About the role
Cambridgeshire County Council’s Policy & Insight Team provides data, analysis insight and policy expertise to support the operational management and strategic planning of services.
The demand for our services has never been greater! With budgets of millions of pounds that impact on thousands of vulnerable people every year, services rely upon the analysis, information and advice provided by our team to make informed decisions – so you’ll really have a chance to make a difference.
We are looking to recruit up to 2 Senior Analysts to lead projects that involve supervising analysts, providing data, analysis and insight to the wider County Council and partners. The roles are offered on a full-time basis, and part time applicants would be considered.
The Policy & Insights Team work across a variety of subject areas, supporting Cambridgeshire County Council and partners in the wider public sector to make well evidenced decisions. The roles will predominantly focus on supporting partners with economic and skills data and cross-cutting community safety analysis; and drawing insights from the council’s human resources data. But there will be opportunities to work across a number of thematic areas. It would be beneficial to have experience in one of these subject areas but subject matter training can be provided so this is not essential.
The successful applicant can expect to develop their knowledge and expertise further and complete complex analysis using Excel, Power BI, GIS software and other data manipulation tools. This could include the opportunity to complete a level 4 Data Analyst Apprenticeship.
The Policy and Insight Team are a hybrid working team - i.e. employees split their working time between home and a County Council office – our team’s main office is in Papworth Everard. Successful candidates should expect to work from an office at least 1 day per week – this could be in any of our Cambridgeshire County Council offices and can be combined with our monthly team meeting that takes place in Papworth Everard.
Whilst the majority of our IT support can be delivered remotely, our IT team are based at New Shire Hall in Alconbury and individuals are expected to be able to attend in person when required.
Please be aware that due to the nature of the data we handle, this role will require a basic DBS check.
For further information about the role, please see the attached job description.
If you have any questions or would like to arrange an informal chat, please contact Hannah Parkinson (hannah.parkinson@cambridgeshire.gov.uk) or Leigh Roberts (leigh.roberts@cambridgeshire.gov.uk)
Please note: The application period for this role closes on Monday 26th February 2024. We expect interviews to take place on the week commencing 4th March 2024.
Your application will be shortlisted against the essential and desirable criteria in the attached job description and person specification. Please ensure that you read this document carefully and provide us with a personal statement that demonstrates your skills experience and attitude.
Whilst Cambridgeshire County Council’s Recruitment Hub will ask you to outline your employment history; the personal statement is the primary evidence that we will use in determining whether to invite a candidate to interview. Attached to this advert is some guidance around the expectations for this statement.
What will you be doing?
As a Senior Insight Analyst, you will lead a small team of Analysts to support with the provision of data, insight and analysis. You will work collaboratively with colleagues across the Council and with partners (for example the combined authority, Cambridgeshire districts) to ensure delivery of a range of data and research projects.
Your role will include:
- Drive the use of research based evidence and explore innovative ways of extracting and visualising data and information to support services to make informed decisions
- Unlock and analyse data to support the Council and our partners
- Lead projects to provide robust, timely and accurate analysis
- Regularly review the research programme and respond effectively as the needs of the Council and its partners develop
- Visualise data to help non-data users to understand key insights
- Leading on the provision of insight reports and benchmarking information.
- Developing in-depth knowledge of the services you support, their policies and practice as well as the underlying Management Information systems that they use
- Work with partners to plan and prioritise work, manage the workload of analysts and junior analysts.
- Presenting analysis, insights and findings to a variety of stakeholders
Please see the attached 'Day in the life of the Policy & Insight Team' document which outlines what a day working in the P&I team might look like.
About you
Can you help data make a difference?
Are you ambitious, innovative, good with data and passionate with an enthusiasm for supporting evidence led decision making. If so, we may have the role you’ve been searching for!
We are looking for an individual with strong technical skills, who has a sound understanding of a range of data sources and is able to practically apply those skills to embed new data solutions. You will have experience of leading projects and supporting others, as well as excellent organisational skills.
Good communication skills, both oral and written, are essential for this role, as the post holder will be required to present complex and sometimes technical information in appropriate forms for a wide range of internal and external audiences.
You will have relevant previous experience in a similar field and a relevant bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) as a minimum. High level of competence with specialist data analytical software are also desirable. The successful applicant will be well supported to further develop their subject knowledge and technical skillset.
Our benefits
We value our colleagues in Cambridgeshire County Council and have developed a number of benefits:
- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rated if part-time)
- Flexible working hours
- Flexible Bank Holidays
- Hybrid working - working from home, our main office in Papworth and occasionally other Council and partner office locations.
- Opportunities for learning and development including an optional level 4+ data analyst apprenticeship scheme.
- A comprehensive wellbeing package
- Our Cambs Rewards employee discounts
- Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
- IDEAL staff equality, diversity and inclusion network.
- An employee recognition scheme
About us
Cambridgeshire is a great place to work and live with a diverse population, an urban centre in Cambridge, historic Isle of Ely, Huntingdon and St Ives as well as more rural landscapes.
Our four values are central to our culture, driving everything we do.
We are proud to serve the diverse communities of Cambridgeshire and want our workforce to be reflective of this diversity, which we firmly believe benefits our colleagues, the organisation and our communities. If you don’t meet every single requirement in the job role but think this could be you, please don’t be put off. We are committed to building a workplace that is compassionate and inclusive as well as diverse, so if you think you could be a good candidate for this role please consider applying and speak to the recruiting manager if you have any questions.
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, along with our employee network 'IDEAL' and self-organised peer support groups help us to foster an inclusive, supportive and safe working environment where people feel valued, respected, and empowered. We collect relevant diversity data for monitoring as part of the recruitment process to understand the diversity of our applicants and monitor any trends throughout the recruitment processes so that we can take meaningful action.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. We fully support providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process, as well as when you join us, and we encourage candidates to contact the Hiring Manager, whose details can be found in the advert, to discuss any adjustment needs. Some examples of adjustments could include additional time to complete an assessment or printing a document on pastel coloured paper with larger font size and line spacing. We would value talking about what might be possible to enable you to join us and thrive, so if there is something that would help you to do your best during your journey with us, please get in touch.
Visit our jobs and careers section to find out more about our wide range of learning and development opportunities; apprenticeships; our wellbeing package; staff benefits; our commitment to equality, diversity and Inclusion.