About the job

Job summary

Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you're seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it’s really like to work at HMRC.

   

Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full series and come and discover your potential.

Are you looking for a new challenge to stretch your statistical and analytical ability, as well as leading exciting projects?

Would you like to be at the heart of international trade statistics collection, production and analysis? This is very much the hot topic across Whitehall as we forge new links and partnerships with countries across the world following EU exit.

HM Revenue & Customs, Trade Statistics and Customs Analysis (TSCA) is currently recruiting Higher Statistical Analysts to lead TSCA in achieving its objective to become a world leader in international trade statistics and providing support to UK government in evidence-based policy making.

TSCA is responsible for producing National Statistics relating to UK international trade in goods, leading on customs analysis and data insight to support UK policy and operational performance measures for trade and borders. 

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

TSCA team is recruiting into 3 branches:

Publication & Delivery Branch (2 posts) – who are responsible for the production of key official statistics including the UK’s Regional Trade in Goods Statistics (RTS). RTS is a quarterly publication which will give you the opportunity to train in producing official statistics. The work involves compiling, quality assuring, publishing, analysing, and presenting official statistics to wide range of users. The post will also give you opportunities to work with wide range of stakeholders including other Government departments. Additionally, you will be exposed to running analytical commissions in between the production cycles of RTS.

Higher Statistical officers in The Publication and Delivery branch are expected to be hands-on analysts responsible for carrying analyses for a diverse range of colleagues in TSCA or from other Government departments. You are expected to be an excellent team worker keen to learn from your colleagues and supporting others whilst role-modelling Civil Service leadership behaviours. The role will also involve supporting production of other trade statistics related annual publications.

Analysis and Strategy branches (2 posts)- As a Higher Statistical Officer (HStO) in TSCA, you will be involved in supporting your line manager and colleagues across HMRC by running analytical commissions and compiling bespoke outputs using variety of trade data sources to support both internal and cross- Governmental policy making process.

Person specification

You will work on a breadth of projects which will require you to:

• Produce official statistics publications, adhering to the principles set out in the Code of Practice for official statistics.
• Support the delivery of high-quality statistical advice and analysis given by self and or team.
• Proactively engage - early and often - with the customers and stakeholders to share analytical results, and to discuss findings, taking data limitations into account.
• Use the most appropriate methods and tools to deliver analysis, expertly adapting your approach as the need arises, to effectively manipulate a variety of data sources.
• Share knowledge about data sources, data manipulation and appropriate innovations within own team or across business areas to build capability of others.
• Have experience of, or the ability to learn, SAS analytics programming.

Essential Criteria:

Professional skills are deployed on a daily basis to produce high quality statistics and analysis. For candidates currently not working in a professional post within the Government Statistical Service this can usually be demonstrated through a minimum of:

• Understanding and application of core statistical analysis techniques
• Knowledge and experience of analysing data using SQL, SAS or similar software, which you can demonstrate through past work experience examples.

As well as:

• experience in a statistics related field, plus continuing professional development in a relevant area that leads to qualifications (for example the RSS Higher Certificate).

Or:

• A 2:2 Degree in a numerate discipline such as mathematics, economics, psychology or geography. Your degree should contain some formal statistical training;

Or

• A Graduate Diploma of the Royal Statistical Society or equivalent qualification.

Desirable Criteria:

Experience of using SAS programming language- though formal and on-the-job training will be provided upon joining the team.

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 Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

How to Apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the following:

• A CV including your job history and previous experiences.

• A 750-word personal statement.

Your CV should cover your job history. Your CV is for information purposes only and will not be scored.

Your Personal Statement should be used to describe how your skills and experience would be suitable for the advertised role, making reference to the essential criteria and person specification outlined in the advert. This will be scored.

Candidates not currently badged as GSG members will need to complete an online Government Statistical Service (GSS) test. The online GSS multiple choice test will test your basic numerical and statistical concepts and techniques and your ability to apply these to practical problems. For some questions you may wish to use a calculator.

After the closing date, you will be invited to complete the online GSS test. This is a timed test and must be completed and submitted by the deadline which will be 7 days from the date your invite is sent. Further information will be provided via email to candidates invited to take the test.

You will have 45 minutes to complete the test.

The deadline must be met for your application to be considered for the next stage of the process.

If you are already a badged member of GSG, you won’t need to take the online test. There will be an additional question on the application form for you to enter your GSG membership details. This will ensure that GSG members do not take the online GSS test.

Please ensure you inform us ahead of the test if you require any reasonable adjustments to be considered. You are encouraged to try the practice test attached prior to undertaking the actual test.

Please note that the GSS test invite is not automatic when you submit your application. We will send the invite after the application closing date has passed, and we have been able to review if you are GSG badged before sending the invite.

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

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake, please contact us via: ubsrecruitmentexcellence@hmrc.gov.uk – Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – ‘Please re-open my application – [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]’ To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application.

Sift

The sift will be carried out against the Personal Statement, with the successful candidates being invited to interview.

Interview

During the panel interview, your experience will be assessed, and you will be asked behaviour-based questions to explore in detail what you are capable of.

We will also assess you against these technical skills:

• Presenting and Disseminating Data Effectively
• Acquiring data/Understanding customer needs
• Data analysis

If a candidate is not already a badged GSG member, their Presenting and Disseminating Data Effectively question will be replaced with a dissemination test, issued on the day of the interview 45 minutes before the interview begins.

We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process in order to manage numbers.

Interviews will take place via video link.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

A reserve list may be held for 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.

After interview, a single merit list will be created, and appointments will be made in strict merit order until the set demand is filled in each location. If successful, you will be informed which locations are available when we reach your position on the merit list.

Reasonable Adjustments

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact the UBS Recruitment Excellence Team via ubsrecruitmentexcellence@hmrc.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.

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 and want everyone to feel valued and supported to achieve their potential.

Click here for more information on how we make this happen

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. Please consider the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the ‘location preferences’ section that you can travel to.

Terms and Conditions

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.

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.

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. 

Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.

Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

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.

New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.

If you experience 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 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.