Senior Data Analyst

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) is seeking a Senior Data Analyst to the join their Digital & Data divsion.

Digital & Data is a new division within FSS, bringing together digital, data and delivery expertise to drive innovation and transformation across the organisation. Working collaboratively with colleagues and stakeholders, we design and deliver modern, user-focused solutions, harness data-driven insight and enable better outcomes for customers, communities and services.

This is an exciting opportunity to apply your knowledge of specific statistical methods in data analysis activities and work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams, including technical and non-technical stakeholders, to promote the effective use and interpretation of data, influencing decision-making and supporting a data-driven culture.

Responsibilities

• Carries out complex data analysis and synthesis with a variety of methods and tools. Also assures and peer reviews data analysis and synthesis output of other colleagues.
• Runs meetings and workshops, where data analysis matters are discussed with technical and non-technical colleagues.
• Produces written and verbal data analysis (e.g. reports or presentations) for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Defines and employs data management and governance mechanisms and tooling, develops data management processes within their business area.
• Carries out data mapping and pipelining activities in support of data integration exercises, contributes to established corporate data patterns and standards.
• Ensures data meet the necessary metadata standards in support of semantic interoperability across digital systems.
• Deals with diverse datasets and applies methodology for data quality management.
• Proficient in applying a variety of data visualisation approaches including developing data visualisation standards.
• Develops data analysis utilities, based on available IT, that employ mathematical functions to carry out data tasks.
• Resolves data issues and manages others in data driven solution implementation.
• Manages data analysis projects and exchanges relevant views and knowledge with others.
• Applies deep knowledge of specific statistical methods in data analysis activities.
• Collaboration and Influence - Works collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams, including technical and non-technical stakeholders, to promote the effective use and interpretation of data, influencing decision-making and supporting a data-driven culture.
• Strategy and Consultancy - Advocates for and supports delivery of the FSS Digital and Data Strategy by providing expert advice to teams on data management, analysis, reporting and process improvement, helping to embed efficient and effective data practices across the organisation.

Success Profiles
Success Profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of behaviours, experience and technical criteria (if applicable) that candidates will be assessed on.

Professional / Technical Skills

• Applying statistical and analytical tools and techniques (Level – Practitioner)
• Communicating between the technical and non-technical (Level – Practitioner)
• Data ethics and privacy (Level – Practitioner)
• Data management (Level – Practitioner)
• Data preparation and linkage (Level – Practitioner)
• Data visualisation (Level – Practitioner)
• Delivering business impact through data (Level – Practitioner)
• Developing code for analysis (Level – Practitioner)
• IT and mathematical skills (Level – Practitioner)
• Logic and creative thinking (Level – Practitioner)
• Managing a data project (Level – Practitioner)
  

This role is aligned to Senior Data Analyst role within the Government Digital and Data Profession.

Please review the following to understand the skill expectations: Data analyst - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework

These skills will be tested during the Technical Assessment if you are successful at sift stage. They will not be assessed at application stage.

Experience

1. You have a track record of applying statistical methods, data analysis techniques and Reproducible Analytical Pipelines (RAP) principles, alongside data cleaning and quality assurance processes, using relevant analytical and visualisation tools (for example R and Power BI) in order to carry out data analysis and visualisation activities.

2. You are a seasoned data management professional, employing relevant tools and methods in order to apply data governance according to established policies and standards.

3. You have solid experience in mapping and pipelining data in order deliver data integration activities.

4. You have solid experience in manipulating, linking and cleansing data in order to carry out data quality activities.

5. You have led technical workshops, with technical and non-technical staff, identifying information requirements and/or presenting your technical output in relation to data analysis activities.

6. You have led others in data related projects in order to deliver to customers solutions according to agreed requirements

How to apply
Apply online, providing a CV and supporting statement (of no more than 1000 words) providing evidence of how you meet the behaviours, experience and technical skills listed in the Success Profile above. Both the CV and the supporting statement provided will be assessed against the criteria for the role.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples 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, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and Technical Assessment.

In the event of a high volume of applications, candidates will have their applications initially assessed against the first Experience criteria above. Candidates who pass this initial sift will have their applications fully assessed against the listed criteria.

Expected Timeline (Subject to change)
Sift - 4th to 11th November 2026
Interviews - week commencing 23rd November 2026
Location - Online via MS Teams

This post is open to internal candidates and Common Citizenship Organisations only (external candidates and staff from UK Other Government Departments are not eligible to apply for this vacancy).

Skilled Worker Sponsorship
Skilled Worker sponsorship is not available for this role. As a result, we are unable to appoint candidates who require Skilled Worker sponsorship now or in the future. Applicants must have an existing and ongoing right to work in the UK.

Recruitment Principles
As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.

About Us
The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.

Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, observing the Civil Service Code and working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.

As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Working Pattern
This post is based in Pilgrim House, Aberdeen but the post holder can be based at another SG Building. Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role, including Flexi-leave. In line with our current ways of working, our team follows a hybrid working approach, where colleagues use a mix of office based and remote working (working from home) depending on the requirements of the role and personal circumstances.

The post is a full-time role, but staff with different working patterns are invited to apply, and we will assess proposed working patterns against the business requirements for this post.

Equality Statement
We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation. 

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Further Information
Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.

Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.

If you experience any difficulties accessing our website or completing the online application form, please contact the Resourcing Team via recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot

Apply before 23:55 on 2nd November 2026