Data analyst

10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London E14 4PU

Job Summary

The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) is a well-established organisation in the heart of government which uses statistical analysis and probabilistic financial models to assess a wide range of risks facing the public sector. Using these techniques, we aim to unlock value in our core work and make impact on policy by providing expert advice to government departments in areas including contingent risks, insurance, pensions, and social security.

The Analytical Solutions directorate comprises around 80 analysts and actuaries and works across a wide and growing range of analytical areas including social security, funded and unfunded pensions, as well as bespoke analysis, production processes and model building for Government. The team is organised into a set of functional areas – an organisational structure which divides team activities into specific roles with distinct responsibilities. Do you want an actuarial career with a difference? Where you can have a real impact working with government departments and the wider public sector. If yes, then a career at the Government Actuary's Department (GAD) could be for you.

Job Description

You will join one of two functional teams: “Reproducible Analytical Pipelines” whose mission is to enhance efficiency and reliability in analytical production processes, or “Data Insights” whose mission is to support effective decision-making through analysis, visualisations and actionable insights.

The teams serve as a platform for efficient analytical working practices and change within GAD. We will look to you to proactively contribute to this by embracing new technologies and ways of working, and to help embed them across AST. You will be working alongside analysts and actuaries with a broad range of experience from across the Civil Service and the private sector.

Within Reproducible Analytical Pipelines, you will play a role in enhancing GAD's capability to transform data and legacy production processes within pensions and insurance provisioning into efficient, modern architectures. This will include selecting and identifying analytical approaches to meet requirements and ensure reproducibility, conducting quality checks, and performing suitable data cleaning of noisy or incomplete data. You will design and develop pipelines incorporating data or statistical analysis in R or Python using pension and insurance data from a range of subject areas.

Within Data Insights, you will be responsible for supporting analytical projects from a range of subject areas by exploring, analysing and visualising complex data and presenting the results in a way that supports decision-making. You will maintain an openness to experimenting with different approaches based on business context, and be able to demonstrate that appropriate rigour has been applied to the analysis with consideration of legal and ethical issues.

Your involvement in either team will result in actionable evidence for the internal teams we support and the external clients to whom we deliver our work.

You will join one of two functional teams: “Reproducible Analytical Pipelines” whose mission is to enhance efficiency and reliability in analytical production processes, or “Data Insights” whose mission is to support effective decision-making through analysis, visualisations and actionable insights.

The teams serve as a platform for efficient analytical working practices and change within GAD. We will look to you to proactively contribute to this by embracing new technologies and ways of working, and to help embed them across AST. You will be working alongside analysts and actuaries with a broad range of experience from across the Civil Service and the private sector.

Within Reproducible Analytical Pipelines, you will play a role in enhancing GAD's capability to transform data and legacy production processes within pensions and insurance provisioning into efficient, modern architectures. This will include selecting and identifying analytical approaches to meet requirements and ensure reproducibility, conducting quality checks, and performing suitable data cleaning of noisy or incomplete data. You will design and develop pipelines incorporating data or statistical analysis in R or Python using pension and insurance data from a range of subject areas.

Within Data Insights, you will be responsible for supporting analytical projects from a range of subject areas by exploring, analysing and visualising complex data and presenting the results in a way that supports decision-making. You will maintain an openness to experimenting with different approaches based on business context, and be able to demonstrate that appropriate rigour has been applied to the analysis with consideration of legal and ethical issues.

Your involvement in either team will result in actionable evidence for the internal teams we support and the external clients to whom we deliver our work.

Person specification

You will work collaboratively with your team and a variety of stakeholders to:

Data management and quality

• Collect, organise, clean, and link data from different sources and systems.
• Check and improve data quality, ensuring internal operational standards are met.
  
  

Analysis and insight

• Effectively deliver work for technical projects on a range of topics, collaborating with other specialists, technical staff, and external partners.
• Scope solutions as part of implementing automated, reproducible workflows to assure and analyse data from various subject areas.
• Use analytical tools and coding skills to study data, spot trends, and answer queries.
• Apply techniques such as data mining, forecasting, and modelling to support decision-making.
  
  

Reporting and communication

• Summarise and present findings clearly, following agreed standards.
• Create dashboards and visualisations to make complex data easy to understand.
• Make recommendations based on analysis and share results with stakeholders.
  
  

Process Improvement

• Contribute to continuous improvement by developing new and better ways to analyse data, improve data quality and evidence value of some of our core datasets.
• Help set and follow best practice for exploratory data analysis and automated workflows.
• Support the quality assurance of internal and external data science models including planning checks, working with stakeholders, and sharing findings.
  
  

Learning and Development

• Mentor less experienced colleagues within your team.
• Be committed to your own development through the effective use of your personal development plan.
• Perform any other reasonable duties requested commensurate with the grade of this role.
  
  

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
  
  

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• A first- or second-class honours degree in a numerate discipline, computer science or IT equivalent which demonstrates core analytical skills; OR
• Have worked in an analytical/data science field and are able to demonstrate continuous professional development in analysis/data science at the same level as a foundation degree/HND (Level 5)
  
  

Alongside your salary of £40,801, Government Actuary's Department contributes £11,820 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

As well as competitive salaries, we offer a substantial package of benefits:

• Exceptional learning and development opportunities that you can explore alongside your day-to-day work.
• 25 days annual leave per year, increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service. In addition, we offer 9 days public and privilege days leave per year (pro rata for part time staff)
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• 5 days of paid volunteering leave
• Up to 9 months maternity leave on full pay + generous paternity and adoption leave
• Staff reward and recognition bonuses that operate throughout the year.
• Occupational sick pay
• Family-friendly policies such as help with caring responsibilities, special leave, generous paid maternity, paternity, and adoption leave.
• Access to employee assistance programme which offers staff 24/7 confidential support and resources such as counselling, debt guidance and management advice.
• The opportunity to join a trade union.
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity.
• Salary advances for travel costs, including annual season tickets and cycle-to-work schemes.
• Access to the Edenred employee benefits system which offers discounts to popular retailers and access to various useful resources such as financial and savings advice.
• Complimentary BUPA health check.
  
  

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Technical skills.

Stage 1: Application sift

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained.
• A Personal statement of up to 1000-words explaining how you meet the essential criteria for the role, with particular reference to the experience criteria provided in the person specification of the JD.
  
  

We will use your CV and Personal Statement to assess the below 2 behaviours at sift, plus the Experience and Technical skills listed in the JD.

• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
  
  

We suggest you use approximately 250 words to address each of the Behaviours and use the remainder and to provide evidence of how you meet the essential criteria, and what you and your experience can bring to the role.

The Civil Service application process has a standardised method for assessing candidates, we strongly recommend that you read the descriptions of the civil service behaviours. Strong applications will present these in the Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR) method.

Stage 2: Panel interview

During the interview you will be assessed on the experience and behaviours listed in the Person Specification and detailed in this advert. The interview will include a presentation, details of which will be sent to those invited to interview. There are likely to be follow-up questions on the Behaviours below leading on from the presentation to ensure the panel gain a rounded picture.

The interview will also assess the following Technical elements from the JD:

• Designing and executing an analytical workflow in R
  
  

Timelines

Application deadline : 2355 hrs on 16 November 2025

Shortlisting : w/c 17 November 2025

Interviews : w/c 24 November 2025

Interview location : In office (London, E14 4PU)

Please apply via our recruitment portal below.

As part of the application form process, please submit your CV and supporting statement. Please do not email your CV outside of this process as it will not be accepted.

Shortlisting criteria is based on the Person Specification as set out in the Assessment Criteria section of the Job Description. Please ensure you provide examples of how you meet the Assessment Criteria; a strong application will also demonstrate that you meet the required criteria that are identified as key for this role. Applications will be shortlisted in line with the essential criteria for the role. The desirable criteria will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates. Behaviours will be assessed at sift and interview stage. Candidates who are successful at shortlist will be contacted as soon as possible and advised of the interview process and assessment (exact times and dates will also be confirmed).

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Technical skills.

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.

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 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.

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).

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 : Recruitment Team
• Email : [email protected]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]
  
  

Further information

The Government Actuary’s Department’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the recruitment principles of the Civil Service Commissioner, which outline that selection for appointment be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition If you feel at any time your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you may make a complaint, by contacting [email protected] in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commissioners.