About the job

Job summary

Are you ready to become the data expert for a team that’s at the forefront of shaping the future of energy markets? If you’re passionate about data science and analytics, and you’re looking for a role where your work will have a real impact, then keep reading! 

The Wholesale Market Intelligence and Data team is on a mission to illuminate the complexities of the gas and electricity markets. By managing and analysing a vast array of data, from the openly accessible to the highly confidential, we provide critical insights that drive policy and enforcement in the energy sector. 

As our new data expert, you’ll wield your experience, extracting valuable insights from diverse datasets. You won’t be working alone; you’ll join forces with subject matter experts, and together, you’ll conjure up analytical tools that empower our colleagues to conduct thorough investigations and stay abreast of market trends. 

You’ll also play a pivotal role in enhancing our surveillance capabilities, using your analytical prowess to detect and investigate any signs of manipulation in the wholesale energy market. 

Imagine a day in your life with us: You’re refining data pipelines, making them smarter and more efficient. You’re diving deep into datasets, unearthing insights that were once buried treasures. You’re visualising data in ways that tell compelling stories, stories that inform decisions and shape strategies. 

And when it comes to innovation, you’re the pioneer, discovering patterns and connections that not only support Ofgem’s enforcement efforts but also align with our strategic goals. Your collaborative spirit means you’re not just a team player; you’re a team builder, enhancing the data skills of your colleagues and mentoring the next generation of data wizards. 

What does it take to join us? A rich history of working in data science or advanced analytics, a toolkit filled with SQL, Python, and Power BI expertise, and a knack for creative, independent thinking. You’re the kind of person who thrives on tight deadlines and juggling multiple projects, all while collaborating with a diverse group of professionals. 

If this sounds like the adventure you’ve been waiting for, we want to hear from you. Let’s harness the power of data together and keep the energy market fair, competitive, and transparent. Apply now and take the first step towards a career that’s not just a job, but a journey into the heart of the energy industry.

Job description

The Wholesale Market Intelligence and Data team provides insights on wholesale gas and electricity markets developments by effectively managing and analysing a wide range of large data sources, from publicly available energy system data to sensitive confidential wholesale market transactions. These insights are used to support a range of policy and enforcement areas both internally and externally. 

In this role you will be our data expert, making use of your experience in data science and analytics to extract insights from the variety of data sets that we use. You will collaborate with subject matter experts and use your own initiative to build new analytical tools that will enable colleagues to build evidence for investigations and create briefings on market developments. This will include a focus on building out our proactive surveillance capabilities to detect and investigate signs of manipulation in the wholesale energy market. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Provide expertise across full spectrum of data analytics including creating new data pipelines, improving processes for existing datasets, carrying out exploratory and deeper analysis to generate insights and producing data visualisations. 
• Apply data science techniques to extend the team’s proactive surveillance of wholesale markets datasets for signs of market abuse. 
• Lead improvement of existing tools and processes for validating, processing and analysing data. 
• Innovate to discover patterns and insights that benefit Ofgem’s enforcement and strategic priorities, including by exploring relationships between data sources. 
• Collaborate with others to help capacity within the team, supporting others to improve their data skills. 

Key Outputs and Deliverables 

• Lead on the refinement and extension of the team’s surveillance alerts and associated investigatory tools. 
• Lead on the improvement of existing data pipelines to increase automation, reduce data quality issues, and ensure the data is held in a way that supports the team’s analysis. 
• Be responsible for the creation of a new data pipeline to capture a further source of wholesale transaction data. 
• Co-operate and mentor more junior colleagues to improve their skills when working with wholesale markets data. 
• Support the development of a high-performing team based on effective resource management, ongoing support and professional development. 
• Provide expert guidance to help team members deliver, by building supportive, inclusive team environment based on trust-based relationships, transparency and inclusivity. 
• Takes ownership for own continued expert development and other team members’ professional development relating to the role by: 

• Identifying your own continued professional development. 
• Providing ongoing coaching and identification of development opportunities.  
• Provide advice and support for colleagues who are pursuing professional qualifications.  

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Extensive experience working in a data science or advanced data analytics role, including the management and analysis of large datasets that can be demonstrated by proven record of high performance and substantial achievements in past positions. (Lead criteria) 
• Excellent knowledge of SQL, Python and Power BI. (Lead criteria) 
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative, think creatively and work independently.  
• Experience of helping more junior colleagues develop their data skills. 
• Ability to meet challenging deadlines and managing multiple priorities. 
• Experience working collaboratively with diverse colleagues. 

Desirable Criteria

• Knowledge of the wholesale gas and electricity markets in Great Britain. 
• Experience of working with trading data. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,520, OFGEM contributes £15,800 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.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel), your career history and qualifications.  

You will then be asked to provide a 1250 word ‘personal statement’ evidencing how you meet the essential and desirable skills and capabilities listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your supporting statement, how you meet each of the essential and desirable skills and capabilities. 

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expect all candidates to abide by these principles. Ofgem take any incidences of cheating very seriously. Please ensure all examples provided are of your own experience. Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant applications will be withdrawn from the process. 

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.