Head of Data & Analysis Team Operations

Posting date:	11 November 2025
Salary:	£67,730 to £75,480 per year
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	25 November 2025
Location:	Bridgwater
Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	435884/1

Summary

Are you passionate about supporting our food and farming industry, and helping rural communities create a better place to live?  

Join the Rural Payments agency and be a part of a dynamic team dedicated to administering direct aid and rural development payments of over £2 billion annually to farmers and rural businesses in England. We are committed to world class farming and land management for the environment, food, and rural resilience. 

Further information can be found on the Rural Payments Agency website here: rpa.gov.uk

With access to big, complex data from across the agricultural sector, this role will lead the operational data teams in RPA to oversee reporting and analysis, servicing both the Agency and wider Defra’s data requirements. This is an exciting period of change for RPA’s data teams as the Agency moves towards a data-centric approach to delivery. Leading teams of data analysts, MI and assumptions specialists, you will need to work closely with colleagues across RPA, Defra and wider government to ensure RPA is able to provide a high-quality data service. Specifically, the role will:

Responsibilities

• Lead RPA’s operational data, MI and assumptions teams across RPA’s internal and customer facing activities ensuring delivery of timely, high-quality output, including when under significant time pressure
• Be responsible for communicating the complex information produced by RPA’s data teams to senior stakeholders in a clear and timely manner whilst providing an accurate assessment of analytical assurance
• Develop and embed efficient and vfm approaches to data provision and analysis
• Ensure alignment with best practice in data provision, reporting and analysis e.g. the AQuA Book and the Macpherson Review of Quality Assurance of Analytical Models in government

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About Disability Confident

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