Senior Data Analyst

Fixed Term / Secondment (12 months), Full Time

About the role

Salary: £45,996 to £54,112 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working style: Anywhere worker

Closing date: 30th March 2026

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• This is a hybrid‑working role with a requirement to work in the Chelmsford office 2‑3 days per month, depending on business need.
  
• This opportunity will be offered as a fixed‑term contract or secondment for a duration of 12 months.
  

ECC’s Data, Analytics and Performance team transforms complex data into clear, actionable insights, providing robust analysis and performance intelligence to inform evidence‑led decisions, improve services, and deliver better outcomes for residents. The team is a centre of excellence for Data Engineers, Analysts and Data Scientists who work together to instil best practice data principles across the county.

The Senior Data Analyst will lead the creation of high‑quality analytical products that drive strategic decision‑making and service improvement. The postholder will guide others in best practice to design and deliver clear, impactful reports and visualisations, ensuring that complex data is transformed into insightful products that improve the accessibility and availability of timely, relevant data and reporting across the organisation.

Working closely with stakeholders, this role helps to translate business needs into specifications for analysts, engineers and developers. Managing delivery across the team, you’ll oversee progress, allocate resources and ensure alignment with organisational priorities. Your role will lead communication around data projects, adapting to stakeholder needs, and mentoring junior analysts – supporting the full delivery lifecycle and contributing to the development of design principles and reporting standards.

This role focuses on the delivery of data products for council functional areas – particularly managing and overseeing how these products will be delivered on time.

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• Lead the development and design of high‑quality impactful reports and visualisations that improve data accessibility and usability to support decision‑making and service improvement.
  
• Establish and manage processes for reviewing business requirements and translating them into clear technical specifications or tasks for delivery.
  
• Shape and improve data processes, standards, and reporting practices across the organisation to promote best practice in data preparation, analysis, and interpretation. Set up and maintain a data and reporting catalogue to document data processes, data definitions and guidance on using the reporting tools and data platform effectively.
  
• Develop and maintain delivery plans, timelines, and capacity forecasts for the data and reporting workplan. Monitor progress against plans, manage risks and issues, and provide regular status updates to stakeholders. Monitor usage of existing data products, identifying opportunities for improvement or training to maximise impact and accessibility.
  
• Provide guidance and support to Data Analysts and Junior Data Analysts, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and capability building.
  
• Collaborate with colleagues across Performance and Data Science to understand how their outputs can be built into data and reporting products. Work with Reporting Lead and Data Architect to ensure outputs have been tested, met expected Quality Assurance standards and have been published once signed off.
  
• Share data products and insights in accessible formats to promote transparency and collaboration. Document and publish work clearly to support reuse, learning, and responsible data use.
  
• Stay current with emerging tools, techniques, and best practices and represent the organisation professionally by contributing to communities of practice and sharing knowledge.
  
• Act with curiosity and constructive challenge to lead communication of data and data projects with stakeholders, ensuring analytical outputs meet operational and strategic priorities.
  

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• Educated to degree level in a relevant field (e.g. Data Analytics, Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Computer Science, or similar) or equivalent by experience.
  
• Membership or affiliation with organisations such as the Government Analysis Function, Royal Statistical Society (RSS), or British Computer Society (BCS) is beneficial.
  
• 5+ years of experience in a business intelligence, data analytics or data engineering type role.
  
• Knowledge and hands‑on experience in designing analytical products, BI tooling (PowerBI preferred, other tools such as Tableau or Looker will be considered) and writing and optimising SQL queries for data extraction and transformation.
  
• Experience of stakeholder engagement and building relationships, working in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders.
  
• Proven ability to lead projects and translate complex data into actionable insights with experience in project management tools and methodologies (Waterfall, Agile, Kanban or similar).
  
• Experience of coordinating multidisciplinary teams, ensuring alignment and timely delivery and mentoring others.
  
• Experience of working in a complex and political environment.
  

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

At Essex County Council we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

To read more about us please visit: Policy, Economy, Investment and Property – Working for Essex

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For queries about this role or for further information, please email .

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