Senior Analyst – Analytics And Data Science

Senior Analyst - Analytics and Data Science

Fixed Term, 12 month contract

Full Time, 37 hours per week

Up to £46,054 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Anywhere worker

Closing Date: 24th January 2024

Overview:

The Data & Analytics team at Essex County Council have been on a mission to embed best practice Analytics and Data Science across the local public sector. We have ambitions to be the very best public sector analytics function, implementing excellence across the entire cycle of a data project. From engaging with stakeholders to connect business problems to data driven solutions, to applying appropriate and robust analytical methodologies that influence decision making and result in demonstrable positive impact to our residents, our services, and our county.

Job Purpose:

This is an exciting opportunity to help us achieve our aspirations. As a Senior Analyst in the team you will be responsible for shaping and delivering work that helps to improve our services and the outcomes for the people of the county.

We are looking for our candidates to be motivated by improving public services, with experience and interest in applied analytics for accomplishing improved outcomes. Candidates must possess an inherent understanding of data, from best practice data management to a knowledge of statistics and analytical methodologies and how they can be applied effectively.

Our candidates will be able to demonstrate how they have delivered impactful analysis across the cycle of a data project. This includes: understanding the business problems of a customer; working with customers to deliver insightful work using data and analytics; and influencing decision making, strategy, and operations with engaging outputs.

Our successful candidate will be expected to develop a deep understanding of our service priorities, and use their keen problem solving skills to proactively seek opportunities to support the organisations visions.

Accountabilities:

Customer Engagement

• Responsible for engaging with our services, spotting opportunities where data and analysis can influence future strategy and supports delivery against our organisational outcomes.
• Understanding customers’ business priorities and formulates insightful, proactive, analysis and evidence-based recommendations that helps to achieve their strategic priorities within functional business plans.

Managing Projects & Supporting Analysts

• Working with customers to effectively scope analytical projects, helps create realistic project plans, and facilitates the satisfactory delivery of project milestones
• Overseeing our analytical projects, supporting junior team members to effectively apply their skillsets in a public sector environment.
• Supporting the development of a continuous improvement and learning culture, coaching, and assisting other team members development.

Enhancing Organisational Literacy

• Helping to enhance data literacy and understanding of analytics across all services.
• Demonstrating the value that data and analytics can bring in supporting the success of functional plans.
• Communicating complex analytical outputs in engaging and clear ways ensuring customers possess a foundational understanding of the team’s work and unique skillsets.

Delivering Best Practice Analytics

• Responsible for providing the Council with the latest intelligence to manage risk and target resources effectively, reduce avoidable demand and influence behaviour change to improve outcomes for the local population.
• Knowledgeable on range of analytics, statistics, and Data Science methodologies, can find suitable applications, and can interpret outputs clearly and accurately.
• Checking and challenging the teams analytical work so that we produce high quality outputs that customers can take confident action from.

Data Management

• Supporting the continued goal of ‘making data accessible’, both through identifying the data needs of internal customers and team members.
• Promoting the need for robust and reliable data and ensuring the team’s outputs and the data used are credible and trustworthy.
• Ensuring data projects are utilising best practice principles that promote the efficient and effective use of data.This includes ensuring projects are replicable, scalable, and transferable.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience: Digital, Data and Technology Professional Competencies Framework

• Analytical and problem-solving skills. You understand and can help teams apply a range of methods to analyse research data and synthesise findings. You know how to engage sceptical colleagues in analysis and synthesis. You can advise on the choice and application of techniques, and can critique colleagues’ findings to assure best practice.
• Communication skills. You know how to listen to the needs of the technical and business stakeholders and explain them to each other. You can manage stakeholders’ expectations . You are flexible and capable of proactive and reactive communication. You know how to facilitate difficult discussions within your team or with diverse senior stakeholders.
• Data management. You understand Data governance and how it works in relation to other organisational governance structures. You can participate in or deliver the assurance of a service.
• Data modelling, data cleansing, and Data enrichment skills. You can produce data models and understand where to use different types of data models. You understand different tools and can compare between different data models. You can reverse-engineer a data model from a live system. You understand industry-recognised data-modelling patterns and standards.
• Data visualisation.You know how to use the most appropriate medium to visualise data to tell compelling and actionable stories relevant for business goals. You can present, communicate and disseminate data appropriately and with high impact.
• Logical and creative thinking skills. You can ensure that the most appropriate actions are taken to resolve problems as they occur. You can coordinate teams to resolve problems and implement solutions and preventative measures.
• Project management skills. You know how to share knowledge and experience of project management methodologies with others, including tools and techniques. You can define those most appropriate for the environment.
• Quality assurance, validation and Data linkage abilities. You can set up a system to get data ready for use and specify how data should be cleansed and prepared. You can bring data together from different sources and communicate the limitations of data. You know how to peer-review colleagues’ outputs to ensure quality.
• Statistical methods and Data analysis skills. You understand and can apply a range of practices. You can develop deeper expertise in a narrower range of specialisms. You can start to apply emerging theory to practical situations.

Qualification to degree level or with equivalent experience

To read more about us please visit https://www.workingforessex.com/role/chief-executives-office

Why Essex? Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us here.

As part of employment with Essex County Council should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please visit: https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. For more information please use the following link: https://www.workingforessex.com/working-here/pay-reward/ Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people, as diversity is key to our success. If you’d like to find out more about our latest opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news click here to join our talent pool . If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk.

Follow us on Facebook ,Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn . Further details can be found on our careers page .