Job responsibilities
The team uses digital tools to help a wide variety of different end users improve their service delivery and productivity. You will do this by implementing digital solutions that help teams become:
- More transparent and open about their work.
- More accountable to internal and external stakeholders.
- Better at communicating and collaborating on projects.
- Better at planning, tracking, managing and reporting on their work.
- Better able to see opportunities for process improvements.
A large proportion of this role will be the iterative development of bespoke solutions that help teams become more productive and efficient. As such, it is critical that you have exceptional Business Analysis (BA) skills. You will be expected to understand, prioritise, collate and translate user needs into practical solutions that meet the needs of disparate teams across the entire breadth of UKHSA.
You will build close working relationships with customers across the organisation, therefore it is also essential that you are an excellent listener and communicator.
It is crucial that you have a thorough theoretical and practical knowledge of the digital tools that the team support (Jira, Jira Service Desk, Confluence, GitHub, Slack).
You will be also be responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the tools as well as conducting regular monthly and quarterly checks, reporting your findings back to the Lead Digital Tools Specialist when necessary in order to highlight potential problems.
You will take a keen interest in new technologies and when required will identify potential plug-ins which could solve user needs not met by the existing tools that the team support.
You will actively promote the benefits of the tools to teams across UKHSA, demonstrating appropriate solutions as required and taking pride in the work of the team.
You will report to the Lead Digital Tools Specialist and will work very closely with this role to support our users, run the service, prioritise the teams' workload and develop practical and effective solutions for our users. Ultimately, this will help to drive the Engineering Culture across UKHSA.
Additional requirements:
- You will be enthusiastic about the service that the team provide and take pride in the solutions that you and your staff deliver.
- You will encourage the views of others and be open to them. However, you will be prepared to challenge views and decisions from all levels where appropriate.
- You will possess excellent Business Analysis skills. You will work closely with stakeholders to understand their user needs in order to translate their requirements into solutions using Jira, Jira Service Desk, Confluence, GitHub, or the Digital Tool which best fits their need.
- You will evaluate and recommend new digital tools and plug-ins that have the potential to benefit the team or the wider organisation.
- You will work with the Digital Tools team to understand the impact, risks and security implications of different delivery approaches. You will occasionally have to make difficult and unpopular decisions and sensitively manage the expectations of stakeholders.
- You will build relationships with external partners and, where necessary, work closely with them to meet the objectives of the team and the organisation as a whole.
- You will have direct line management responsibility for staff
Security clearance level requirement
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is SC Clearance.
People working with government assets must also complete Basic Personnel Security Standard checks.
Essential Criteria:
- Educated to degree level in relevant subject such as computer science with core development element or equivalent level qualification or experience of working at a similar level in specialist area
- Advanced theoretical and practical experience creating, configuring and maintaining JIRA and JIRA Service Desk projects and Confluence spaces
- Extensive practical experience acting in a business analysis capacity. Ability to work closely with end users to understand and translate user needs into team actions
- Theoretical and practical knowledge of test management and continuous integration plugins within JIRA, such as XRay, and GitHub for CI pipelines
- Extensive practical experience implementing advanced JIRA concepts for end users (configuring workflows using post-functions, triggers, validators, automations)
- Considerable experience of JIRA Query Language (JQL). Possess the skills necessary to write queries, configure agile boards and produce relevant reports
- Skilled problem-solver with a consistent and logical approach.
- Able to communicate with clarity, enthusiasm and honesty with a wide range of stakeholders. Possess the ability to modify the communication approach to the audience concerned
- Excellent attention to detail with the ability to document clearly and consistently
- An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems
Desirable Criteria:
- Certified ScrumMaster
- Experience creating, configuring and maintaining EazyBI accounts, including configuration of reports and dashboards for end users
- Experience of Portfolio for JIRA and Tempo Timesheets/Budgets
- Knowledge of the Agile methodology, including an appreciation of different methodologies and frameworks and their practical application to software development and business processes
- Experience configuring Jira Service Desk solutions
- Experience writing Groovy Script in order to develop custom plug-ins or calculated fields
- Extensive experience working in a Test / Production environment
- Demonstrable experience training end users in JIRA, Confluence and EazyBI
- Experience managing staff, including encouraging and inspiring them to contribute to the team as well as personally develop themselves
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.As part of the application process you will be asked to provide a Personal Statement / Statement of Suitability in no more than 1250 words. We will be assessing essential criteria at sift.
This should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the Experience criteria or the essential criteria (outlined in the person specification section).You will also be asked to provide information within the Employer/ Activity history section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history. This will be used in the sifting process and will be scored.
Stage 1 Application & Shortlisting
You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed in line with the advertised criteria.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.
Stage 2 Interview
All applicants that progress to interview will be assessed on behaviours and experience through Success Profiles.
The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:
- Changing and improving
- Communicating and influencing
- Managing a quality service
Eligibility Criteria
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants/Civil servants on Loan).
Please note:
New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles pay rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
For further details please refer to the Information Sheet- Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.
