Head of Analytical Solutions

Job summary

You will lead GAD's Analytical Solutions Team (AST) of almost 90 staff, setting the vision, direction and operating model for the department's analytical capabilities and ensuring AST plays a central role in delivering GAD's 2030 Strategy.

As Head of AST, you will be accountable for developing a high-performing, innovative and collaborative team that enables GAD to deliver high-quality, impactful advice effectively across government. AST supports client work across the department, spanning the range of GAD services from pensions and investments to insurance, modelling and financial risk. You will ensure AST helps unlock value in GAD's core work through improved analytical methods, automation, technology and efficient delivery models, while also building the capabilities needed to support new and emerging areas of advice.

You will work closely with client-facing leaders across GAD, key clients, stakeholders and the external market to understand future demand, shape strategic priorities and ensure AST develops the people, tools, methodologies and capacity required to meet changing client needs. You will foster a culture that combines innovation with professional excellence, ensuring that analytical solutions are robust, practical and focused on delivering meaningful outcomes for clients.

Leading through a multidisciplinary leadership team, including the Deputy Heads responsible for actuarial and analytical capability, you will create an inclusive environment that encourages collaboration, continuous improvement and collective ownership of results. You will act as a senior ambassador for AST across GAD and externally, helping position GAD as a trusted and innovative partner in risk, finance and analytical decision-making.

Job description

You will provide strategic, operational and professional leadership for AST, exercising oversight of performance and aligning the strategic direction to long-term goals for the department. Your responsibilities will include:

Strategy and Planning

• Defining and maintaining AST’s long-term operating model to effectively deliver to client team requirements.
• Develop the business plan and strategic goals for your team, aligned to the departmental strategy, and ensure these are delivered.
• Proactively engage with GAD client teams, stakeholders around the public sector and across the external market to ensure AST support can deliver to client needs.
• Ownership of AST strategic investment priorities.

Transformation and Operational Effectiveness

• Lead AST’s contribution to GAD-wide transformation programmes.
• Maintain a culture of continuous improvement within AST and support the wider transformation of GAD projects and processes.
• Ensure your team work collegiately and collaboratively, supporting organisational objectives.
• Ensuring that processes and structures deliver analysis that is robust, cost effective and tailored to client needs.
• Oversee engagement with client teams on novel or risky projects, ensuring appropriate ways of working and controls are established.

People and Professional Leadership

• Provide oversight, coach and support senior team members working to deliver the team's output. Support career development across the team, inspiring staff to reach their potential.
• Create and sustain an inclusive, supportive and high-performing culture across the team, ensuring effective leadership, talent management, workforce planning and colleague engagement.
• Working through the Deputy Heads and wider leadership team, build capability, develop future leaders and create an environment in which individuals at all career stages can thrive and contribute effectively.
• Build and maintain strong and influential relationships with senior stakeholders across the department.
• Establish a network of contacts across the public sector and professional industry networks.

Person specification

• Key external stakeholders include: Client organisations, professional industry networks
• Key internal stakeholders include: the Executive Committee. Non-Executive Directors, Actuarial Directors, team leads, corporate functions and staff.

• The role holder will have responsibility for the fee income and delegated expenditure of AST, systems and controls.
• The role holder will be expected to be a role model for GAD standards, values and behaviours both within the department and in all external communication. They will have a Leadership Group role within the directorate and be expected to work collaboratively to fulfil collective management responsibilities.

The role holder will be expected to liaise with relevant contacts in other teams to share experiences, develop common approaches and ensure consistency where appropriate to do so. They will be expected to proactively develop other members of the team as part of business as usual and have line management responsibilities.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

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

• Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (or international equivalent) (Essential)
• Knowledge and experience of providing actuarial advice across pensions, investments, insurance or risk (Essential)
• Knowledge of modern use of data analysis and AI (Essential)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £141,109, Government Actuary's Department contributes £40,879 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

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.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

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