Business Intelligence and Performance Officer

About the Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join Maidstone Borough Councils Performance and Data Insights team in a role focused on corporate performance management performance reporting and the effective use of business intelligence to support organisational decision-making.

The Business Intelligence and Performance Officer plays a key role in ensuring that performance information is accurate meaningful and used effectively to support evidence-based decision-making. This is not a data analyst or data science role. You will work closely with services across the Council to support the full performance management cycle oversee the smooth operation of the performance management system and provide high-quality analysis insight and reporting for a wide range of audiences.

You will also undertake benchmarking and research to improve the Councils understanding of the Borough using population data and you will help to ensure that performance data is presented clearly and appropriately for senior leaders elected members staff and partners. You may work with data analysts and other technical specialists but the emphasis of this post is on interpreting and communicating evidence rather than undertaking advanced statistical analysis coding or developing data solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Co-ordinate quarterly and annual corporate performance reporting working with stakeholders to secure complete accurate and timely submissions.
• Produce high-quality insights reports and briefings to support evidence-based decision-making including presentation of findings to a wide range of stakeholders
• Support and administer the Councils performance management system identifying opportunities for improvement
• Work with service managers and performance indicator owners to develop meaningful measures and clearly defined methodologies
• Constructively challenge underperformance and weak narratives helping services explain the causes implications and actions being taken
• Provide advice guidance and training to strengthen performance management practices across the Council
• Work collaboratively with data analysts where more complex data preparation automation or technical analysis is required
• Support consultation and engagement activity through survey analysis and reporting

This post is career graded and appointment will be made at the appropriate level in line with the criteria outlined in the job description and person specification (attached).

The position is full time working 37 hours per week on a permanent basis. We offer a hybrid working arrangement combining the flexibility to work from home with time in the office as required (approximately once a week).

About Maidstone Borough Council

Maidstone Borough Council is a confident organisation with ambition and aspirations to deliver high quality services to our residents and local businesses. We strive to make the borough an attractive place for all and secure a successful economy. We continue to build on our strengths assets knowledge and expertise and our track record for innovation and improvement to create a financially sustainable future so that we can continue with our undiminished plans.

We will only achieve the results we are aiming for through the talents and hard work of all our people. You are encouraged to become part of our vision and in return you can expect support training and fair reward from us. We will give you the opportunity to develop the skills to do your job well and create a positive working environment where your ideas about improving how we do things are valued and we manage the changes needed for new ways of working well.

At Maidstone Borough Council we recognise the importance of flexible working and the benefits this can bring to both our staff and the Council. We know that by offering employees a range of flexible working opportunities we can positively impact their wellbeing and engagement and drive productivity in return. As such we have developed a highly flexible hybrid working policy alongside our flexi time and flexible working policies enabling staff to shape their working patterns around building a greater work life balance.

Our Offer:

A range of benefits including:

• Highly flexible hybrid working opportunities
• 7am to 7pm flexi time to suit personal circumstances for most roles
• Generous holiday entitlement which increases after 5 years LG service plus bank holidays with the option to buy additional leave.
• Additional 3 days leave given to enable a close down of the offices between Christmas and New year.
• Free parking
• Range of flexible working opportunities to accommodate peoples home/work life balance including compressed hours 9-day fortnight part time.
• Invitations to staff events to celebrate success and support wellbeing that include holistic therapies and outdoor activities
• Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential & independent information and access to counsellors
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) with valuable life cover and financial protection for your family.
• Life Assurance three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• Season Ticket Loan to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey to & from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand-new car. The monthly fee includes insurance servicing and road tax.
• Annual flu vaccine
• Cycle to work scheme
• Staff benefits discounts on leisure eating out holidays and shopping
• Excellent learning and career opportunities for committed individuals
• A professional fee payment if required for the role

About You:

We are looking for someone who understands that effective performance management is about more than producing data. You will be able to work with services to define what good performance looks like establish appropriate indicators assure the quality of reported information and turn results into a clear account of organisational performance.

You will have practical experience of working with performance indicators performance frameworks or corporate or service reporting. You should understand the performance cycle including setting measures and targets agreeing methodologies collecting and validating information reporting results providing narrative context and following up areas of concern.

You will be confident working with a range of stakeholders able to communicate complex information clearly to non-technical audiences and skilled at presenting data in a way that is meaningful and accessible. Advanced coding data engineering statistical modelling and dashboard-development skills are not required for this role.

Essential Requirements

• Strong IT literacy including proficiency in using all Microsoft Office products (Outlook Excel Powerpoint Word etc.).
• Understanding of how performance management works and the cycle of a performance indication.
• High levels of accuracy with excellent attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple pieces of work effectively
• Experience working with users to understand their needs and translating this into outputs.
• Sound numerical and analytical judgement.
• Experience of summarising data in a clear and concise way and presenting it in appropriate formats for a range of audiences.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience of researching data and projects independently

You may be especially suited to this opportunity if you have worked in corporate performance service improvement business inte