Data Analyst for DfE Test Learn and Grow Unit

Job summary

IMPORTANT - This vacancy is using the Civil Service Verbal test. The deadline for completing the test is the same as the vacancy closing date. Please ensure you complete the test with sufficient time to complete the written application.

The Test Learn and Grow Unit

The DfE Test, Learn and Grow Unit will be a new, multidisciplinary team jointly delivered by the Department for Education (DfE) and the Cabinet Office to accelerate innovation across the education system. The unit will bring central government, local government, service providers, and users to tackle the challenges directly affecting people in the places they live.

Over 18 months, the unit will design, deliver and scale high‑impact Test & Learn projects across priority areas, including Cabinet Office “accelerator” projects, DfE place‑based missions as part of the Schools White Paper’s “Call to Action” to the sector, and other departmental innovation priorities.

Alongside delivery, the team will act as a centre of expertise for test‑and‑learn methods, build capability across the department, and develop a sustainable long‑term model for embedding innovation in policy and operational practice.

The Unit brings together expertise from the Behavioural Insights Unit, Regions Group, Cabinet Office TLG, and the Education Policy Innovation Centre (EPIC) — a multidisciplinary team with strengths in participatory policymaking and systems change.

This role will be hosted in EPIC and will work on priority Test, Learn and Grow (TLG) projects as part of a dedicated satellite team. The post is fixed term, ending April 2028.

Job description

We are looking for an outstanding SEO Data Analyst to join the teamwho is:

• a strong generalist problem-solver: able to think strategically to structure issues in complex systems; work confidently in an agile multi-disciplinary environment; help the team to develop solutions to address problems and deliver work at pace.
• an expert data analyst: able to identify hypotheses, research questions and analytical needs; critically assess data requirements and existing sources; select and use an appropriate range of statistical and analytical techniques; conduct technical analysis (eg in R) to answer key questions and meet user needs while understanding potential limitations.

For this role, we are looking for a member of one of the government’s analytical professions (Government Social Research, Government Operational Research, Government Economic Service, Government Statistical Group) to bring an analytical mindset and their professional experience to the team’s portfolio of test and learn projects and the strands that they will confidently lead. This is an exciting role which will involve in-person fieldwork in local areas alongside place-based partners.

Professional Analytical Badging

Candidates must already be part of, or be eligible and willing to join, one of the following professions: the Government Statistical Service (GSS); Government Social Research (GSR); Government Economics Service (GES); Government Operational Research Service (GORS). Please note that if you currently don’t hold this professional badging you will be required to go through the relevant assessment processes– see links for more details.

Although this is an analytical role, the work will involve a balance between hands on delivery of test and learn projects as a generalist alongside applying your analytical skills. This is an exciting role which will involve in-person fieldwork in local areas alongside place-based partners.

Delivering through a multi-disciplinary team, the post-holder will work with other user and social researchers, analysts, data experts, local delivery partners, policy colleagues and others to develop solutions to challenging delivery problems. The role involves close partnership with Cabinet Office, ministers, policy teams, local authorities, and delivery partners such as the Education Policy Innovation Centre (EPIC).

As a Data Analyst in the team, you will:

Apply your analytical expertise to drive rigorous Test & Learn projects

• Apply your analytical mindset to the design and delivery of high‑impact Test & Learn projects, helping shaping project direction, pace and priorities to deliver solutions through iterative testing cycles in partnership with your team and stakeholders.

• Support the team to translate broad policy aims into clear problem statements and testable hypotheses; deliver evidence‑based, user‑centred prototypes; and test and evaluate solutions using various sources of data as part of Test & Learn cycles, feeding back learning and evidence into the delivery process.
• Providing analytical leadership across projects – this could involve advising on data needs/quality, modelling choices, analytical approaches, evaluation design or appropriate levels of rigour.

Deliver and communicate impactful analysis

• Identify research questions to help address emerging problems and fill current evidence gaps aligned to key priorities.
• Assess data requirements, emerging needs and existing data sources (including limitations and opportunities to improve data quality) and manipulate data confidently using appropriate software (eg R).
• Select and use a wide range of appropriate statistical and analytical techniques to deliver solutions to complex problems, deploying your quantitative analysis experience (in areas such as modelling, predictive analysis, evaluation, econometrics etc) while considering the assumptions, strengths, limitations and interpretation of different approaches, ensuring a proportionate levels of quality assurance to manage analytical risks.
• Interpret and communicate analysis, research and evidence, translating this into strategic insights to set the overall direction. Explore and share innovative data visualisation to communicate data findings to users and tell a clear story using plain language to maximise understanding.

Work in effective multi‑disciplinary delivery teams

• Work alongside, and understand the value of, expertise from behavioural scientists, other analysts, user researchers, service designers, delivery leads, policy colleagues and others, incorporating their insights in your own analysis.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with senior stakeholders across DfE, Cabinet Office, EPIC, local authorities and external partners, working confidently to understand real‑world opportunities and drive forward project delivery within the constraints of the public sector.

Shape culture, capability and ways of working

• Support the wider unit in its goal of capability‑building across DfE, offering professional guidance across the department, possibly through tools, training, case studies and thought leadership.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Have the relevant qualifications/ certifications/ experience to be a badged government social researcher. This can be done at interview if you are not ‘badged’ already.
• Ability to think strate