Head of Prison Safety Statistics and Analysis, Prison Data, Analysis DirectorateMinistry of Justice
21450
Descriptions & requirements
Job description
Do you have the passion, values, and ability to help us solve the biggest problems of the justice system?
Head of Prison Safety Statistics and Analysis (G7), Prison Data, MoJ Analysis
Overview
We have 1 G7 role in the Prison Safety Statistics and Analysis team, within the Analysis Directorate.
Roles are open to:
Existing badged analysts from the GSS, either on level transfer or on promotion.
Other candidates that are not members of the GSS profession but possess and can demonstrate similar experience at the appropriate level. Badging opportunities will be available once in post for those who wish to apply.
Please note: this opportunity is only open to individuals currently employed within the Civil Service.
Minimum requirements to apply
Candidates must be able to show the relevant experience and skills and must meet the criteria for entry:
Grade 7 – must meet all of the following:
You have significant work experience evidencing use of data and/or analytical skills. Time spent on an analytical PhD can count towards this.
You have significant experience of managing projects
You have experience of leading or managing a team
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 October 2026 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 300 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
Principal Statistician (Prison Safety Statistics and Analysis)
This is a challenging but rewarding post in a high-profile area where your analytical work will have real operational impact and shape decisions at the highest levels of the Ministry of Justice.
You will be a supportive leader for a high-performing, friendly team of analysts providing high-quality data, statistics, management information, analysis and subject matter expertise on prison safety and security. You will work with policy, analytical and operational colleagues to deliver fast-paced, impactful advice on a range of topics, as well as providing the data and insight needed for MoJ to make evidence-based decisions about areas of real need. This will include supporting frequent high-profile commissions (for example, improvements to releases in error data in response to the Owens review), cross-team working with colleagues across the business and reprioritising work at pace in response to Ministerial and operational requirements. You will also seek opportunities to further develop the work of the team in alignment with departmental objectives, MoJ’s Data Strategy and the Code of Practice for Statistics.
Who you are
The following experience and skills will be required:
Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to explain complex data and analytical concepts to senior and non-technical stakeholders.
Confidence in analysing data and presenting it appropriately, including leading others in analytical delivery.
Experience of leading and developing others, prioritising and delegating tasks in line with organisational objectives.
Effective stakeholder engagement, including: representing your team in discussions with partners, building relationships, managing partners’ expectations, dealing constructively with challenges and where appropriate adapting your work programme as requirements and circumstances change.
Strong ability to plan, prioritise and lead a portfolio of analytical requests with challenging and competing timelines.
Building and maintaining a culture of high-quality, robust analysis and continuous improvement
The following experience and skills are desirable:
Experience with Official Statistics and management information
Knowledge of R and GitHub
Professional knowledge and experience of working with the justice system, ideally prisons.
How to apply
You’ll need to submit an anonymised work history and evidence against the three Civil Service success profiles behaviours and one technical element listed below. You will not be considered if you do not provide all these elements.
Work History
Your work history should be no more than 2 pages long and should show us your work history and previous experience. It should be well structured, succinct, and written in clear language.
Behaviours
You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework at application stage, specifically against the behaviours of:
Leadership
Changing and Improving
Communicating and Influencing
In the event there are a high number of applications, the lead behaviour, Leadership, may be used to conduct an initial sift and applications that do not meet the minimum requirement for this criterion will not progress to a full sift.
Please also refer to the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade.
Success Profiles: Civil Service behaviours - GOV.UK
Technical Element
As well as the three civil service behaviours stated above, you are also asked to provide evidence of suitability for one technical element.
For GSS candidates, please provide evidence against the professional competency Data Analysis.
For non-GSS candidates within the Civil Service, please provide evidence of leading a piece of analytical work: you will be assessed on your analytical knowledge, experience and abilities, and the impact of your analytical work.
5a. Selection Process
There will be an initial sift of applicants through comparing submitted evidence against the behaviours and technical expectation specified above. 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 candidate that passes the interview will be offered the role. The whole process can take up to a month.
5b. Interview Process
Behaviours
You will be assessed against the Civil service success profiles framework at interview stage, specifically:
Leadership
Changing and Improving
Communicating and Influencing
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 the GSS, as well as the three civil service behaviours stated above, you will be assessed on two sets of professional competencies at interview.
Professional Competencies
Professional Competency (1) Knowledge & Skills
GSS - Data Analysis.
Professional Competency (2) Influence & Impact
GSS - Presenting and disseminating data effectively.
For more information regarding Professional Competency (2) please refer to the link 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 Statistician Group (GSG): Further information, including a user guide, can be found within the link below:
GSG-competency-framework-2021-reviewed-february-2023
For other candidates, 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.
Applicants invited for Interview
You will be required to give a carry out an analytical skills test 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:
David Dawson, Head of Prison Data, MoJ Analysis Directorate
by email – [email protected] – or Teams.
In David’s absence, please contact: Arun Mehan, Head of Prison Safety Statistics and Analysis, via [email protected].