Location
London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Hours
Full Time (Part-time working arrangements considered from 80% of full-time hours)

Salary
£79,697 per annum

About the Role
Do you want to use your analytical skills to make a real difference across government? Are you curious, detail-focused and keen to improve the models behind important public decisions? This varied role will see you lead reviews of government models, providing advice to improve their clarity, robustness and reliability while shaping how we deliver and develop our model quality assurance services. Our current and recent work includes assuring analysis included in ministerial submissions and departmental business cases, and models used in implementation of key policies supporting the government’s missions. We are advising on policies supporting the circular economy, cover for clinical negligence, managing the costs of nuclear decommissioning, education spending, healthcare funding and payment models and more.

At the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) our vision is to be bold and trusted partners in risk and finance, enhancing decision making for lasting benefits to society. We work closely with clients to understand their needs, develop solutions together and deliver high-quality advice. We continually look for innovative and efficient ways to increase our impact and provide greater value. The department’s work covers quality assurance of analysis, financial modelling, and policy support in relation to insurance and contingent liabilities, pension schemes, financial risk, and social security.

The role sits within the Analytical Solutions Team (AST) which comprises around 80 analysts and actuaries and works across a wide and growing range of analytical areas. You will be part of the Models, Development & Assurance team whose mission is to deliver high-quality models and systems that help government make better decisions.

Models often sit at the heart of major financial, policy and operational decisions. As our Model Quality Assurance Lead, you will help ensure that the analytical models used by the clients we work with that inform important government decisions are robust, transparent, fit for purpose and have appropriate governance and controls. You will also provide thought leadership to develop and strengthen our model quality assurance service offering.

This role combines technical challenge, stakeholder engagement and strategic influence. You will lead a varied portfolio of projects reviewing complex analytical models, including Excel-based financial models and models built in R and Python using statistical methods. Each project involves validation, verification or providing advice on governance, controls and good practice depending on client needs. You will assemble and manage the right blend of skills and expertise to deliver high-quality assurance work, ensuring projects meet client requirements and are delivered on time and within budget.

Alongside project delivery, you will help develop model assurance capability across the organisation, champion high standards, and contribute to the growth of our model QA offering. You will work closely with the client-facing Risk & Assurance team to shape and develop our model QA portfolio, identifying opportunities to add value and ensuring delivery of the right solutions. You will directly manage two SEO specialists and draw on a wider network of analysts and actuarial staff across the department.

Your primary responsibility will be ensuring the successful execution of diverse and sometimes unpredictable model QA projects. You will provide thought leadership on how the organisation approaches its model QA offering and how it can adapt to meet new and emerging needs, such as Large Language Models.

Experience
- Proven track record in model quality assurance across a range of analytical methods and technical tools.
- Experience leading analytical work, providing oversight and direction.
- Strong knowledge of Excel/VBA for analytical and financial modelling.
- Experience with Python or R for data science, including core frameworks such as pandas, numpy, matplotlib, tidyverse, and data.table.
- Experience identifying model risks, errors, weaknesses or limitations and making practical recommendations to improve quality, transparency and control.
- Experience working in or consulting for government or public sector organisations is highly desirable.

About you
- Detail-focused, curious and motivated to improve analytical models that inform public decisions.
- Strong leadership skills with experience managing and developing small teams.
- Ability to build and manage project teams by drawing on expertise across the organisation.
- Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, able to work closely with clients to understand their needs and deliver value.
- Adaptable and capable of applying knowledge to novel and complex situations.
- Committed to promoting a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing culture.

Qualifications
- No specific qualifications are mandated; however, a strong analytical background and relevant technical expertise are essential.
- Commitment to continuous professional development and learning.