About the job

Job summary

Would you be great at identifying business problems and finding solutions to business priorities? 

Are you a great communicator?

Do you want to make an impact and get paid to learn new skills?

This is the perfect time to apply for our Level 4 apprenticeship and kick start your career in business analysis.

We are looking for people who can help design and modify our IT systems to make a real difference on important projects.

Say yes and begin writing your next career chapter here and now.

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

Imagine getting paid to gain new skills that will serve you throughout your career. As a Business Analyst Apprentice, you will earn while you learn and make a real impact.

You will become part of the Government Digital and Data profession, collaborating with cross-functional teams to transform our IT systems by identifying business needs, analysing data, and defining solutions focused on delivering value to end users.

As an important member of our dynamic delivery teams, you’ll help drive digital innovation. By applying user research, you’ll understand emerging needs and trends. You'll develop systems to streamline processes and automate tasks. Our modern technologies provide infinite possibilities to improve efficiencies.

This is your chance to have real influence on projects that have an impact on millions of people.

The apprenticeship

We’re seeking motivated self-starters to fill permanent roles.

You’ll have round-the-clock support from managers, coaches, fellow apprentices, and the BA community. With experienced mentors guiding your journey, you’ll master the latest best practices while forming meaningful connections.

With 20% time reserved for training, you’ll earn while progressing towards completion of an 18-24 month apprenticeship.

In this role you will:

• You will work as part of the Government Digital and Data profession, working within a Digital & Data environment.
• Gain an understanding of how to integrate systems and the challenges of designing, building, and testing interfaces between systems.
• Work with key customers to understand their problems and needs.
• Identify and tailor business requirements into supplier proposals.
• Lead and support meetings and workshops to help verify information with IT suppliers and other key individuals.
• Recognise, document and mitigate risks and issues, raising where appropriate.
• Challenge constructively and act as a critical friend to achieve solutions.
• Assist in the preparation of business cases highlighting potential benefits and risks.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

We’re looking for apprentices who are:

• Passionate about IT and solving problems creatively
• Logical thinkers who can work with business and technology colleagues to translate business problems into technical solutions.
• User focussed – understands users and can identify who they are and what their needs are.
• Self-motivated and dedicated to continuous learning

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Team members that are moving offices as a result of the Locations Programme will be entitled to a Moves Adjustment Payment for three years where they incur additional costs. This is calculated based on the difference between the costs of travelling to and from the new and old office, over a weekly period. You will get more detail on this as part of targeted locations move communications.

Find more about HMRC benefits in 'Your little extras and big benefits handbook' for further information or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Strengths and Experience.

As part of the application process you must provide:

• CV & Qualifications - Your CV is all about summarising your skills, knowledge and experience suitable for the role. For qualifications - please detail how your current qualification/experience level meets the eligibility criteria, providing details of all qualifications and grades required
• A 500 word personal statement demonstrating why you are interested in the role and how you meet the essential criteria?

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

Applicants will be sifted on CVs and personal statements submitted against the specification above, in particular the essential criteria.

If we receive a high volume of applications, sift will only be done against personal statement.

Following the application closing date, you may be invited to an assessment centre. The assessment centre will be a 2-stage process consisting of an interview and a paired/group exercise. This will be delivered virtually via Microsoft Teams. The assessment centre will be conducted by staff from HMRC, focusing on experience & strengths of the candidates.

Candidates may be required to obtain additional security clearance. The candidates will be unable to take up post until the relevant Security Clearance is obtained.
 
Interviews will focus on the candidates’ application, their knowledge, experience and competence, and the essential criteria required. Feedback on applications will only be provided if you attend the assessment centre. 

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

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

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 - 339621 & vacancy closing date 26/02/24. 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.

Who can start an Apprenticeship 

To start an apprenticeship, you’ll need to be:

• 16 or over
• living in England
• not in full-time education

You can apply for an apprenticeship while you’re still at school but you’ll need to be 16 or over by the end of the summer holidays to start the apprenticeship. Please note if successful you must be 16 or over to undergo the relevant security checks

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.