Deputy Director People Analysis

The Deputy Director of People Analysis will lead analysis for the People Function and Expenditure Statistics. You will be responsible for a multidisciplinary team of over 100 people across London, Bristol, Andover, High Wycombe and Portsmouth. Together, these teams forecast and model the future shape of Defence's military and civilian workforce, deliver management information on organisational health, undertake research and evaluation of major people policies, and provide a centre of excellence for Defence survey activity. They also produce more than 20 National and Official Statistics publications and oversee compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

The People Analysis teams are currently undergoing significant transformation as part of Defence Reform. You will play a pivotal role in shaping and leading this change, working closely with your Grade 6 leadership team and senior leaders across the People Function to create a more efficient, effective and responsive analytical service.

The role also currently includes leadership of a team delivering critical expenditure analysis that strengthens both internal and public understanding of Defence's economic contribution across the nations and regions of the United Kingdom. In addition, you will oversee a high-performing business support function that provides essential enabling services to analysts across the Directorate and Function.

The responsibilities of the role include:

• Lead multidisciplinary analytical teams covering People and Expenditure Statistics, ensuring all statistical and analytical outputs meet the highest professional standards, support decision-making and comply with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Lead the transformation of People Analysis as part of Defence Reform, delivering a more efficient, effective and responsive analytical service while supporting colleagues through significant change. This will also include working very closely with the digital leadership in the People Function to support the provision of good quality and well-curated People data at a time of significant change.
• Provide leadership to four Grade 6s and a geographically dispersed team of over 100 analysts across multiple professions and specialisms.
• Play a full role as a member of the Directorate of Analysis and Performance leadership team, supporting the Director in delivering high-quality evidence and insight for critical Defence decisions and fostering an inclusive, high-performing culture.
• Build strong relationships with senior leaders across Defence, including Directors, Directors General (DGs) and senior military officers, to ensure analytical evidence is at the heart of strategic decision-making.
• Represent the Analysis Function on senior boards and governance forums, acting as a trusted adviser on people policy.
• Champion the integrity, quality and independence of analysis while supporting ministerial priorities and delivery of the Strategic Defence Review. Drive a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and inclusion, harnessing new analytical techniques and technologies to improve impact and efficiency.
• Depending on wider organisational arrangements, the role may also include responsibilities as Chief Statistician, acting as the professional head of statistics in Defence and representing the Department with the Office for Statistics Regulation and UK Statistics Authority where required.

• Strategic Analytical Leadership. Experience of leading broad and diverse analytical portfolios, balancing multiple priorities and ensuring high-quality outputs that inform strategic decision-making.
• Leadership. Proven ability to lead, develop and inspire large teams, creating an inclusive, high-performing culture and delivering results through people.
• Leading Change and Improvement. Experience of leading change, innovation or continuous improvement in analytical delivery, bringing people with you and delivering better outcomes, services or ways of working.
• Strategic Influence. Excellent communication and influencing skills, with demonstrable experience of translating complex evidence into clear and compelling analytical insight that influences senior leaders and informs strategic decision-making.
• Analytical Expertise. Proven extensive experience in complex analytical roles, demonstrating strong strategic thinking, analytical skills, and insight. Able to provide well-rounded recommendations and ensure decisions are based on robust evidence.
• Member of one of the badged analytical professions. (Government Social Research, Government Economic Service, Government Statistical Service or Government Operational Research Service) or willingness to achieve it within an agreed timeframe upon appointment.

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a strong field of candidates when there is a need to distinguish between candidates. This will be as a second sift, after the essential criteria has been considered:

• Experience of leading the production and dissemination of National and Official Statistics, including oversight of statistical quality, governance and compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.