About the job

Summary

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education is working to transform the skills landscape by improving access to high quality apprenticeships and technical education. You will be part of an organisation that works to help people of all ages and backgrounds have the opportunity to maximise their potential, contribute to improving social mobility and the UK’s productivity.

We aim to create a great place to work by offering:

• An environment with flexible working options

• Learning and development tailored to your role

• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

• An employer pension contribution of up to 27%

• A generous annual leave allowance up to 30 days after 5 years of service

• A wide variety of staff support networks including access to a Wellbeing Network, BAME Network, and a Diversity and Inclusion Network.

We are committed to expanding on our diverse workforce and would welcome applications from underrepresented groups and professionals with a range of backgrounds.

The Institute has three core priorities:

• Delivering for employers

• Building a more integrated skills system

• Securing continuous improvement

You can find out more in our strategic plan on the Institute website.

Policy Analysis is part of the Digital and Analytical Services division. The team has a range of specialisms including data science, operational research, statistics and social research.

You can find out more about the team in the job attachments.

Job description

This role is for a Data Analyst within the Policy Analysis team. This team sits in the Digital and Analytical Services division at The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute).

This role suits somebody who enjoys the full analytical process. This includes defining research questions based on business needs, getting access to data, analysing data and communicating findings.

You will need to be happy to use different analytical approaches based on the needs of projects, including social research and operational research. This is an exciting opportunity if you want to work at the interface between data, strategy, and policy.

Responsibilities

• Work with colleagues across teams to understand how data could improve processes and policies. This could include defining research questions or mapping out where data is already available.

• Suggest and trial ideas for how to meet the changing evidence needs of the Institute, including using new datasets or analytical techniques.

• Plan or lead analytical projects and offer support for wider Institute projects.

• Use analytical skills to understand complex environments and systems, where answers may not be clear cut.

• Support colleagues across the Institute and wider government to better understand the findings of research. This could be verbally through presentations or using written reports.

• Engage with analytical colleagues across government to understand existing work and summarise for internal use.

• Contribute to the learning culture within the division and across the wider analytical community. This includes attending division learning sessions and supporting others to develop their skills.

• Advising on data collection methods.

Essential criteria:

1. Experience of a range of analytical techniques and their application in a policy or operational context.

2. Experience of working with colleagues to understand their requirements and translate broad projects aims into researchable questions.

3. Experience of bringing together data from different sources to inform decision making.

4. Strong verbal and written communication skills, including presenting analysis to non-analysts.

5. Ability to plan and lead projects, ensuring business needs are met in a timely manner.

6. High standards of analytical quality, especially when handling personal or other sensitive data.

7. Experience of working in Python, R or similar coding languages.

8. Knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of different types of data collection and research.

Desirable criteria:

1. Keen to learn and use new analytical techniques

2. Experience of collaborative code development including version control and documentation.

Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie between candidates.

Working flexibly is important to the success of the Institute, and while you will have specific responsibilities as set out above, you will be part of a ‘one team’ approach and may be asked to be involved in a range of other activities. As new areas of work progress, you may be asked to move between teams to deliver the Institute’s key priorities.

Badged analyst status – this role is open to both badged GORS/GSS/GES/GSR analysts and non-badged applicants.

For badged analysts only, please state your profession and the grade of your analytical badging, else say “not applicable”.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing