DescriptionJob description
Use your analytical expertise to enhance the accuracy, governance, and value of data that underpins Scotland’s key public sector pension schemes.
The Scottish Public Pensions Agency is an Agency of the Scottish Government. Our principal role is to administer the pensions for employees in the National Health Service, Teachers’, Police and Fire-fighters’ pension schemes in Scotland. The Agency administers these public service pension schemes on behalf of Scottish Ministers with an annual pension spend to over 200,000 pensioners of more than £2.5 billion.
As Data Analyst, you will play a key role in supporting this vision by delivering high-quality data analysis and insight to inform governance activities. Working within the Data Governance team, you will be responsible for profiling, cleansing, and analysing data to assess quality, identify issues, and support the development of data standards and policies. You will also contribute to the maintenance of metadata repositories, support data lineage and cataloguing efforts, and produce clear visualisations and reports using tools such as Power BI, Tableau, SQL, and Python. Your role is essential in helping SPPA ensure its data is accurate, well-managed, and fit for purpose across all digital programmes and services.
Responsibilities
- Conduct data analysis and contributes insights to broader data-driven projects.
- Participate in meetings and workshops, engaging with both technical and non-technical colleagues on data matters.
- Produce outputs (e.g. reports, presentations) tailored to diverse audiences.
- Apply data management practices and supports data governance across business programme.
- Interpret data requirements and creates data models at conceptual, logical, and physical levels using appropriate tools.
- Perform data quality tasks including cleansing, validation, and “fit-for-purpose” checks.
- Utilise suitable data visualisation methods and statistical techniques to support analysis.
- Apply project management methodologies and monitors data-driven solutions
Success profile
Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.
Technical / Professional Skills
This role is aligned to the Data Analyst role within the Data Analyst Job Family.
You can find out more about the skills required here.
These skills are assessed by technical assessment. Full details of the assessment and skills being assessed will be shared in advance with all candidates invited to this stage.
Experience
1. You can apply data profiling, metadata management, data lineage mapping and data cataloguing and employ PowerBI / Tableau along with SQL and Python in order to carry out data analysis and visualisation activities.
2. In line with established policies and standards, you can identify, collect or migrate data, documenting their lineage across a variety of datasets, in order to be able to support data governance activities.
3. You can manipulate, link, and cleanse data in order to carry out data quality activities.
Behaviours:
- Communicating and Influencing - Level 3
- Seeing the Big Picture - Level 3
- Working Together - Level 3
How to apply
Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words) which provides evidence of how you meet each of the three Experience criteria listed in the Success Profile above.
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 DDaT Technical assessment where the Behaviours, Experiences and Technical Skills outlined in the Success Profile will be assessed.
Sifting will commence from W/C 13th April 2026
Assessments are scheduled for W/C 20th April 2026, however this may be subject to change.
Interview and assessment are expected to take place in person on site at SPPA, 7 Tweedside Park, Tweedbank, Galashiels, TD1 3TE.
About us
The Scottish Public Pensions Agency is an Agency of the Scottish Government. Our principal role is to administer the pensions for employees in the National Health Service, Teachers’, Police and Fire-fighters’ pension schemes in Scotland for over 500,000 key workers. The Agency administers these public service pension schemes on behalf of Scottish Ministers with an annual pension spend to over 200,000 pensioners to the value of more than £2.5 billion.
Working Pattern
Our standard hours are 35 hours per week. We offer a range of flexible and hybrid working options, with two days minimum working on site at SPPA. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.
DDaT Pay Supplement
This post is part of the Scottish Government Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) profession, as a member of the profession you will join the professional development system, currently BCS Role Mode plus. This post currently attracts a £5000 annual DDaT pay supplement, applicable after a 3-month competency qualifying period. The payment will be backdated to your start date in the role. Pay supplements are reviewed regularly and there is one currently underway. Changes will be communicated when the review is concluded.
Equality Statement
We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.
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.
We will hold a reserve list for this post for 12 months.
Apply Before: 12th April 2026 (23:59) - This role is open to internal candidates, OGD and Common Citizenship organisations only.
