Principal Analyst
12 month fixed term contract
Salary: £66,556 - £72,917
Generous Civil Service defined benefit pension
Location: Bristol
About us
The Office for Students (OfS) exists to ensure that English higher education offers the best experience and the best value - for students, for taxpayers, for the economy and for the public good. We have high ambitions and offer great opportunities to get involved in bringing that vision to life.
About the role
Our Data function is looking for a Principal Analyst who can lead a team of talented data analysts to challenge the status quo and support the Data Senior Leadership team to deliver change as we go through a data transformation. The role will be responsible for managing a sprint team of data analysts to generate insights and deliver activities that underpin the regulatory functions of the OfS. We need somebody who can understand our organisational and data vision, and work flexibly across new and existing activities to deliver the needs of the organisation as they evolve. We are looking for somebody who understands approaches in using data to support and improve decision making, and can communicate clearly between the technical and non-technical to manage effective relationships that achieve this in the projects and activities they are responsible for.
We are currently moving over to the Databricks platform from SAS, alongside a move to more agile ways of working and this role will be pivotal in helping to make this change successful. As we continue on this journey we want our Principal Analysts to maximise their team’s use of modern technologies and working practices, to ensure each data product we produce is created as efficiently as possible and helps us to deliver an effective regime.
The Data function is known for its deep care of the subject and we have an extremely intelligent and motivated team with a strong level of respect and collaboration. We’re looking for somebody who can balance these values with a fast pace and careful implementation of change.
About you
Applicants for this role will have experience in a similar role already - they will be hands on and used to leading a data team, working collaboratively with internal and external colleagues. The successful candidate will have the following skills:
Essential:
* A strong background in analytics ideally gained within multiple organisations, able to understand the value data can bring to organisations and to challenge the status quo.
* Ability to motivate and lead a technical team to work flexibly and collaboratively, including strong people development skills.
* An ongoing commitment to personal development and to the application of modern data ops and agile working practices.
* An awareness of the modern data stack, and of associated methodologies and developments.
* Experience of adopting a proportionate approach to the identification and mitigation of risk throughout the management and quality assurance of data activities.
* Strong communication skills, including their application for engaging internal and external audiences on analytical processes and data-driven insights.
* Ability to produce systems and process documentation, forward plans and written papers in an understandable format for non-specialists.
Desirable:
* Experience of working with SQL and Python
* Experience of Dashboarding tools such as Tableau and Power BI
* Experience of working with data in an education context
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.
At the OfS, we recognise that flexibility 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 or three 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 this role.
In addition, our Total Reward Framework offers a range of benefits to suit your way of life. These include comprehensive learning and development, annual leave starting at 25 days per year (plus public holidays), access to the highly regarded Civil Service pension scheme and a variety of health benefits.
Closing date for applications: Monday 17 February 2025 at 12 noon
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