About the job

Job summary

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

Strategic Change Projects

In Strategic Change Projects we work with senior leaders and the most important delivery programmes in the organisation to track and deliver Defra’s outcomes. You will have the opportunity to contribute towards and influence the development of new approaches and policies on a wide range of issues affecting millions of people in the UK. You will play an active role in shaping and delivering the Defra group’s priorities, working creatively and collaboratively with others. These roles will provide significant opportunities to develop your own skills and future career.

Encouraging diverse applicants

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

Blended Working

Defra operates a blended working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.

Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert, (current Defra Employees can remain at their current office) to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs.  There is flexibility to split the working week, spending minimum of 60% in the workplace, unless exceptional circumstances apply and/or you are a contractual home worker.

Job description

The strategic performance sits in the centre of Defra and plays a key role in establishing how the department assesses and makes effective decisions about its performance. The team collates that data and presents it to senior leaders and governance forums in engaging ways, drawing out insight that helps the department understand its performance and make effective decisions about its future direction.

The team also leads conversations with counterparts in Treasury and Cabinet Office to agree the right metrics that support the departments Outcome Delivery Plan.

The team have recently moved to form part of the department’s Outcome Programme. This programme will bring clarity to the Outcomes the department is seeking to achieve and the activities that it will undertake to get us there. It will also look to put in place tools, products, and ways of working that enable the department to be more data focused in assessing its delivery performance.

The Strategic Performance team will be at the heart of this work. It will need to help articulate the role and function of senior level performance conversations, identify the right range of data that will be needed to support those conversations (and other senior level decision making) and put in place mechanisms that will draw out insight in a suitable and structured way. It will also help develop digital systems that gather, collate, and present performance data in a more structured, accessible, and efficient way - reducing the commissioning burden, simplifying the approvals process, and harmonising the data used in different performance conversation. 

The Senior Strategic Performance Analyst role will be a new role within the team and look to use their analytical skills to help the department to:

• Refine how to monitor performance effectively by looking to improve data and metrics
• Work with others across the department to understand the most effective leading indicators and wider indicators beyond our Outcomes targets and obtain agreement to present them to key audiences including our senior leaders, Permanent Secretaries, our Executive Committee and cross government audiences including HM Treasury
• Support in determining the design and process to automate data collection and storage
• Implement effective automation processes and enable the reuse of data across the department
• Present insights in digital and insightful formats and improve data visualisation of our reporting
• Work with others across Outcomes Programme and policy teams to understand the needs of key audiences in what they require for effective performance monitoring from Senior Responsible Officers of our Outcomes to the Executive through creating curated interactive dashboards using the consolidated data we collect

This list isn’t exhaustive but provides an overview of the activities the role will carry out.

Person specification

Essential criteria

We are looking for a self-motivated, organised and proactive person who is enthusiastic about working alongside teams across Defra and with people from multiple professionals to support Defra in improving and embedding robust performance monitoring across Defra.

The role holder should have experience in:

• Performance Monitoring - Have experience in using a range of data sources to monitor performance and drive delivery of key goals and outcomes
• Data Analysis - A demonstrable strength in quantitative analysis, including on what conclusions can appropriately be drawn from the data
• Communication – Good verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain complex issues and analysis to non-specialists
• Data Engineering – Experience in building automated data pipelines and reports from multiple disparate sources, without creating a significant maintenance burden
• Data Visualisation – Experience in creating interactive dashboards to drive decision-making, and creating data visualisations that are tailored to the customer
• Project management – Able to bring structure and discipline to your work and be able to balance and prioritise across a range of work to ensure successful delivery of products on time
• Teamwork - You will be a team player and be willing to cover and support your teammates as the need arises

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,439, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £10,648 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 and Experience.

Application Process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement, and behaviour statements.

For the personal statement, in no more than 750 words set out how you meet the essential requirements of the role.

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

Sift

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

Sifting is likely to be occur w/c 8th January , with interviews likely to take place w/c 22nd January. These dates are indicative only.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on the above behaviours, and your experience against the role criteria.

A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed.

Interviews are expected to last no longer than 60 minutes.

Interviews to be held via video link.

Location

Please be aware that this role(s) will be contractually based in a Defra group workplace/office. 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.

Candidates applying for these roles will be based at one of the Defra hubs as advertised.  

For information, our core Defra hub locations are:

• York – the Kings Pool;
• Newcastle – Lancaster House;
• Bristol – Horizon House (Please note that space at this office is limited and it may not be possible for all Policy roles to be recruited to this location); 
• London – 2 Marsham Street

Internal (core Defra) employees can apply for this role and choose to remain in their current location or to be based in one of the advertised locations.

All other applicants will be based in one of the advertised locations. Our current office attendance approach requires 60% attendance in Defra group workplaces or off site meetings with partners and customers. This balance provides thriving workplaces to connect with colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs balanced with personal flexibility and choice. 

Travel and subsistence will not be paid for travel to a base office location.

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 maybe 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.

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.

This is a permanent role as an SEO in the Outcomes Programme Team.

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.