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Deputy Director, Advanced Analytics

Employer
Department for Transport
Location
Birmingham, West Midlands
Salary
£71,000
Closing date
17 Jan 2021

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Job Details

Location

Birmingham, Leeds, London

About the job 

This post leads the new Advanced Analytics Division. It sits in DFT's Analysis and Science Directorate.

This Division works in partnership with the Developing Data Unit – a team of data professionals (covering data wrangling, data standards, data policy, real time data visualisation and wider data coordination and leadership in the department). You will work closely with them on a number of projects.

The Advanced Analytics Division is a multifunctional team of operational researchers, statisticians and data scientists who harness advanced analytics techniques to drive evidenced based decision making in the DfT.

Complementing embedded analyst teams, this division specialises in Rapid Application Development utilising AGILE methodology, advanced modelling techniques such as Agent Based Modelling and Discrete Event Simulation and leveraging Data Science techniques such as machine learning .

Job description

You will be leading this division whilst we balance current delivery requirements with an aim to grow this capability within the department to undertake more advanced analytics work.

The unit will be able to go into a policy area, help them understand and define their business problems, sometimes using formal problem structuring or systems thinking techniques, then help them to translate these into clear requirements for analytics work – some of these requirements will be data engineering/wrangling, some of these will be cutting edge data science, some of this will be statistical analysis or modelling, and some will be research. Often there will be a mix of these requirements.

One role of the Deputy Director along with the management team will be to identify where we can add the most value, prioritise these potential projects by business impact and skill sets available and development needs (within the unit and potentially by drawing in resources from outside the division) to determine which are taken on.

Another aspect of the role will be to personally have the technical ability to play an impactful role in some of the projects.

The post-holder will be expected to talk confidently on a range of technical subjects to one audience, but also be able to present complex issues in layman’s terms to another audience (an example would be the development and application of an agent based model to workforce planning, where you need to work with a technical dev group, but then be able to present the results to ExCo).

A wider aspect of the role will be to work with the other analytical teams to support the continuous improvement of approaches to analytical work in the department thinking of new or not currently used techniques which may deliver better outcomes.

You will lead the unit on a project basis through virtual project teams, and on a line management basis through more standard teams.
 

Responsibilities

• Leadership of the advanced analytics unit - As the leader you will shape the culture and approach of the division and more widely of other analysts outside the unit, but recognising you have a cadre of very experienced leaders in the team who you will want to empower to lead this through themselves.

• Driving the use of analytics/data science in the Department - You will be responsible for challenging project work, driving innovation and keeping up with the pace of change in this rapidly developing area. You will be responsible for influencing senior stakeholders in the how and when to use these skills.

• Growing our data science networks – Building on the success of our DSiT platform to ensure we’re leveraging the latest technological advances and ensuring DfT is seen as a leader in Advanced Analytics and Data Science in Transport.

• Embedding problem structuring/soft OR/facilitation skills into DfT’s ways of working a growth area for the department, you will need to work out how to embed this skillset early into Department programmes and develop a core of expertise in this approach.

• Delivering expertise to the Department – Leveraging your technical expertise to shape Departmental analysis through sitting on the Model Governance Board and contributing to the wider Analytical community

• Influencing key stakeholders to increase the use of advanced analytics – You will need to identify key departmental priorities and influence stakeholders on the advantages of analytics, or moving to a more innovative approach.

• Developing advanced analytics capability - You will have a focus on developing the capability of the unit to have a wide range of relevant skills and experience, and use matrix management/virtual teams effectively to create a cohesive, supportive and high performing analytical unit. You will also need to plan, manage and allocate the team’s resources to respond to short term pressures, whilst also anticipating longer term priorities and the other priorities and calls on the team you will lead. You will need to influence the broader departmental capability development journey, leveraging accelerators and other.

Person Specification

As outlined above, we are looking for an analytics leader, with strong technical skills, the ability to lead through a new way of working and continue to develop the technical skills of the division and wider Department.

Professional expertise -
Applicants should be first rate analysts, with:

• Membership of the operational research or data science professions, with expertise spanning operational research, modelling and data science.
• Experience of analytical quality assurance in Government and governance of model development.
• Experience of problem structuring and systems thinking skills.
• Experience of rapid application development

Skills and Experience:

• Ability to see the bigger picture, and direct your analytical expertise to achieve impact.
• Inspiring, confident and empowering leadership of multifunctional analytical teams, and of leading culture change within the team.
• Excellent track record of managing and developing staff, inspiring them and building their technical and wider capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels and to build effective relationships and networks across organisational boundaries.

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits.

This includes:
- a generous annual leave entitlement,
- attractive pension options,
- flexible working,
- good career development opportunities,
- a variety of career paths,
- inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.

Things you need to know

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection process details

We are closely monitoring the situation regarding the coronavirus, and will be following central Government advice as it is issued. There is therefore a risk that recruitment to this post may be subject to change at short notice. In addition, where appropriate, you may be invited to attend a video interview.

Please continue to follow the application process as normal and ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

To apply for any of these posts, you will need to complete the online application form no later than Sunday 17th January (23:55) 2021.

The application will include:
1. A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
2. A Statement of Suitability (no longer than 1200 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for these roles, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification. Within this section please state which role(s) you would wish to be considered for.

Failure to complete both sections of the form (CV and Statement of Suitability) will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application

We hope to notify candidates of the results of shortlisting by no later than Monday 1st February 2021. Please note that we are unable to provide feedback to those candidates who are not shortlisted for interview.

Written feedback will be made available (on request) to those candidates who attend interview.

Should you encounter any issues with your online application please get in touch with us on: [email protected]

If you do not receive acknowledgement of your application within 48 hours, please contact Trish Marshall on [email protected]

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

Further Information

To learn more about applying for a role within the Department for Transport, visit the Application Process page of our Careers website.

Before submitting your application, we encourage you to visit our Things You Need to Know page for further information about applying for a role within the Department for Transport and the Civil Service.

Throughout this job advert there are links to the DfT Careers website, which provides you further information to support your application. Should you be unable to access the information on our website, please email [email protected] for assistance.

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

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

  • UK nationals
  • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • nationals of Commonwealth countries
  • nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with (or eligible for) status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
  • relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
  • certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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.

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.

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants Job contact : Name :   Jennifer Hemingway Email :   [email protected]   Recruitment team : Email :   [email protected] Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: [email protected] If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

Company

Transport matters – what we do matters.

Transport touches the lives of everyone in the country. Across road, rail, air, sea and space, our transport networks affect homes, businesses, schools, hospitals and more. It’s how we deliver goods to our shops, get people to work and reunite with our loved ones. Our staff know how important their work is and how they fit in.

 

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