Head of Local Transport Funding Data in London

Are you a skilled data analyst who wants to help improve the transport system used by millions of people every day? If so, we’d love to hear from you! We have an exciting opportunity available leading data delivery and analysis for the Local Transport Funding Data team. This is an exciting time for Local Transport funding, as DfT has recently introduced the biggest change to Local Authority (LA) transport funding and governance in 25 years. DfT funds are distributed through LAs and go to a wide range of local transport programmes, ranging from highways maintenance, such as potholes, to larger schemes such as light rail and transport hubs. In addition, the recent policy focus on English devolution makes this data even more critical for decision‑making.

You will join the Local and Regional Transport Analysis directorate, part of the Department for Transport’s vibrant and innovative Transport Statistics community. Our multidisciplinary team of Statisticians, Social Researchers and Economists works collaboratively to produce high-quality, trusted analysis that informs government policy and supports public understanding of transport issues.

This is a hands‑on analytical role with a strong focus on coding, data management, and reproducible analysis. You will use R to collect, clean, analyse and visualise data, and work with large and complex databases using cloud-based tools such as Google Cloud Platform and BigQuery. You will recommend and undertake a range of analytical approaches for understanding a brand new evolving set of data. We work in a code-led environment, using GitHub for version control, collaboration and quality assurance, and we are continually improving how we develop, review and share our code.

We place a strong emphasis on learning and development, particularly in coding and modern analytical methods. We are committed to creating an inclusive team culture where everyone is encouraged to learn, share ideas and build a fulfilling career as a government analyst.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary.
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King's birthday.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Over the next few years DfT will invest over £15 billion in local transport initiatives, and fund hundreds of projects in Local Authorities (LAs) across England. It is therefore important that DfT has up-to-date and accurate information about how funding has been allocated across LAs and transport modes, and can track the costs, outputs, and delivery of individual schemes and programmes as they progress.

You will need to show flexibility as the team’s size and remit will change to accommodate developing government priorities. You will become an expert on all aspects of funding and performance data from Local Authorities. You will be instrumental in collecting this data, disseminating it for colleagues at all levels, and analysing it for trends and insight. At working level your data will be used by colleagues to monitor delivery of Local Authority projects such as cycle lanes, bus services, and potholes. At senior level you will provide summaries for members of the Department for Transport’s senior executive team on spend and delivery.

You will have advanced quantitative analytical skills and experience of creating, managing, and working with large datasets, including linking data from different sources. You will be a confident communicator with the ability to build effective collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders. This role will suit anyone who enjoys innovative analysis as well as coding and databases. This area is relatively new and fast developing, so creativity is key as you shape this new area of work.

Key responsibilities include:

• Managing 2-3 staff to deliver all the team’s work.
• Working alongside the Local Transport Portfolio Office to provide regular reporting and analysis to senior executives of the Department for Transport.
• Working with project managers, digital colleagues and funding teams on delivery of an innovative and high-impact data portal, which will streamline data collection across the department.
• Developing and maintaining our core database which contains quarterly data on all Local Authority spend, delivery, and risks, and disseminating this for policy and delivery colleagues. You will also link this data to supplementary information on finance, population, performance (outcomes), and project delivery.
• Providing high-quality data analysis, providing a centralized view that spans across different transport modes, geographical areas and time periods. This may include geographical analysis with tools such as QGIS or R, and/or advanced statistical or machine learning techniques for finding new patterns and trends.
• Managing Official Statistics publications on taxis and light rail.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process.