Senior Analyst - 12 month fixed term contract
Institute of Regulation Job Board Posting
Office For Students
Job title: Senior Analyst (12 month fixed term contract)
Salary amount: £51,846 – £56,662
Contract type: Fixed contract
Location of position: Bristol South West
Application deadline: 9 June 2024
Plus generous Civil Service defined benefit pension
About us
The OfS is the independent regulator of higher education in England. We aim to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers. We want to be driven by evidence, so data and analysis will inform our effective, efficient and intelligent regulation in the student interest. We also care about supporting and developing our staff, working together to achieve more than each of us can do alone.
We’re proud of our people, our culture and the benefits we offer. At the OfS we want to create a welcoming and engaging working environment which is free from discrimination.
Our Data, Foresight and Analysis directorate (DFA) is currently seeking a senior analyst to join our supportive, enthusiastic, and high performing teams, where you will be part of a community of around 60 analysts.
We’re looking for skilled, committed people who care about students and their experience of higher education. Join us and you’ll be part of an energetic, forward-looking organisation with high ambitions and big opportunities for our people
About the role
Senior analysts support analytical operations within the Data, Foresight and Analysis (DFA) directorate, which provides a range of data collection, analysis and research activities that underpin the regulatory functions of the OfS. A significant part of each role will involve analytical programming.
As a senior analyst you will lead projects and activities across their full lifecycle, including managing project planning, implementation, quality assurance, process optimisation. You will also have line and/or activity management responsibility for team members.
To find out more about some of the work that senior analysts in DFA do to support the aims of the OfS, visit our website Data and analysis - Office for Students. https://ofs.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/External_Career_Site/job/Bristol/Senior-Analyst_R0001003
When appointed, the postholder will be given an initial activity assignment and will work in one or more home teams within the directorate. This is where you will undertake most of your work in the first instance. The OfS is committed to working flexibly and over time we may move people to work on different assignments or in different teams, in order to: develop an individual’s skills and experience, improve communications across teams, and to ensure that as the OfS’s priorities change, resources are allocated appropriately. Movement to different assignments will take account of an individual’s competencies, knowledge and preferences, as well as the needs of the organisation.
About you:
We are looking for candidates who have the ability to gain insight from large and complex data, and to develop and present clear and concise conclusions.
The key person attributes to fulfil these roles are:
Logical thinking and strong numerical skills, and experience of running complicated analytical processes from beginning to end (including process design, data analysis, reporting, manipulation and collection).
Ability to use a variety of technologies and analytical programming languages.
Experience of managing the work of others within a team and providing support and guidance to others.
Attention to detail, including for the purposes of identifying and mitigating risk, and experience of quality assuring work.
Ability to develop an in-depth understanding of the data available and the wider social, technological or regulatory contexts that may influence a project, including the ability to engage with policy issues and propose how data could be used to support them.
Ability to communicate complex analysis to internal and external technical and non-technical audiences, including the ability to present and visualise data in a meaningful way.
Willingness to work flexibly as the needs of the organisation evolve.
Application process
The OfS currently uses a set of ‘enablers’ to evaluate candidate strengths. This is your opportunity to expand on what you have achieved in your career by describing what you’ve done and how you’ve done it. It is here you should use detailed examples to explain how you meet all the requirements of the job description.
We are looking for how you made your own contribution to a scenario, why you made that contribution and what was the outcome. Assertions without evidence will, in contrast, make it difficult to evaluate your skills and how you apply them.
The enablers for this role are:
Qualifications:
A degree in a numerate discipline, significant experience in an analytical role or other substantial relevant experience or qualifications – you may draw on evidence from any of these to demonstrate your strengths.
Knowledge and Learning:
Significant experience of analytical programming, in an analytical setting – please include in your application the programming language(s) with which you have experience. We currently use a range of programming technologies including SAS, SQL and Tableau. Knowledge of Python, PySpark, R, Databricks, Azure Synapse, Power BI is highly desirable as we will be extending our use of these tools and technologies over the coming year, although we would be interested to hear about any programming experience you have.
Significant experience of data analysis and presentation, including that which has informed or influenced policy considerations
Knowledge of new and existing analytical and/or statistical techniques, approaches and technologies, and a proven desire to apply these to driveimprovements.
Experience of designing and running analytical processes from beginning to end
Able to use data to understand the broader context (organisational, social, and political) in which it is used, and to make recommendations on this basis
Planning
Understanding the OfS priorities:
Experience of managing projects and processes operating to tight timescales
Experience of project planning, identification and mitigation of risk, quality assurance and process optimisation
Able to work flexibly and manage your own time, and that of others, across a range of tasks.
Communications:
Able to present data, verbally and through tables and visuals, taking into account the needs of the audience.
Able to communicate complex algorithms, methodologies and analytical evidence in a way that is accessible and understood by non-experts
Able to articulate reasoning in a clear and persuasive manner to a range of stakeholders.
Relationships:
Able to work as part of a flexible team
Experience of managing the work of less experienced team members
Able to form inclusive, effective and influential relations with others, including those who are not data experts.
Working for us:
The OfS regulates the higher education sector on behalf of all students. We value diversity and the wealth of perspectives, experience and ideas that it brings to our work, and we strive to embed equality of opportunity in everything we do.
We recruit based on fair and open competition and welcome applications from candidates regardless of age, disability, race and ethnicity, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and socio-economic background.
Working arrangements:
Flexibility is important to the OfS, as we recognise that it can enable people to work more effectively. A set of organisation-wide principles shape our approach to flexible and hybrid working, which our teams then use as guidance on how they deliver their business goals. This would usually mean working from the office for two days in a typical week.
To attract the widest possible field of qualified applicants, flexible working, for example job share and part-time working, apply to these roles.
Closing date for applications: 9 June 2024
How to apply:
https://ofs.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/External_Career_Site/job/Bristol/Senior-Analyst_R0001003