About the job

Job summary

The Government Digital Service (GDS) exists to make the user experience of the government simple, consistent and welcoming for everyone. To do this, GDS builds, iterates and maintains digital tools and platforms that are part of everyday life in the UK; platforms like GOV.UK - the online home of government information and services.

We also work with departments to identify patterns, share learning and create change to make government more efficient.

We are recruiting Senior Performance Analysts for the GOV.UK and Service Transformation teams within GDS.

GOV.UK is an integral part of our national infrastructure. Millions of people visit daily for everything from registering a death to paying their taxes. But, we know GOV.UK can do more - and must do more - for its users. This is why we have growth at the heart of our plans. We want to grow our product offer, grow our user base, and grow our team. Specifically, we want to:

• grow GOV.UK to reach people when and where they need government information
• make GOV.UK more proactive in helping people
• evolve to match user expectations for new technologies

You can learn more about how this translates into delivery between now and 2025 here

At the centre of GOV.UK is the Data Group, who are perfectly placed to lead and orchestrate this work. This is done via 3 main teams - GOV.UK Analytics, Data Insights and Data tools, which are all multidisciplinary teams with a focus on quantitative and qualitative data practitioners. 

The Service Transformation Team provides expertise, guidance and support to services across government to enable the adoption of GDS products to design and build user-centred digital services. Working collaboratively with colleagues across different government departments, we help identify and implement improvements to services to improve the user journey for citizens. 

We work at the very centre of government to drive digital transformation, focused on users. 

At the heart of these ambitions is data. It is fundamental and foundational to everything GDS wants to achieve and only through transforming and accelerating the department’s relationship with it will we see the changes we need.

Job description

As a Senior Performance Analyst in GDS, you’ll be the lead voice for data and analysis within a multidisciplinary agile product team. You'll be responsible for analysing user behaviours in government digital services and content. You'll focus on digital (web and app) analytics but also work with data from other sources such as third-parties, surveys and user feedback. Your insights will drive prioritisation, helping product owners to focus on features that work best for users.

As a Senior Performance Analyst you’ll:

• provide leadership to product and service managers to identify what needs to be measured, develop hypotheses and test what success looks like
• own and manage strategic work - e.g. community building and training; or analytics implementation policies for GOV.UK products; benchmarking and agreeing common performance indicators
• own the management and development of analytical instrumentation and be responsible for accurate data collection implementation, to influence the product manager to make evidence-based decisions
• be proactive in working with other disciplines and datasets to enrich stories, for example
• lead the production of accurate, engaging and actionable analysis, using judgement to tell engaging stories with data, relevant to the appropriate audience (from ministers to junior colleagues)

Support the Analysis Community

• help provide leadership to the analysis community of practice, both within GDS and across government. Develop best practice and knowledge transfer of digital analysis principles and techniques to wider audiences and expanding your own and others’ data analysis skills. Forge links with other analysis disciplines
• line manage colleagues within a matrix structure 
• create and share examples of best practice in digital performance management across government

Person specification

We're interested in people who have:

• strong proficiency with digital analytics platforms, such as Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager working with high volumes of data and using appropriate tools such as Google BigQuery or other APIs
• experience of working in an agile, project-based environment, focused on delivering user needs

• demonstrable success in developing implementation strategy, roadmaps, measurement frameworks, instrumentation, quality assurance, administration and analysis
• detailed understanding of, and practical experience of using different data tools to transform and analyse different data sets. An understanding of, and practical experience with data analysis and visualisation tools, e.g. Looker Studio or Tableau or experience in either python or R
• experience of gathering and understanding technical requirements and working with developers to build suitable technical solutions
• strong data storytelling skills - discovering and sharing analytical insight with stakeholders with various levels of analytical expertise and at all levels of seniority

Desirable

• expertise in running A/B and multivariate testing, including the selection and setting up of appropriate tooling
• experience in app analytics
• experience in social media analytics, and how this data can drive desired website outcomes

Benefits

The benefits of working at GDS

There are many benefits of working at GDS, including:

• flexible hybrid working with flexi-time and the option to work part-time or condensed hours
• a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• 25 days of annual leave, increasing by a day each year up to a maximum of 30 days
• an extra day off for The King’s birthday
• an in-year bonus scheme to recognise high performance
• career progression and coaching, including a training budget for personal development
• paid volunteering leave
• a focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
• job satisfaction from making government services easier to use and more inclusive for people across the UK
• advances on pay, including for travel season tickets
• death in service benefits
• cycle to work scheme and facilities
• access to children's holiday play schemes across different locations in central London
• access to an employee discounts scheme
• 10 learning days per year
• volunteering opportunities (5 special leave days per year)
• access to a suite of learning activities through Civil Service learning

GDS offers hybrid working for all employees. This means that everyone does some working from home and also spends some time in their local office. You’ll agree to your hybrid working arrangement with your line manager in line with your preferences and business needs.

Any move to Government Digital Service 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

Things you need to know

Selection process details

The standard selection process for roles at GDS consists of:

• a simple application screening process - We only ask for a CV and cover letter of up to 750 words. Important tip - please ensure that your cover letter includes how you meet the skills and experience listed in the “person specification” section above
• a interview which will include a short, pre-prepared presentation - We will assess you against the behaviours listed above, your experience and your technical skills

Depending on how many applications we get, there might also be an extra stage before the video interview, for example a phone interview or a technical exercise.

In the Civil Service, we use Success Profiles to evaluate your skills and ability. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, increases performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. We’ll be assessing your technical abilities, skills, experience and behaviours that are relevant to this role.

For this role we’ll be assessing you against the following Civil Service Behaviours: 

• Communicating and influencing
• Delivering at pace
• Making effective decisions
• Working together
• Leadership

We’ll also be assessing your experience and specialist technical skills against the following skills defined in the Digital, Data and Technology Profession Capability Framework for the Senior Performance Analyst role:

• Analysis and insight
• Communicating analysis and insight
• Performance measurement
• Technical understanding (performance analyst)
• Understanding analysis across the product life cycle
• User-centred analysis
• Verification and validation of data and analysis
• Working within constraints (performance analyst)

Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.

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

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status.

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.