Ministry of Justice

Do you have the passion, values, and ability to help us solve the biggest problems of the justice system?

SEO Economist, Analysis Directorate Ministry of Justice

Overview

We have 1 role in the Agile Economics team, within the Analysis Directorate.

Roles are open to:

Existing, full members of the Government Economics Service (GES)

Other candidates that are not members of the GES profession but possess and can demonstrate similar experience at the appropriate level. In order to join the GES you must meet the following requirements, in line with the GES professional framework:

•             Have a first or upper second-class honours degree in economics (or international equivalent), or a postgraduate degree in economics. If it is a joint degree, at least 50% of the course modules must be in economics.

•             Have studied both macroeconomics and microeconomics.

Specialist allowance

Due to the role(s) being analytical, those successful in recruitment will be eligible for a specialist allowance following an analytical interview based on the following values:

•             SEO London: £500 

•             SEO National: £1500

Minimum requirements to apply:

Candidates must be able to show the relevant experience and skills and must meet the criteria for entry:

SEO grade:

•             You have significant work experience evidencing use of data and/or analytical skills. Time spent on an analytical PhD can count towards this.

•             Be a badged GES analyst or meet the GES requirements.

Additionally, if you are applying for a data engineering role then we would expect you to be able to program in Python.

We welcome applications from candidates based across the UK. Candidates will have the option of being based in the Leeds or London HQ offices (with flexible working arrangements available) or your nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office: see this map for more details.

Alternative locations may be available and will be discussed and agreed on the completion of background checks.

Interviews are likely to take place in April/May 2025 and will be held via MS Teams. We will keep a merit list for a year for those who successfully pass the interview board but who are not offered a post.

About the Analysis Directorate

We are passionate about improving justice outcomes through innovative research, data and analysis. In the Analysis Directorate, we provide high quality data and analysis helping to ensure strategic, policy, finance, corporate and operational decisions are based on robust evidence.

We create a culture in which people are empowered with the data and information to make excellent decisions; using cutting edge tools, techniques and collaboration; putting evidence at the heart of the justice system.

We are a multi-disciplinary team of around 650 staff that sits at the heart of the Ministry of Justice providing analytical support across a diverse and exciting agenda. We work in a dynamic and fast-paced context and our skills are in heavy demand across the Ministry of Justice. Our collaborations beyond government are seen as ground-breaking. The Analysis community is made up of analysts and specialists including: Social Researchers, Economists, Operational Researchers, Statisticians, Data Engineers, Data Scientists and other data specialists (such as data strategists, data dissemination, generalists and assurance experts).

Why work in the Analysis Directorate?

In the Analysis Directorate, we want all our people to feel valued for who they are and for the work they do. We provide a warm, inclusive place to work and offer a wide range of flexibilities and benefits as part of our people offer to reward our staff.

What we offer

•             Flexible working arrangements and a focus on equality of opportunity – including welcoming part-time and/or job-share arrangements, compressed hours, working from home or your nearest Justice Collaboration Centres or Justice Satellite Office.

•             Career development – regular development and promotion opportunities across a wide range of roles, career development support, with a generous individual learning and development budget.

•             Range of new areas of work and new tools and techniques – we pride ourselves on our excellent deployment of well-established analytical methods, but also our progress to date. Progress such as our ambitious and innovative transformation programme to leverage departmental data and drive evidence-based decision-making using cutting-edge tools and techniques (for example: experimentation, personalisation, artificial intelligence).

•             Analysis is at the centre of the Department’s decision making – our transformation programme is focused on maximising our impact on departmental outcomes. The Ministry of Justice’s Senior Team and our Ministerial Team want all decisions to be evidence driven – your analysis will be key in influencing decisions and real-world impact.

•             Vibrant community – part of a multidisciplinary team that has a supportive culture and is looking to further develop the community with the help of everyone.

•             See the frontline and what your work is influencing – regular opportunities to visit our front-line service providers, including courts, prisons, and probation to better understand the areas your analysis is affecting.

What you’ll do

The Agile Programme provides high quality and insightful analysis for the delivery of strategic priorities. Analysts in the team deliver short-term projects across the breadth of the department’s remit, including courts, prisons, probation and corporate functions.

The portfolio of projects within the team changes three-four times a year, and the post holder could be working on multiple projects at once. This is a great development opportunity for the postholder to broaden their skillsets through collaboration across professions and with Other Government Departments, allowing them to learn new analytical methods and techniques and to share their own with the wider team. This is a unique area where work will be varied, offering the postholder an overview of the whole justice system.

The post holder will be working in an existing analytical team and will be well supported with a full programme of job-based and professional development. There will also be opportunities to work independently, take ownership of the work and develop the role over time

The Agile Economics team are one of nine G7-led teams that sit within the Agile Programme and typically lead on projects with an economic or financial focus.

Some examples of past and current projects include:

•             Producing analysis for a Business Case on Prison Operator Services.

•             Creating a new tool, suitable for use by non-analysts, to monitor supplier performance on contracts.

•             Working with ONS to deliver methodology changes for MOJ, as part of the cross government Public Sector Productivity Review.

•             Working with stakeholders across the department to coordinate input, as part of the multi-year Spending Review. Also, leading on the production of the counterfactual model to assess the impacts of inflation and pay awards across the whole of the MOJ.

•             Leading on an impact assessment and preparing costings for submissions to ministers for a consultation on private prosecutors.

•             Creating a PowerBI dashboard to summarise data on Foreign National Offender MI for internal monitoring.

The nature of this role means the post holder could work across a wide range of projects. Below is a sample of the duties and responsibilities the job holder may be required to undertake:

•             Applying a range of data analysis or modelling tools and techniques and ensuring appropriate quality assurance of analysis.

•             Leading analytical projects with a wide range of stakeholders; prioritising and driving improvements across competing demands.

•             Maximising opportunities to actively promote, use and communicate analysis with impact to influence decisions.

•             Conducting Economic research and understanding existing Economic theory to establish which methods and techniques are the best ones to use in economic analysis.

•             Leading on preparing Impact Assessments and/or the economic section of Business Cases.

Who you are

The following experience and skills will be required:

•             Knowledge and experience of applying economic and analytical skills in a policy or project delivery context (for example, business case development, cost-benefit analysis in line with HMT Green Book, evaluation in line with HMT Magenta Book).

•             Strong Microsoft Excel skills, experience of producing analysis using large datasets and dealing with complex spreadsheets.

•             Strong written and oral communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to explain complex technical data and analytical concepts and practices to non-technical stakeholders, including senior leaders and ministers.

•             Managing partners’ expectations over time, dealing constructively with challenges and where appropriate adapting the analytical or data programme when requirements and circumstances change.

•             Strong ability to plan, prioritise and lead an analytical project with challenging and competing timelines.

The following experience and skills are desirable:

•             Knowledge and experience of coding in R and/or Python.

•             A proven ability to independently lead analytical projects in a fast-paced environment.

•             Experience of managing and developing others, prioritising and delegating tasks in line with organisational objectives.

•             Previous experience working across the criminal justice system.

How to apply

You’ll need to submit an anonymised work history and Statement of Suitability as part of your application. You will not be considered if you do not provide both.

Your work history should meet the following criteria: well structured, succinct, and written in clear language.

Your Statement of Suitability should be no more than 750 words and should give us examples of how your skills and experience match those needed for this role. Consider giving examples that cover all the requirements in the ‘Who you are’ section and use work you have completed to demonstrate how you meet each one.

Selection Process

There will be an initial sift of applicants through comparing submitted evidence against the ‘Who you are’ bullets. This usually takes two weeks, depending on the number of applications.

Those who make it through the initial sift will be invited to a Civil Service Success Profile interview. In the Civil Service we use Success Profiles to help us find the right person for the job. We will be using a mixture of methods to assess your abilities, strengths, experience, technical skills, and behaviours. We highly recommend learning about Success Profiles and using the Situation, Task, Action, Result and Reflection (STARR) framework when structuring your answers.

The highest scoring candidates that pass the interview will be offered the roles. The whole process can take up to a month.

Behaviours

You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles frameworkat interview stage:

•             Communicating and Influencing 

•             Managing a Quality Service

•             Delivering at Pace

•             Working Together

Please also refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/717275/CS_Behaviours_2018.pdf 

For existing analysts from all professions, as well as the three civil service behaviours stated above, you will be assessed on two sets of professional competencies at interview.

For external (non-Civil Service) candidates (and unbadged candidates within the Civil Service), as well as the three civil service behaviours stated above, you will be assessed on your analytical knowledge, experience and abilities, and the impact of your analytical work. 

Professional Competencies

•             Professional Competency (1) Knowledge & Skills

·        GES - Analysis of Data.

•             Professional Competency (2) Influence & Impact

·        GES - Effective communication.

For more information regarding Professional Competencies please refer to the analytical profession internet links below. Please note that some aspect of the professional competency may overlap with the MoJ competencies listed above. We therefore recommend that in providing evidence for the professional competency, candidates focus on the technical and methodology aspects of the competencies that are specific to the profession. We will use evidence presented for the MoJ competencies in assessing the wider skills candidates have.

Government Economic Service (GES): Further information can be found within the link below:

GES Professional Standards 2022 

Applicants invited for Interview 

You will be required to give a 5-minute presentation at interview. Details of this will be sent to those candidates who are invited for interview.

Further Information

If you require any additional information about the role, please contact:

Megan.Chambers@justice.gov.uk.