Data Analyst Aberdeen, Scotland
Scottish Government
Full Time
Aberdeen, Scotland
30456 - 43986 GBP ANNUAL Today
Job description
Overview:
Information about the Business Area
FSS’s Science Division is responsible for providing scientific advice, commissioning research and surveillance to support the development of policies aimed at protecting consumers in Scotland from food and animal feed safety risks. The Division also provides data science and social research expertise to ensure strategies for improving dietary health and protecting the food chain is informed by robust evidence. The Science Division provides a support function for all areas of FSS business. It engages with public health nutritionists and policy, veterinary, environmental health, and communications professionals across the organisation as well as external stakeholders to help FSS deliver robust, evidence-based interventions which achieve long lasting benefits for the people of Scotland.
Information about the Role
You will be managed by the senior data scientist but will be required to work autonomously, with minimal supervision, engaging across all FSS’s business areas to identify evidence needs and provide advice on data analysis, statistics and data sources needed to support policy development. As the analytical team in FSS is relatively newly established, it works collaboratively with the Scottish Government’s Marine Analytical Unit to ensure sufficient analytical oversight and to support learning and development.
The role will provide an opportunity to work across the whole of the project lifecycle. In addition to traditional statistical analysis, it will use data science techniques (data visualisation, machine learning algorithms and data linkage) to support FSS in delivering its statutory responsibilities to identify and monitor risks to the food chain, assess the performance of food and feed enforcement authorities (such as the interventions local authorities carry out at food businesses) and provide evidence based advice on how to best implement more efficient or sustainable approaches to delivering official controls.
You will have prior experience in a relevant research field and/or the analysis and interpretation of data and evidence to inform recommendations or decisions. Specific experience of applying statistics, data science and/or analytical support relevant to public health, food, veterinary or agriculture disciplines would be an advantage but is not essential.
Responsibilities:
Competencies
Qualifications
No specific qualifications required for this post.
Provisional Interview Dates
To be confirmed.
How To Apply
Person Specification Band B
To apply, you must fully complete and submit an online application via this website before the closing date using evidence based examples to demonstrate your knowledge/skills (300 words). Remember, your answers should be clear, concise and reflect what actions you undertook. You may want to use the STAR(R) approach to respond to each criterion.
To learn more about this opportunity, please contact Rebecca Callaby at [email protected]
As part of any recruitment process, Scottish Government and associated public bodies collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants and applicants for public appointments.
Personal information you provide in the recruitment process will be made available to Scottish Government and our additional data processors.
This is an exciting opportunity to shape FSS’s work using highly quality data analysis to underpin its evidence basis and contribute to a fast-moving policy environment.
Information about the Business Area
Food Standards Scotland (FSS) is the public sector food body for Scotland. We work independently of Government and Ministers to deliver a safe, healthy, and sustainable food environment that benefits and protects the health and wellbeing of everyone in Scotland. FSS ensures that information and advice on food safety and standards, nutrition and labelling is independent, consistent, evidence-based, and consumer-focused.
FSS’s Science Division is responsible for providing scientific advice, commissioning research and surveillance to support the development of policies aimed at protecting consumers in Scotland from food and animal feed safety risks. The Division also provides data science and social research expertise to ensure strategies for improving dietary health and protecting the food chain is informed by robust evidence. The Science Division provides a support function for all areas of FSS business. It engages with public health nutritionists and policy, veterinary, environmental health, and communications professionals across the organisation as well as external stakeholders to help FSS deliver robust, evidence-based interventions which achieve long lasting benefits for the people of Scotland.
Information about the Role
You will be based in the Analytical Unit of FSS’s Science Division, working alongside a senior data scientist, social researchers, and an economist as part of a wider team of food safety scientists. The key purpose of the role is to develop FSS’s evidence bases and underpin our understanding of risks to the food chain, enabling us to identify and implement interventions for improving the Scottish diet.
You will be managed by the senior data scientist but will be required to work autonomously, with minimal supervision, engaging across all FSS’s business areas to identify evidence needs and provide advice on data analysis, statistics and data sources needed to support policy development. As the analytical team in FSS is relatively newly established, it works collaboratively with the Scottish Government’s Marine Analytical Unit to ensure sufficient analytical oversight and to support learning and development.
The role will provide an opportunity to work across the whole of the project lifecycle. In addition to traditional statistical analysis, it will use data science techniques (data visualisation, machine learning algorithms and data linkage) to support FSS in delivering its statutory responsibilities to identify and monitor risks to the food chain, assess the performance of food and feed enforcement authorities (such as the interventions local authorities carry out at food businesses) and provide evidence based advice on how to best implement more efficient or sustainable approaches to delivering official controls.
You will have prior experience in a relevant research field and/or the analysis and interpretation of data and evidence to inform recommendations or decisions. Specific experience of applying statistics, data science and/or analytical support relevant to public health, food, veterinary or agriculture disciplines would be an advantage but is not essential.
- Implement statistics and data science techniques to build a compelling and credible evidence-based narrative to help shape interventions for regulating food businesses, tackling food and feed safety, foodborne disease, and dietary health in Scotland.
- The development of interactive dashboards and bespoke analysis for a range of FSS databases which hold records of Official Control and enforcement activities across Scotland to identify trends in regulatory compliance in the food industry, building a compelling evidence-based narrative which will help shape interventions for regulation, tackling food and feed safety, foodborne disease, and dietary health.
- Process large and varying data sources and implement analytical models to support regulatory enforcement of food business by local authorities and on-going programmes of work to develop horizon scanning and surveillance programmes needed to underpin food and feed safety risk analysis.
- The development of tools for linking and analysing diverse data sets to improve FSS’s surveillance capability for detecting new or emerging risks which may impact on food safety and standards in Scotland.
- Work collaboratively with teams across all areas of FSS business to identify where data can add value, identify evidence gaps, and provide advice on how these can be addressed either though the development of analytical methods and tools or the commissioning of new solutions to solve business problems.
- Provide analytical support for FSS’s Data Scientist in the critical appraisal of commissioned analysis, analytical tools, and reports.
- Support the development of analytical reports on a range of food related issues to inform risk analysis and assess the impact of changes in legislation on businesses and consumers.
- Build effective working relationships with the wider Scottish Government analytical network, maintaining an up-to-date awareness of work that is relevant to FSS interests, and providing a point of contact for enabling FSS to access specialist analytical and digital expertise or tools when required.
- Promote statistics and data science skills to help develop the analytical capability within FSS. This includes championing best practices such as version control, unit testing, code review, and well documented applications and keeping abreast of the wider analytical landscape and emerging technologies.
Competencies
Analysis and Use of Evidence
Communication and Engagement
Improving Performance
Self-Awareness
Essential Criteria & Qualifications:
1. Practical experience in data analysis and data management, including proficient use of at least one of the following programming languages such as R, Python, SQL to deliver high quality code according to best practice methodologies (version control, test-driven development)
2. Proven analytical skills, demonstrating accuracy and attention to detail, with an strong understanding and experience of using a wide range of data science and statistical methods (i.e. regression analysis, significance testing, cluster analysis, predictive modelling techniques such as supervised and unsupervised machine learning, natural language processing, data visualisation) to draw conclusions from multiple data sources to support decisions and make recommendations on policy development or business planning and delivery.
3. Excellent communication skills with experience of explaining complex analytical techniques and insights (data stories) to colleagues and stakeholders of all levels, who may not share your technical background, in a clear and concise manner.
4. A clear track record of building successful working relationships across different business areas or organisations with an ability to balance competing demands, quickly learn new analytical techniques, contribute ideas, share best practice and embrace new ways of doing things to solve challenging problems and deploy high-quality robust solutions to meet business needs and deadlines in order to improve the performance of a service.
2. Proven analytical skills, demonstrating accuracy and attention to detail, with an strong understanding and experience of using a wide range of data science and statistical methods (i.e. regression analysis, significance testing, cluster analysis, predictive modelling techniques such as supervised and unsupervised machine learning, natural language processing, data visualisation) to draw conclusions from multiple data sources to support decisions and make recommendations on policy development or business planning and delivery.
3. Excellent communication skills with experience of explaining complex analytical techniques and insights (data stories) to colleagues and stakeholders of all levels, who may not share your technical background, in a clear and concise manner.
4. A clear track record of building successful working relationships across different business areas or organisations with an ability to balance competing demands, quickly learn new analytical techniques, contribute ideas, share best practice and embrace new ways of doing things to solve challenging problems and deploy high-quality robust solutions to meet business needs and deadlines in order to improve the performance of a service.
Qualifications
No specific qualifications required for this post.
Provisional Interview Dates
To be confirmed.
Additional Information
The role is hybrid working mainly from home and can also be based in Aberdeen, Glasgow, or Edinburgh.
Some travel within the UK may be required depending on the nature of the work e.g., engagement with stakeholders and attendance at conferences and project meetings.
The post is full time based on 37 hours per week with flexible working hours in a band between 07:00 – 19:00 (Monday to Friday)
How To Apply
For further information on this vacancy please download and review the “Person Specification” which you will find below.
Person Specification Band B
To apply, you must fully complete and submit an online application via this website before the closing date using evidence based examples to demonstrate your knowledge/skills (300 words). Remember, your answers should be clear, concise and reflect what actions you undertook. You may want to use the STAR(R) approach to respond to each criterion.
To learn more about this opportunity, please contact Rebecca Callaby at [email protected]
The Scottish Government is a diverse and inclusive workplace and we want to help you demonstrate your full potential whatever type of assessment is used. If you require any adjustments to our recruitment process, please let us know via [email protected]
As part of any recruitment process, Scottish Government and associated public bodies collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants and applicants for public appointments.
Personal information you provide in the recruitment process will be made available to Scottish Government and our additional data processors.
Scottish Government
www.gov.scot
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Nicola Sturgeon
$25 to $50 million (USD)
1001 to 5000 Employees
Government
National Services & Agencies
1885
