Data analyst apprenticeship

Stoke Gifford, South West England, BS34 8JH

Job Summary

Established in April 2016, the Defence Nuclear Organisation (DNO) delivers nuclear capability to deter threats and protect our nation. The DNO oversees all defence nuclear business (excluding operations) and is responsible for providing nuclear deterrence; sponsoring the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (all the organisations, programmes and people that sustain the UK’s nuclear deterrent); and advising on UK nuclear policy, planning and international co-operation on nuclear matters. The UK’s independent nuclear deterrent has existed for over 60 years to deter the most extreme threats to our national security and way of life, and that of our NATO Allies. To ensure that we have a credible and capable nuclear deterrent for as long as the security situation requires, we are building four new nuclear armed submarines – known as the Dreadnought Class – and replacing our nuclear warheads. These renewal programmes will utilise world-leading technology and are a showcase in science and engineering, highlighting the prowess of British industry. Here at DNO we strongly believe that diversity and inclusion is not only the right thing to do but is also essential for a thriving and successful organisation. We know that diverse teams bring a wide range of perspectives, experiences and ideas, which lead to better decision-making, creativity and innovation. We have a culture where differences are celebrated and our people feel supported, included and empowered. Join us and be part of an organisation that truly values diversity and inclusion and makes a positive impact on the world.

The Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) works in close partnership with the DNO and operates within the Defence Nuclear Enterprise. It is responsible for the procurement, in-service support, and disposal of the UK’s nuclear submarines. Our work is of unparalleled strategic importance nationally and internationally, ensuring the security of the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent (CASD), and delivering some of the most technically complex programmes in defence. At least one of four nuclear-armed submarines, supported by smaller attack submarines, is on patrol at all times: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The data analyst interprets and analyses complex datasets to provide insights and support data-driven decision making within an organisation. This role works alongside engineers, modelers and business executives to gather and transform data, conduct statistical analyses and create visualizations and reports that will contribute to identifying trends, patterns and opportunities that drive business initiatives.

Job Description

We are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented individual for this apprenticeship in the SDA Strategic Workforce Planning and Insight team. This role supports the development and maintenance of a suite of data management, modelling, and analytics applications to enable data-driven strategies and informed decision-making across the organisation.

As part of a dynamic and forward-thinking team, you will contribute to the design and delivery of tools and insights that shape workforce planning, optimise resource allocation, and enhance strategic outcomes.

The position is a 24 Month Fixed Term Appointment. You will be responsible for finding a permanent post after your apprenticeship ends, and we will offer appropriate support to you in relation to career development.  

In addition to completing a Level 4 Data Analyst apprenticeship, you will also: 

• Learn the fundamental skills you need to begin your career as a Data Analyst. 
• Gain invaluable knowledge, experience, behaviours and transferable skills, and be able to immediately apply these in the workplace.
• Have ring-fenced off-the-job training/study time as part of your apprenticeship pathway. 
• Be supported by experienced mentors and managers who will guide you through your apprenticeship, and career development. 
  
  

Flexible working can be considered for this post but will need regular workplace attendance (2 days per week) due to security constraints. Candidates are encouraged to discuss options with the recruiting line manager before submitting an application.

Responsibilities

• Completes the gathering and cleaning processes for data from various sources, ensuring data integrity and qualityInterprets results using a variety of techniques, ranging from simple data aggregation to more complex statistical analysis
• Identify data quality issues and propose data cleansing or enhancement solutions ensuring data is fit for purpose
• Interpret results using different analytical and statistical techniques to identify patterns, trends, correlations, and anomalies, and extract meaningful insights
• Identifies KPIs and develops metrics to track and measure business performance
• Develops and maintains visualisations and dashboard reports to tell a focused story
• Follows organisational data governance, including policies on data access, sharing, dissemination and protection
• Applies fundamental principles of data ethics and privacy under supervision
  
  

If you are a permanent MoD civil servant and are found successful for an advertised Fixed-term Appointment (FTA) you should move into the post under a Temporary Transfer for up to a maximum of 23 months. At the end of the posting, you will return to your previous MoD Business area. If this posting is at a higher grade, your promotion will be temporary, and you will return to your substantive grade at the end of the Temporary Transfer. If a Temporary Transfer cannot be agreed between all parties, then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA and Change of Work Location in the UK policy for further information.

If you are transferring to MoD from another government department (OGD) you should join the MoD on an inward loan. At the end of the loan, you will return to your home (OGD) department. If a loan cannot be agreed between all parties, then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA policy for further information.

We are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented individual for this apprenticeship in the SDA Strategic Workforce Planning and Insight team. This role supports the development and maintenance of a suite of data management, modelling, and analytics applications to enable data-driven strategies and informed decision-making across the organisation.

As part of a dynamic and forward-thinking team, you will contribute to the design and delivery of tools and insights that shape workforce planning, optimise resource allocation, and enhance strategic outcomes.

The position is a 24 Month Fixed Term Appointment. You will be responsible for finding a permanent post after your apprenticeship ends, and we will offer appropriate support to you in relation to career development.  

In addition to completing a Level 4 Data Analyst apprenticeship, you will also: 

• Learn the fundamental skills you need to begin your career as a Data Analyst. 
• Gain invaluable knowledge, experience, behaviours and transferable skills, and be able to immediately apply these in the workplace.
• Have ring-fenced off-the-job training/study time as part of your apprenticeship pathway. 
• Be supported by experienced mentors and managers who will guide you through your apprenticeship, and career development. 
  
  

Flexible working can be considered for this post but will need regular workplace attendance (2 days per week) due to security constraints. Candidates are encouraged to discuss options with the recruiting line manager before submitting an application.

Responsibilities

• Completes the gathering and cleaning processes for data from various sources, ensuring data integrity and qualityInterprets results using a variety of techniques, ranging from simple data aggregation to more complex statistical analysis
• Identify data quality issues and propose data cleansing or enhancement solutions ensuring data is fit for purpose
• Interpret results using different analytical and statistical techniques to identify patterns, trends, correlations, and anomalies, and extract meaningful insights
• Identifies KPIs and develops metrics to track and measure business performance
• Develops and maintains visualisations and dashboard reports to tell a focused story
• Follows organisational data governance, including policies on data access, sharing, dissemination and protection
• Applies fundamental principles of data ethics and privacy under supervision
  
  

If you are a permanent MoD civil servant and are found successful for an advertised Fixed-term Appointment (FTA) you should move into the post under a Temporary Transfer for up to a maximum of 23 months. At the end of the posting, you will return to your previous MoD Business area. If this posting is at a higher grade, your promotion will be temporary, and you will return to your substantive grade at the end of the Temporary Transfer. If a Temporary Transfer cannot be agreed between all parties, then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA and Change of Work Location in the UK policy for further information.

If you are transferring to MoD from another government department (OGD) you should join the MoD on an inward loan. At the end of the loan, you will return to your home (OGD) department. If a loan cannot be agreed between all parties, then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA policy for further information.

Person specification

Apprenticeships Are Funded By The UK Government And There Are Some Rules Which We Need To Consider To Establish Eligibility For This Opportunity. In Particular:

• You will have been a resident in the UK for the last 3 years prior to the start of the apprenticeship or fit the criteria of eligible residency status in the Apprenticeship Funding Rules.
• No formal Training or qualifications in the subject. (Examples: Data Analyst at Level 4, 5, or 6)
  
  

Experience with using Microsoft Office and Power Platform tools, including Excel and Power BI is beneficial.

As part of this role, you will undertake a Data Analyst Level 4. You will be enrolled onto the apprenticeship shortly after you join, and it will typically take 24 months to complete.

Qualifications

Level 3 qualification (apprenticeship/A-levels/BTEC, etc)

OR equivalent work experience (typically two years in a relevant role

PLUS

5 x GCSEs, including English Language and Maths at Grade 4 (C) or above

Experience with using Excel and Microsoft products (or similar)

We cannot accept predicted grades. Applicants must hold the grades they are applying with. Evidence of the above qualifications will be required as part of your pre-employment checks before a formal offer can be made.

Please be aware that you are required to hold the qualifications stated as required and that unless otherwise stated in the advert a higher-level qualification cannot be accepted in lieu of the lower (E.G. an English Language A Level cannot replace the GCSE if the GCSE is not at the required grade)

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
  
  

Alongside your salary of £36,530, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,582 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We Truly Believe That The MOD Is a Great Place To Work, And We Offer a Unique Employee Experience. We Want To Ensure That Every Single Employee Feels Appreciated & Fairly Rewarded And Offer The Following Additional Benefits:

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
  
  

25 days annual leave rising to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service

• On-site Gym (Optional depending on site)
• Cycle Loan (Advance on Salary)
• Thank You Scheme
• Defence Sports & Recreational Association (DSRA)
• Defence Discount Service
• On-site Nursery (Depending on site)
  
  

Please note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

The post does not offer relocation expenses (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer).

Non-Standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility.

Discover My Benefits

Please follow the link to visit the Discover My Benefits site which showcases the benefits and discounts offered when working as a civilian for the MOD.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

An opportunity to be considered for Reward and Recognition - £250-£5000 per year

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

‘When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.’ 

Stage 1: Fill in your first stage short application form where you will be required to fill in details of your eligibility including details of your nationality and contact details. 

Stage 2: Complete the full application form which will include: 

• Job history
• Full qualification details
• Previous skills/experience
• Personal statement (500 words) - In your personal statement include details of your relevant skills and experience along with your understanding of the role, willingness to learn and personal qualities.
• Your behaviour (competency) statements (up to 250 words each). Please write behaviour (competency) questions using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action and Result) format. If we receive a high volume of applications, we will only be sifting against the lead behaviour.
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions - lead behaviour
• Working Together
  
  

Please allow sufficient time to complete these details before the closing date. Use the Success Profiles link for information on format and style, ensure you provide evidence for each Behaviour requested within the application. 

Stage 3: Your application be taken forward to the sifting stage. The sift assessment will be based on the required behaviours, CV, personal statement and previous skills and experience.

Stage 4: Bench marking will take place as part of the sifting stage, with successfully sifted candidates (in merit order) being invited to an interview. Interviews are expected to take place online via Microsoft Teams.

Please write behaviour (competency) questions using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action and Result) format.

Because of the classification of much of the role, all posts will be open to UK Nationals only. Further information on Nationality Requirements is attached below.

Nationality Requirements - Further Information for Candidates

• This post is classed as ‘Reserved’ as per Civil Service Nationality Rules Section 3. In accordance with these rules, ‘only UK nationals may be employed in reserved posts in the Civil Service’1 (Paragraph. 3.1).
  
  

UK National Definition

• The definition of a ‘UK National’ can be found at Paragraphs. 1.4-1.8 of the Civil Service Nationality Rules
  
  

Dual Nationals

• As per Paragraph. 1.43 of the Civil Service Nationality Rules: a. ‘Candidates with dual nationality are in principle eligible for employment in the Civil Service provided that they meet the requirements in relation to one of their nationalities [i.e. UK National]. They may not be eligible, however, for employment in certain reserved posts where additional nationality requirements are imposed.’
  
  

Additional Restrictions For Reserved Posts

• As per Paragraphs. 3.10-3.11 of the Civil Service Nationality Rules:
• ‘…departments and agencies are entitled to impose additional requirements in reserved posts if this is considered necessary. This could include, for example, requirements as to the residency of the applicant or the nationality of one or both parents of the applicant.’
• As the post holder will have access to very sensitive information, there are limitations on travelling to a small number of countries and we will undertake additional security checks as part of the recruitment process. Applications from candidates with close connections to certain countries may take considerably longer to process or, in some cases, result in a withdrawal of an offer of employment. Further details will be provided at the conditional offer stage.
  
  

1Irish nationals and Commonwealth citizens are also eligible for employment in reserved posts if they were in the Civil Service at 31 May 1996 or before, or were appointed from a recruitment scheme with a closing date for receipt of applications before 1 June 1996. (Paragraph. 3.1)

Please note offers of employment are subject to achieving satisfactory pre-employment and security checks. These include an Occupational Health Assessment and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). As part of this you will need to confirm your identity, employment/education history, nationality and any criminal record (unspent convictions only).

The level of security needed is Security Check (SC) and you should usually have been continuously resident in the UK for 5 years immediately before clearance action commences. If you have lived overseas or travelled extensively during this period, it may affect the length of time to obtain full security clearance and this may affect your offer of employment. It is essential that ALL requests for information are completed fully and timely, as incomplete information may result in significant delays. Offers of employment are also subject to candidates achieving acceptable grades where predicted.

No application can be accepted after the closing date.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job Contact :

• Name : DNO Skills Team
• Email : [email protected]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]