National Lead for Statistics - 29667

Job Description

The Environment Agency are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve, so welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds. We also welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share.

Are you working in statistics and interested in leading how the Environment Agency gathers and analyses numerical data to help shape environmental decisions? If so, this could be the opportunity for you!

We are the Environment Agency. We protect and improve the environment. We work with government, local councils, businesses, civil society groups and communities to make our environment a better place for people and wildlife. Data and information underpin every decision we make on protecting and improving the environment. We are on a journey to maximise the benefit of being fully digital, having the right innovative technologies, skills, capabilities, and services to fully exploit data.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Data Exploitation Team in a role as National Lead for Statistics. This is a leadership role, using your technical knowledge you will work across the organisation and contribute to metrics and indicators, determining what statistics can be produced, what can be reported and with what confidence limits. You will work across the Defra Group and help set the strategic direction for stats in the Environment Agency.

The role will also support the creation and enhancement of tools for decisions that improve how we manage the environment, shaping improvements and helping us get more out of our data.

The team

The Data Exploitation Team is part of the Data and Information department, within the Strategy, Transformation and Assurances Directorate. Our department has a fundamental role to ensure the Environment Agency manages and uses data and information appropriately. You’ll work with business leads across the organisation and Defra.

We’re a national team providing technical services, advice and guidance to the wider business, ensuring the organisation manages and uses data and information appropriately.

Experience/skills Required

• Degree or higher qualification in statistics or a numerate discipline including formal statistics training.
• Strong experience of analysing environmental data
• Good experience of advising others on statistical issues and approaches and of implementing statistical solutions,
• Up to speed on existing and emerging practice in environmental data science and statistics
  
  
  

You will:

• be able to work on your own initiative
• have excellent written and oral communication skills for a range of audiences,
• have a passion for analysing information and solving problems, showing excellent attention to detail,
• Interpret and present outputs clearly and be confident in engaging and persuading people.
• have strong organisational skills to be able to meet tight deadlines and prioritise workloads,
• be able to establish and maintain strong relationships and gain buy in
  
  
  

Contact and additional information

Your capability answers will be used to determine interview selection. Please draw out your skills and experience relative to this role in your response.

Work location is flexible, but you must have a base at one of our offices across England. There’ll be a requirement to travel for some meetings in Bristol and other national locations as needed.

Everyone that joins us is required to undertake training and participate in incident response duties when the need to respond arises. Further information on incident response can be found within your candidate pack.

Interviews will take place via MS Teams.

Please contact Chris Hall – [email protected] if you would like to discuss the role further.

Interviews will be in November 2024

Competence 1

Numerical Modelling and Forecasting

Description

Interprets data and information to forecast the state of the environment, including large-scale trends such as climate change, and more localised forecasting such as pollution, flooding and water availability.

Question - Describe a situation where you had to use statistics to predict future trends.

Competence 2

Data and Information Management

Description

What was the most important data produced in your current/last role? What made it so important? What did you do to ensure the information was accurate and to the required standards?

Question - What was the most important data produced in your current/last role? What made it so important? What did you do to ensure the information was accurate and to the required standards?

Competence 3

Influences and Persuades Others

Description

Presenting a case in a convincing and attractive way that will win people over, encouraging them to follow plans willingly; often succeeding where logic and reason alone would fail.

Question - Give an example of when you have used statistics or statistical analysis to influence change in ways of working in your organisation

Competence 4

Delivers Results Through Others

Description

Harnesses the team to deliver results on time, to required standards and in line with organisational processes and procedures.

Question - Please describe a significant piece of work you have led, describing the challenges that you faced and the tools and techniques you used to work with others and keep it on track?

If you are applying from the Civil Service please note that the Environment Agency is not a part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of being appointed. Therefore, you will not be eligible for continuous service. For applicants who currently work in local government or other bodies listed in the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government etc) (Modification) Order 1999, you may be eligible for continuous service for the purpose of calculating any future redundancy payment. If you are unsure of your status then you should contact your own HR Team.

We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share, so please include clearly any information regarding your preferred working arrangements on your application.

We also have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability who are seeking employment. We have committed to guaranteeing an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

The Environment Agency, as a Non-Departmental Public Body, is committed to providing value for money and utilises Central Government frameworks and contracts for all external recruitment needs. For this reason, we are unable to engage with the market directly through post, email or phone calls . Should you wish to become a support supplier on one of these frameworks or contracts please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-crown-commercial-service-supplier/becoming-a-supplier-through-the-crown-commercial-service-what-you-need-to-know for more information.