Head of Statistics

Job summary

Are you an enthusiastic, data-driven leader capable of working with leaders across the organisation to drive demand forecasting and support the modelling of income? Can you lead the development of our official statistics, ensuring they meet user needs and that improvements are delivered in an appropriate and timely manner? If so, we'd love to hear from you!

You will join the Statistics team in a pivotal role and have a rare opportunity to lead official statistics at the heart of the UK's company register. Our statistics on incorporations, dissolutions, and the composition of the register are used across government, by researchers, journalists, and businesses, and you'll be accountable for their quality, integrity, and value. We've recently invested in a new Cloud Data Platform, building modern analytical skills across the directorate and begun implementing reproducible analytical pipelines.

About the role

You will help set the direction of our statistical production, defining standards, and turning early progress into a sustainable production process. You will also lead demand forecasting for Companies House, developing models and forecasts that provide critical inputs into corporate and financial planning. This includes modelling the impact of major reforms, including the ongoing implementation of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, to help the organisation understand and plan for future demand.

About Companies House

Companies House holds one of the largest sources of data in the UK, supporting transparency, economic research and public trust. As we continue to evolve through legislative reform, the need for well-governed, trusted and clearly defined data has never been more important.

Job description

Security Clearance

Successful candidates must meet the requirements for Security Check (SC) clearance before they can be appointed. To be eligible for SC clearance, you must normally have lived in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Applications from candidates who do not meet these residency requirements are unlikely to be successful as clearance may be refused.

As Head of Statistics, your main duties will consist of but are not limited to:

• Leading the production and publication of our official statistics, ensuring full compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics and extending the value of our outputs.
• Leading the transition of our statistical production to reproducible analytical pipelines on our Cloud Data Platform, delivering outputs that are automated, quality assured and sustainable, and retiring legacy manual processes.
• Acting as a subject matter expert on data and analysis.
• Make informed decisions on the quality and suitability of statistical outputs, using evidence and professional judgement to ensure robust analysis is delivered through the team, while leading relationships with the Office for Statistics Regulation and the wider Government Statistical Service.
• Lead, develop and grow a team of statistical professionals, building capability in modern analytical practices and transforming statistical evidence into clear, actionable insight for senior leaders, while communicating uncertainty in a transparent and balanced way.
• Lead the delivery of our demand forecasting model, providing robust, well-evidenced projections of future service and compliance workload to support organisational resourcing and financial planning decisions.

Where You'll Be Working

You will be aligned to either the Cardiff or Edinburgh office, where you will be expected to attend at least once a week. We are currently using a hybrid approach to the way we work which provides opportunities for you to be adaptable in the way you work so that you can achieve a healthy balance between your work and home life.

Your manager will agree regular patterns of attendance with you; however, you may be required to make yourself available to attend the office more frequently when required to meet business needs.

Working Hours:

This is a full-time position of 37 hours per week, we can accept applications for those looking to work part time or compressed hours, to a minimum of 30 hours over 4 days per week.

Sponsorship

Companies House cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. Companies House holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

Should you apply for this role and require sponsorship, your application may be rejected, and any provisional offers of employment withdrawn.

Person specification

We are looking for a candidate who has:

• Experience of leading the production of official statistics, or comparable statistical outputs, including responsibility for the quality assurance and reproducibility of the underlying analysis.
• Experience of leading analysis in conditions of uncertainty, with the ability to elicit and challenge assumptions with senior stakeholders, communicate uncertainty clearly and rigorously, and apply the principles of the Aqua Book to the proportionate assurance of business-critical analytical models.
• The ability to work proactively and set the agenda, operating with a high degree of autonomy and confidently identifying priorities across a broad remit.
• Experience of leading and developing a team of analytical professionals, building capability and setting standards.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to present complex analysis and recommendations clearly, concisely and persuasively to senior and non-technical stakeholders, and to defend statistical judgements where needed.

Qualifications

Please provide details of your qualification(s) and/or relevant professional experience that demonstrate how you meet one of the the following requirements:

A first- or second-class honours degree in a numerate subject containing taught statistical content (e.g. Statistics, Data Science, Mathematics, Economics, Sciences, Psychology, Geography);

OR a higher degree, for example MSc or PhD, in a subject containing formal statistical training (e.g. Statistics, Data Science, Mathematics, Economics, Sciences, Psychology, Geography);

OR have achieved a Level 6 Data Scientist Degree Apprenticeship; OR have achieved a Level 4 Data Analytics apprenticeship and are able to demonstrate Continuous Professional Development via a logbook that has been signed off by an existing member of the GSG profession in the role of manager or mentor, covering 2 years in a statistical/data analysis field in government;

OR if you have worked in a statistical or data science field and are able to demonstrate Continuous Professional Development (via a logbook) covering a minimum of two years. You will need to evidence how you applied statistics or data science at the same level as a foundation degree or HND (level five) and demonstrates the expected skills as outlined in the GSG Competency framework.

NOTE: If successful at interview, you will need to evidence how you have applied statistics or data science at the same level as a foundation degree or HND (level five) and demonstrate the expected skills as outlined in the GSG Competency framework.

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership

Technical skills

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

• Acquiring data and understanding customer needs.
• Data analysis.
• Presenting and disseminating data effecti