e.g. you’ve ticked the incorrect eligibility box), please contact hmrcrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk at least two working days before the vacancy closes. After this, we won’t be able to reopen your application.
Please use the subject line to insert appropriate wording e.g. Please re-open my application - 341380 & vacancy closing date 25/03/2024. Please note that we cannot amend or re-open your application if you have submitted your full application in the interests of fair and open recruitment.
For reasonable adjustments queries or requests, please see details within reasonable adjustments section above.
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 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
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.