Communities & Skills
Collaborative, open, inclusive and fair - we work with and through partners to ensure Londoners can shape healthy, empowered and productive lives. Communities and Skills is led by Executive Director, Tunde Olayinka and is comprised of the following units: Civil Society & Sport, Communities & Social Policy, Group Public Health Unit, Skills & Employment and Health, Children & Young Londoners.

About the team
The Skills & Employment Unit is responsible for overseeing adult skills delivery in London following delegation of the Adult Skills Fund from the DfE to the Greater London Authority in 2019 and the introduction of Skills Bootcamps in 2022.
The Skills & Employment Unit’s Funding Policy & Systems Team is responsible for data collection and processing related to London’s adult education and skills programmes and produces a range of data products to support delivery of the Mayor’s priorities in this area.

About the role

Sitting in the wider Funding Policy & Systems Team, the role will lead and support a small team of data analysts to deliver software and data systems to manage our adult skills programmes.

Working mainly in PostgreSQL and Python, alongside Microsoft Office Suite and PowerBI, the role will involve implementing change controls through updated code, using our tools to produce new reports, investigation and implementation of new technologies, designing and implementing quality assurance tests, reviewing the work of colleagues and helping with training.
This is a hybrid working opportunity. The team is based at 169 Union Street, SE1 0LL.


What your day will look like
Support the team to deliver software and data systems to collect, store and process programme data and to deliver services and data products required to manage skills programmes and pay providers?.

Design new and adapt existing data solutions to meet programme needs?.

Implement a robust approach to testing and quality assurance for all software changes prior to release?.

Investigate data processing requirements for new programmes and data collections.
Review workflows and adjust priorities to ensure deadlines are met.

Provide analysis and data processing required to operate key business processes or develop policy, including support for the ASF and Bootcamps data publication, London Learner Survey and evaluation programmes and wider skills programmes as necessary; and
provide ad hoc analysis, incorporating statistically robust methodology as needed, working with policy and delivery colleagues, to help ensure ASF funding can best support the Mayor’s priorities.

Skills, knowledge and experience
To be considered for the role you must meet the following essential criteria:
Ability to read and understand python and SQL code (or similar languages with demonstrated ability to learn new programming languages), and set up and support others to use the appropriate environments and tools.

Ability to use version control tools such as GitHub to review code and provide feedback to developers.

Strong proficiency in analysing data and building reproducible processes using code.

Ability to review code and provide feedback in a constructive manner.

Ability to explain technical issues to non-technical colleagues.
A knowledge of adult skills programmes and the national data collection system and key dataset, the Individualised Learner Record, or demonstrated ability to learn new programmes and datasets quickly.


Behavioural competencies


Research and analysis… is gathering intelligence (information, opinion and data) from varied sources, making sense of it, testing its validity and drawing conclusions that can lead to practical benefits.

Level 3 indicators of effective performance

Expands networks to gain new information sources for research and policy development

Identifies and implements methods to ensure intelligence is of a high quality

Encourages others to analyse data from different angles, using multiple perspectives to identify connections and new insights
Tailors research investment in line with likely impact for Londoners and policy priorities

Retains a bigger picture view, ensuring research recommendations are appropriate and practical for the GLA and its stakeholders
Problem solving… is analysing and interpreting situations from a variety of viewpoints and finding creative, workable and timely solutions.

Level 3 indicators of effective performance
Clarifies ambiguous problems, questioning assumptions to reach a fuller understanding

Actively challenges the status quo to find new ways of doing things, looking for good practice

Seeks and incorporates diverse perspectives to help produce workable strategies to address complex issues

Initiates consultation on opportunities to improve work processes

Supports the organisation to implement innovative suggestions
Strategic thinking…is using an understanding of the bigger picture to uncover potential challenges and opportunities for the long term and turning these into a compelling vision for action.

Level 3 indicators of effective performance

Translates GLA vision and strategy into practical and tangible plans for own team or delivery partners

Consistently takes account of the wider implications of team’s actions for the GLA

Encourages self and others to think about organisation’s long term potential

Informs strategy development by identifying gaps in current delivery or evidence

Takes account of a wide range of public and partner needs to inform team’s work


Communicating and influencing… is presenting information and arguments clearly and convincingly so that others see us as credible and articulate and engage with us.

Level 2 indicators of effective performance
Communicates openly and inclusively with internal and external stakeholders

Clearly articulates the key points of an argument, both in verbal and written communication

Persuades others, using evidence based knowledge, modif