Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location Bridgwater, Bristol, Cambridge, Carlisle, Crewe, Exeter, Leeds, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Reading, Worcester, Workington, York About the job Job summary Looking to lead a dynamic team while leveraging your SQL and Power Query skills? We have the perfect opportunity for you" This is a brilliant time to join Rural Payments Agency (RPA) our organisation is growing and were at the heart of delivering the Governments agricultural transition and making a genuine difference to the health of our environment and rural economy. We continue to make year on year improvements in performance as we become a data and intelligence-led organisation, embedding our vision of customer excellence at every level and growing our reputation to make a difference every day. Our Data, Insight & Outcomes Business Area is a multidisciplinary team including Geospatial Analysts, Data Engineers and Architects, Data and Intelligence Analysts and a national Field Team. Together, were in a unique position to use our specialist skills to work with the agricultural community to deliver big, impactful change, supporting high level environmental and animal welfare outcomes and the move towards net zero. This is an exciting time to join our team as we grow and develop our ability to continuously analyse nationwide agricultural activity and provide agile, directed data and evidence-driven support to the farming community. We have clear values that we are embedding at every level in our organisation improving engagement and innovating to be a more inclusive, supportive, and engaging employer. Our people own our values and bring them to life in everything we do recent new starters have talked glowingly about how supportive and caring their new colleagues are. We are proud of this culture; how open and approachable we are and our commitment to individual development, investing in the skills of our people and creating an environment in which everyone can flourish. We hope this appeals to you. Further information can be found on the Rural Payments Agency website www.rpa.gov.uk. Job description The successful candidate will have experience of working with multiple data sources and possess the ability to deliver quality analysis and reporting to tight deadlines, focusing on what matters most to inform decision making. The role will sit within our Data and Analysis team, working closely with colleagues throughout Operational Delivery and Engagement & Business Readiness. It will involve: Continual development and maintenance of our data production service of Power Query based toolkits and feeds for MI. Ensuring the service is efficient, robust and constantly looking to improve and enhance it, including working with Power Automate and Dataflows. Help transition legacy-based MS access data production tools into Power query. Maintain a range of tools which take non-structured data to create a standard source, which can be used to support both operational processing and MI delivery across all RPA Lines of Business. Exploring and exploiting the data available within the agency, utilising this to provide MI and validate underpinning planning assumptions. Supporting the delivery of our strategic aim to be RPA single source of the truth on the agencys performance against our commitments. Working closely with colleagues in Operational Delivery and key stakeholders, to ensure solutions are fit for purpose. Responsibilities Provide a cohesive data and MI suite, consistently delivered accurately and on time, in line with demanding SLAs. Assess customers requirements, plan the development and delivery of solutions, ensuring these are delivered accurately, to deadline. Enable efficient, effective and timely decision making, by building an understanding of our data sources, and choosing the most appropriate data and tool for each purpose. Manage the teams development work programme, ensuring outputs are delivered to deadline and of good quality. Help steer the direction of data within RPA, feeding into the Data Strategy. Unit test products to ensure the data produced is of high quality and meets requirements. Setting the teams overall quality processes and documentation. Work with customers to ensure that their requirements are fully understood, and outputs meet their needs, utilising prototyping where appropriate. Work closely with data suppliers to gain access to data in the most suitable form for RPA. Person specification This is a good opportunity to join a fast paced and developing data engineering team. We would encourage applicants from a range of, Operational, IT & analytical backgrounds. You will be a proactive individual, with a can-do approach, used to working at pace, and taking responsibility for their work. You will adapt well when circumstances or priorities change and operate as a good team player. You will have experience of working with multiple data sources and possess the ability to deliver quality analysis and reporting to tight deadlines, focusing on what matters most to inform decision making. Essential Skills and Experience Criteria Technical Skills: Experience in collating, combining and handling large datasets. Experience in a programming language (i.e. SQL) and/or use of Power Query. Able to summarise and interpret information accurately, making use of different tools and data sources to produce data sets using clear and simple terms particularly for non-analytical colleagues. Additional Experience: Working knowledge of Power Automate and working with Dataflows. Be able to use strong communication and collaboration skills, working within and across teams, and have the confidence to engage clearly with team members and managers. Experience in Agricultural Schemes, with knowledge of these scheme processes or similar. Lead a small team in delivering and developing this service, ensuring direction of travel is clear, and the team consistently strive for improvement and innovation. Strong problem-solving skills, including root cause analysis and resolution. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Changing and Improving Delivering at Pace Managing a Quality Service We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form: Changing and Improving Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: Experience in collating, combining and handling large datasets. Experience in a programming language (i.e. SQL) and/or use of Power Query Able to summarise and interpret information accurately, making use of different tools and data sources to produce data sets using clear and simple terms particularly for non-analytical colleagues. Benefits Alongside your salary of £41,220, Rural Payments Agency contributes £11,941 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. Learning and development tailored to your role An environment with flexible working options A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills. Application Process As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a 750-word Personal Statement, detailing evidence of how you meet the essential criteria as noted in the person specification section of the job advert and one 250-word statement demonstrating the behaviour 'Changing and Improving'. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. Sift Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview. The sift will take place from 30th January 2025. Interview If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on the Behaviours: 'Changing and Improving', 'Managing a Quality Service' and 'Delivering at Pace'. You will also be assessed on Technical skills and Strength based questions. As part of your interview you will be asked to complete a n analytical exercise, with follow up questions. This will assess the Technical Expertise outlined in the Essential Criteria. Candidates successful at sift will be provided further details prior to interview. Your interview will be conducted via MS Teams. It is anticipated interviews will commence from 13th February 2025. Contract Current Civil Servants (all contract types) will need to ensure that they are still employed as a civil servant at the point of starting in the relevant new post. If their contract ends (e.g. end of FTA contract or resignation) at any point during the recruitment/onboarding process for the advertised role, they will no longer be eligible and may be withdrawn. Location As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s). Where the location is National the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra Group location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes. Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes. The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations. Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time. Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD. Reserve List A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Merit Lists Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application. Near Miss Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in RPA which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match. Salary Existing Civil Servants moving on level transfer will retain their current salary or move onto the pay range minimum, whichever is the higher. Staff moving on promotion will have their pay increased by 10% or move onto the pay range minimum, whichever is the higher. As a general rule allowances and supplements will not be recognised. Reasonable Adjustment 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 need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. Complete the Assistance required section in the Additional requirements page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if youre deaf, a Language Service Professional. Accessibility If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section. Criminal Record Check If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check may be carried out. In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. Childcare Vouchers Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk 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 : Resourcing Delivery Team Email : HRResourcingSupportdefra.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : DefraRecruitment.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk 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: defrarecruitment.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk Attachments RPA Candidate Pack - Senior Data Developer Opens in new window (pdf, 1144kB) Share this page Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn GMail