Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location Coventry, West Midlands (England), CV1 2GN About the job Job summary Ofqual is the independent qualifications regulator for England. We currently regulate 200 awarding organisations, and approx. 11,600 certified qualifications. These include GCSEs, AS and A levels, and a broad range of vocational and technical qualifications. Regulating on behalf of students of all ages and apprentices is central to how we fulfil our statutory objectives. For more information about the work we do please visit our website and our Careers Pages https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofqual https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/ofqual-hub/ We are committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion throughout the organisation. We are proud of the action we are taking to support Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Wellbeing and welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds to support our ethos of creating a diverse culture that is reflective of both our employees and the learners we support. Ofqual is a rewarding, dynamic place to work. We offer employees the opportunity to develop within their role and progress through the organisation via a number of Learning and Development opportunities and activities. We are in the top ten Civil Service departments for staff engagement which focuses on motivation and commitment to organisational goals and values. Based on the 2022 annual people survey Ofqual are ranked 9th out of 104 participating departments. Job description About the team We are looking to recruit a Senior Research and Data Analyst to join our Data Analytics and Research team. The team works with a vision to consolidate and grow our statistics and data science capabilities. As a Senior Research and Data Analyst, you will work on key projects to strengthen our evidence-base in business as usual and work on innovative ways of analysing and disseminating data. Research, analysis and data are at the heart of Ofquals approach to intelligent, evidence-based regulation. Our team plays a pivotal role in the evaluation of educational assessments and qualifications. The work we do strengthens our regulatory decision-making, identifying ways to support our position as a credible authority by adopting innovative, critical approaches to research and business intelligence. Some recent examples of our work include: our student-level equalities analyses for GCSE, A level and VTQs the interactive visualisations found on our Ofqual Analytics site our annual qualifications market report What will the post holder be doing? In this role, there will be opportunities for building upon your data analytics, research and project management skills. You will work on publications and will collaborate with external organisations such as awarding organisations and other government departments. You will build data science applications as well as produce statistical and research outputs using tools such as R, and design and deliver data collections in line with our corporate objectives. We are looking for someone who has expert analytical ability and quantitative and data manipulation skills. It is essential that you have experience of designing, conducting and writing up research studies or statistical reports, as well as of using a range of statistical and data science methodologies. You should be happy to work independently or as part of a team, comfortable managing projects, prioritising multiple strands of work, and meeting challenging timescales. This role requires someone who is a strong communicator, comfortable with numbers as well as ideas, enjoys learning, and gives attention to quality and impact of their work. Person specification Please refer to the job description attached for a full list of essential criteria to support your application. Qualifications A degree (preferably a higher degree) in a subject with a significant quantitative/computing element Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Managing a Quality Service Working Together Delivering at Pace Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: Working with complex data Benefits Alongside your salary of £41,113, Ofqual (Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) contributes £11,910 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. As a Civil Servant, you will benefit from a leading, modern employment offer which includes flexible working arrangements that support people at different stages in their lives, and pensions among the best available in the UK, as well as generous annual leave entitlements. Other benefits you can enjoy include: Organisational performance related bonus Cycle-to-work scheme Regular professional development Health and wellbeing initiatives such as mini-medicals, flu vaccinations Employee assistance programme and occupational health Free eye tests and contribution towards lenses/spectacles for VDU users, if appropriate Family friendly policies Interest free season ticket loan Access to exclusive discounts A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity 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. Please note that we regret that we do not offer sponsorship opportunities at this time. You will be assessed on the Behaviours shown above at interview stage. When you press the Apply now button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the shortlisting panel), your career history and qualifications. You will then be asked to provide a personal statement evidencing how you meet the essential criteria shown on the job description attached to this advert. Once this job has closed, the job description will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your personal statement, how you meet these requirements as this will form a key part of your evidence when the panel is scoring your application, against the requirements of the role. Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift will be undertaken using the work history and personal statement against the lead essential criteria, which is experience of collecting, analysing and interpreting large data sets using computational statistical software tools such as R, Python, SAS. Ofqual has adopted anonymised recruitment. This means that your name, date of birth and other personal details will not be seen by the sift panel. Youll be asked to remove all personal details from your CV when you apply. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism is found, your application will be withdrawn from the process. The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. During the interview process, this vacancy will include a short presentation and/or task. You will be assessed on data wrangling, quality assurance and communication skills. We reserve the right to offer a second interview, if required. Please submit your application by 20 January 2025 at 23:55pm. Interview dates 10 and 11 February 2025 (subject to change). We often have similar roles available at different grades. If a candidate is suitable for a similar role or at a lower grade than they applied for, we may extend an offer without the need to go through a further selection process, providing the role has comparable behaviours and essential criteria. Ofqual works flexibly, with a hybrid office/home based working model. Employees will spend at least two to three days a week working from our office in Coventry. As Coventry will be your base location expenses for travel to the office will not be paid. Final panel interviews will be held online. Further details will be provided at 'Invite to interview' stage. One of our resourcing colleagues will be on hand to answer any queries you may have throughout the process. Please be aware that expenses incurred by candidates during the recruitment process will not be reimbursed. A reserve list may be held for up to 6 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitably similar vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview. Reasonable adjustments If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you require assistance or need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should tell us what changes or help you might need further in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if youre deaf, a Language Service Professional. You should contact us at recruitmentofqual.gov.uk to discuss your needs. 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. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). Apply and further information This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). 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 : Ofqual Recruitment Team Email : recruitmentofqual.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : recruitmentofqual.gov.uk Further information Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissions Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should first contact Ofqual by email: recruitmentofqual.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can then contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. Attachments JD Snr Research Data Analyst Jan 2025 Opens in new window (docx, 49kB) Share this page Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn GMail