About the job

Job summary

The Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) is the government’s centre of expertise for infrastructure and major projects. We sit at the heart of government, reporting to the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. Our core teams include experts in infrastructure, project delivery and project finance who work with government departments and industry. We support the successful delivery of all types of infrastructure and major projects; ranging from railways, schools, hospitals and housing, to defence, IT and major transformation programmes. We lead the project delivery and project finance professions across government.

The Team

The IPA Data and Insight Team has a mission to better understand, support and improve the deliverability and performance of Government’s projects now and into the future. 

We do this by collecting and maintaining project data; creating an enduring indispensable Government asset. We transform this crucial dataset into insights and advice at the project, portfolio and cross-Government system level so that the IPA, project delivery professionals across government, HMT and No10 can access the evidence they need to make the best decisions.

Specifically, for the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP), we lead on:

1. Data Collection and Management.
2. Management Information and custom reporting.
3. Advanced Analytics.
4. Promoting and Embedding a Data Culture.

The Data and Insight Team prides itself on fostering a hard-working, supportive and inclusive environment, making the team a great place to work.

Job description

As a data scientist in the IPA, you will conduct high-quality analysis and develop insights to inform senior leaders making decisions on projects worth a total of £800bn, ensuring those decisions are evidence-led and represent value-for-money.

Working with subject matter experts, you will ensure that data are relevant and transformed through analysis into products that meet the needs of our decision makers. You will use your data storytelling skills to translate complex analysis into easily understood narratives through engaging and clear visualisations. 

You will use a range of analytical techniques, deploying your existing data science toolkit as well as identifying and using new and innovative data science methods to ensure you use the right tool for the job.  You will have the opportunity to work with our No10 innovation fellow on projects developing and deploying applications of AI. You will inspire others to learn and experiment.

You will collaborate with a passionate team to promote a data-centric culture in the whole organisation, championing analysis and best practice in all your interactions with colleagues. You will also lead and line manage your own small unit of data scientists to foster innovation and deliver results.

Responsibilities and duties for the role include:

• Applying advanced analytical techniques, including machine learning and natural language processing, to extract meaningful insight.
• Developing clear and engaging products to communicate insights from data, including creating interactive visualisations.
• Disseminating and communicating analytical results to stakeholders in IPA and wider government to produce maximum impact.
• Championing the use of data in the organisation, supporting the IPA in increasing their data maturity.
• Promoting a culture of experimentation in the team and encouraging colleagues to innovate.
• Providing guidance to team members on best practices in coding, analysis, and usage of data.
• Being an excellent line manager, promoting and developing a culture of accountability and delivery while being approachable and fair.

Technical skills are necessary for the role, but we're equally interested in your ability to be a proactive, independent thinker, eager to contribute to a team culture of innovation and collaboration.

Person specification

You will be able to demonstrate the following skills, experience and behaviours in conjunction with the above responsibilities.

Essential:

• Strong numeracy and analytical skills with demonstrated ability to think critically, validate and analyse complex data and to challenge and sense check results both quantitatively and qualitatively.
• Experience developing data science products to support organisational objectives.
• In-depth knowledge of data science tools and techniques, which you can use to solve problems creatively.
• Excellence in communicating analytical findings for impact, including skills in translating complex information for a non-technical audience.
• Proficiency in a coding language (R, Python, or similar).

Desirable:

• Experience in applying machine learning and/or natural language processing techniques.
• Experience of working in an AWS environment.
• Experience of coding collaboratively e.g. using GitHub.

Skill Level

The skill level required for this role will be assessed under the DDaT framework for Data Scientists.

•   Applied maths, statistics and scientific practices: Expert.
•   Delivering business impact: Practitioner.
•   Programming and build (data science): Expert.

https://ddat-capability-framework.service.gov.uk/role/data-scientist

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

Please note that the existing team is based from our Birmingham Hub, 23 Stephenson Street, and regular attendance would be expected. For any candidates applying from London, travel to this office location would count towards your level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £53,400, Cabinet Office contributes £14,418 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 asked to complete a CV as well as three 250 word behaviour statements. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Changing and Improving. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Selection process

During the blended interview you will be assessed against your experience, behaviours that are contained within this advert and a technical based question. 

For the technical assessment we will assess you on a technical skill in coding in either, Python, R, or other languages to prepare and manipulate data to perform complex analytics

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – TBC
Expected interview date/s – TBC
Interview location - Virtual - Google meets

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Further information

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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. 

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. 

Offers above the band minimum are subject to our assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated at interview. Salaries over the band minimum will be paid as a non-pensionable allowance.

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 via cabinetofficerecruitment.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 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.