About the job

Job summary

Join our dynamic HR team at Defra group! We're on the lookout for a People Analytics Specialist (HEO level) to bring their analytical prowess to the table. As part of our expert service team, you'll dive into HR data from across our organizations, crafting insightful reports and interactive dashboards.

From crunching numbers for statutory reports to designing cutting-edge Power BI tools, your role will be pivotal in shaping strategic decisions. Whether it's understanding employee engagement or identifying drivers of success, you'll be at the forefront of HR analytics.

We're looking for someone with proven analytical skills, capable of handling both quantitative and qualitative data. A customer-focused mindset and knack for meeting deadlines are essential, as is the ability to translate complex analysis into plain language for non-technical audiences.

While membership in a government analytic profession is preferred, we're open to candidates eager to learn. Ideally, you'll have a background in HR. Don't worry if you're not a Power BI whiz just yet – we provide extensive training and development opportunities to help you thrive in the role.

Job description

As a vital member of our team, you will play a crucial role in delivering actionable insights and analysis across Defra group. Your expertise will drive data-driven decision-making, ensuring that stakeholders in HR and beyond have the necessary information to achieve their objectives effectively.

This role requires a blend of analytical skill, creativity, and a customer-centric mindset to deliver impactful outcomes in a dynamic environment.

What will your responsibilities entail?

• Delivering timely analysis and insights across Defra group in line with expectations
• Taking the lead in conducting thorough data analysis on people data and presenting impactful findings
• Providing well-supported, user-friendly insights to stakeholders across HR, facilitating data-driven decisions and ensuring positive outcomes for customers
• Demonstrating a willingness to understand HR and broader departmental priorities to effectively collaborate and influence colleagues
• Creating self-service dashboards for stakeholders to enhance decision-making efficiency. This involves automating critical reports and assisting users in interpreting and utilising dashboards and analytical tools
• Employing initiative, creativity, and expertise to address data requests and implement process improvements
• Monitoring personal performance and prioritising tasks to respond to team priorities effectively

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Strong analytical prowess, adept at manipulating and cleansing data across various datasets to fulfil customer requirements
• Meticulous attention to detail, ensuring high-quality work and maintaining standards in self and peer-reviewed work
• Proficiency in Excel and Power BI, leveraging these tools to provide actionable insights tailored to customer needs
• Proven track record of delivering analytical solutions aligned with customer requirements, employing a range of statistical, analytical, and visualisation techniques
• Potential involvement in designing data collection methods, including surveys and qualitative data gathering.
• Effective communication of complex analyses to non-technical audiences through diverse mediums such as data visualisation, reports, and briefings
• Consistent delivery of analytical projects within specified deadlines and to exemplary standards
• Experience in scoping and delivering analyses to support decision-making processes and meet customer needs
• Demonstrated ability in engaging, negotiating, and influencing stakeholders to achieve desired outcomes and adhere to best practices
• Evident proficiency in relationship-building and provision of expert advice
• Efficiently managing customer expectations while delivering effective results
• Current membership of a government analytic profession, or willingness to work towards membership

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,136, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £8,676 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 provide a 500 word Personal Statement.

Within your 500 word personal statement, please demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the job description.

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

Sift

The sift will be held on the candidate's Personal Statement. 

Sifting is expected to take place week commencing the 11th of March.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on the Behaviours listed in the advert as well as a Technical Assessment.

Your technical assessment will consist of an Excel/Power BI exercise that will be sent to candidates prior to their interview.

Interviews to be held via MS Teams. Interviews are expected to take place week commencing the 25th of March. Please note this is subject to change.

Location 

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s)

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.

Reserve List

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

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

Salary 

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Reasonable Adjustment

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 defrarecruitment.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. 

Accessibility

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

Criminal Record Check

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. 

Internal Fraud Database Check

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.

Higher Security Clearance 

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.

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

All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer. 

Childcare Vouchers 

Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.