Insights Analyst

The UK is committed to transitioning towards a more circular economy, keeping resources in use for longer, extracting maximum value from materials, reducing waste, and improving overall resource efficiency. The Circular Economy Directorate in Defra leads the development and delivery of strategy to support this ambition across the UK.

As part of this work, the UK’s Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) scheme is shifting the full cost of managing household packaging waste away from taxpayers and local authorities and onto packaging producers, applying the ‘polluter pays’ principle. This incentivises producers to use less and more sustainable packaging, helping to reduce pollution, cut carbon emissions, and accelerate progress towards a circular economy. PackUK is the organisation responsible for administering the pEPR scheme., PackUK is recruiting an HEO Operational Researcher. Reporting to the Insights Lead, the post-holder will provide analytical support to PackUK, ensuring our projects are led by data and evidence. This will involve working with teams across PackUK, Defra Circular Economy analysts, partners from administrations across the four nations of the UK and the recycling and packaging sectors, to identify PackUK’s data and evidence requirements and develop plans to fill them., In this role you will:

• Lead on assessing PackUK’s data requirements (for example, local authority performance data or data to assess PackUK’s performance against its 5-Year Strategy) and developing plans to fill identified gaps. This will require assessment of data robustness, suitability of data sources for PackUK’s intended use, and source limitations.
• Support the delivery of a research and development project and the design of a call-for-evidence into future modulation factors to be applied to producer fees.
• Develop and maintain PackUK’s tracking of pEPR policy effects, gathering evidence to ensure the scheme is delivering on its intended outcomes.
• Provide analytical support and capability to PackUK teams, helping the Directorate become a data-driven organisation.
• Engage with external stakeholders across the packaging industry to gain further insights and gather evidence.
• Collaborate with analytical teams within Defra Circular Economy Directorate, working together to build on each other’s expertise and existing workstreams.
• Quality assure analysis undertaken for PackUK, ensuring outputs are robust under external scrutiny.
• Support other team members and contribute to a positive and inclusive working environment., After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Numerical Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55pm on 10th August 2026. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

Online Test Maintenance

You will be directed to the Talogy - True Talent – Scheduled Maintenance Window Webpage for online tests during an outage.

Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between midday - 1.00pm and 4.00pm - midnight on 10th August 2026. You will be unable to access tests during this period.

If you are in the middle of a test when the maintenance begins, your progress will be paused. You will be able to resume your test from where you left off via your application centre once the downtime has ended. Please note that you will not be able to launch any new tests while the system is offline.

Interview Process Details

You will also be asked questions based on the following Civil Service Behaviours;

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

You will also be asked Technical Skill based questions as per below:

• Government Operational Research Service, If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes., Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment., * UK nationals

• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

• Experience of numerical modelling/analysis in Excel or R software (with a willingness to learn to use R if not previously used)
• Experience of analysing and interpreting data to produce insights
• Experience of critically assessing and gaining insight from a range of sources, including academic articles and technical reports
• Excellent collaborative skills and ability to work across teams
• Ability to communicate complex analysis clearly to non-technical audiences
• Able to deliver at pace, responding quickly to emerging or changing priorities., * Professional Analytical Background: Current member of the GORS profession or eligible for joining.
• Experience in Working with Data: Experience identifying, managing, and assuring datasets needed for the successful delivery of technically complex projects.
• Technical Expertise in R or Excel: Hands-on experience of numerical modelling/analysis including the ability to validate and interpret data and produce insights.
• Innovative Analytical Skills: Demonstrated ability to explore diverse data and evidence sources, using robust and innovative analytical techniques.
• Collaboration Across Organisations: Proven ability to work effectively across teams, with partner organisations and stakeholders with differing priorities.
• Delivery at Pace: Experience working successfully in fast-paced, high-pressure or high-profile delivery settings, remaining flexible as priorities and deadlines change.
• Communication and Influence: Able to communicate complex analytical material clearly to non-technical audiences and provide confident, evidence-based advice.

Technical Skills

You will be assessed against the technical/professional competency framework relevant to your chosen profession:

• Government Operational Research Service – GORS Technical Framework - GOV.UK, Existing member of the Government Operational Research Service (GORS) profession, or meeting the qualification requirements. Please state in your application if you are already badged, or if you meet the following minimum qualifications:
• you have, or expect to have, a 2:1 or higher degree or degree apprenticeship in a highly numerate degree subject; or
• you have, or expect to have, a 2:2 or higher degree and a highly numerate postgraduate degree, You have, or expect to have, a 2:1 or higher degree or degree apprenticeship in a highly numerate degree subject; or you have, or expect to have, a 2:2 or higher degree and a highly numerate postgraduate degree., * Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing, This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Ability, Experience and Technical skills., As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time., Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship., Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Pulled from the full job description

• Childcare
• Company pension, Alongside your salary of £34,765, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £10,071 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides .
• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%, New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles 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.

This post offers the successful candidate the opportunity to receive an additional pay supplement of £3,000 upon appointment (pro rata).

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Near Miss

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match.

If you do not meet the degree requirements, you can still apply by providing evidence of equivalent numeracy through work or study, along with a supporting statement from your line management chain or your department’s GORS Head of Profession if there are no GORS members within your management chain.

Mandatory Memberships & Badging

Current member of the GORS profession or eligible for joining these professions.

If you are not an existing member of these professions, you will be expected to go through the badging process once in the role. See here for more details:

Government Operational Research Service - Badging Process - GOV.UK

This role operates flexibly to support PackUK’s evolving priorities. The post-holder is expected to:

• Contribute to a range of projects or teams, including moving onto new subject matters, where their skills and experience are relevant.
• Apply core transferable skills—such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and analytical thinking—in varied contexts across PackUK.
• Adapt to changing priorities over time, responding to shifts in strategic focus and organisational needs.
• Support peak periods and emerging initiatives through a collaborative and responsive approach.

The points above reflect the immediate priorities for this role over the next 6–12 months, based on its position in the to-be structure. However, this role operates flexibly and may be refocused onto new priorities as these emerge.

This flexible way of working enables PackUK to remain agile and deliver effectively across its strategic objectives.