Salary: £72,717
Working pattern: Flexible working, Full-time, Part-time
Business area: IBCA - Data
Location: Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Job summary
The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) is a new arm's-length body set up, at unprecedented pace, to administer compensation to people whose lives have been impacted by the infected blood scandal.
IBCA will ensure payment is made in recognition of the wrongs experienced by those who have been infected by HIV, Hepatitis B or C, as well as those who love and care for them. They have been frustrated and distressed by the delays in achieving proper recognition, and we must help put this right.
We are committed to putting the infected and affected blood community at the centre of every decision we make and every step we take to build our organisation to deliver compensation payments.
IBCA employees will be public servants. If successful in this role you will be appointed directly into IBCA, on IBCA terms and conditions as a public servant.
Successful applicants will join the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Please note that the mission of IBCA means that it is likely to be operational for a period of approximately 5 to 7 years. When IBCA's work begins to wind down, IBCA employees will receive support and practical guidance to find a new role, whether in the Civil Service, another Arms Length Body (ALB), or an external employer.
Job description
The Infected Blood Compensation Authority seeks an ambitious head of Advanced Analytics & Intelligence, to lead how we use current and emerging techniques so we might make swift payments to victims of infected blood.
IBCA is responsible for administering a compensation scheme that will process millions of pages of evidence across medical records, minutes of meetings, and other data, as well as flows of information to and from government departments, health agencies and other bodies.
The data landscape is complex and delivering an efficient service will rely on making data work hard on our behalf. The postholder will lead the development of data solutions to support managing fraud, evidence processing to help speed up decisions as well as developing tools that allow us to better understand and engage with those who should engage with the scheme. The opportunity for the postholder to have an impact on those who deserve compensation is huge, and suits a candidate looking to bring their leadership and experience to bear and make a real impact to real people.
As the Head of Analytics, you will lead the development of data solutions to support managing fraud, evidence processing to help speed up decisions as well as developing tools that allow us to better understand and engage with those who should engage with the scheme. You will lead the development of current and emerging techniques in a complex data landscape; you will be responsible for making sense of millions of pages of evidence, including medical records and historical archives.
This is a greenfield opportunity to shape high-functioning data advanced analytics and insight teams. You'll pitch project ideas, explore novel collaborations with partners, and foster a team culture of creativity and innovation. You will champion the benefits of Data Science, AI (including Generative AI), and Machine Learning to tackle challenges in operational efficiency, forecasting, and fraud detection. Your work will have a direct, tangible impact on the lives of those who deserve compensation.
Responsibilities
Strategic Technical Leadership:
Provide visible leadership to the Analytics team, supporting the Deputy Director to shape the data management function and vision.
Collaborate with other areas of the data Directorate and wider business areas, including understanding data analytics needs across the department and ensuring IBCA is making data informed decisions.
Performance Analysis:
Oversee the creation of Performance Frameworks to enable decision making by leadership at all levels and set up of Google Analytics across the organisation to support future service assessments.
Business Intelligence/reporting:
Establish and maintain the standards for a self-service reporting environment.
Own key intelligence products (primarily built in Tableau and Google Looker) that are shared with the Executive Committee/the Board, and other stakeholders, including HM Treasury, and the Cabinet Office.
Develop Demand Insight:
Develop better understanding of our claimant cohorts and develop forecasting capability, ensuring effective communication and interaction with those involved in the compensation scheme.
Champion Data Science, AI, and Machine Learning:
Advocate for and demonstrate the benefits of data science, AI (including generative AI), and machine learning to tackle organisational challenges such as operational efficiency, forecasting, fraud mitigation, and cohort analysis.
Innovation in Evidence Processing:
Lead the development of advanced tools, including image processing / beyond OCR of materials, including emerging methods combining image-text and voice-text transformers, to automate and accelerate the processing of complex evidence.
Fraud & Intelligence Roadmap:
Own the technical roadmap for fraud detection. Provide data expertise to fraud management roles to safeguard the scheme's integrity.
Trauma-Informed Practice:
Ensure all data strategies and decisions are made with sensitivity to the lived experiences of the community we serve.
Person specification
Essential Criteria
Technical Expertise: A strong background in Data Science and AI, with the ability to lead the development and procurement of sophisticated technical products;
Strategic Thinking: Experience in translating strategic priorities into clear, outcome-focused objectives for multi-functional teams;
Communication: The ability to convey the benefits and risks of complex technical methods to non-technical audiences and senior stakeholders;
Collaborative Leadership: A proven ability to build and maintain networks across government and external partners to achieve shared goals;
Resilience & Decisiveness: The ability to make bold, trauma-informed decisions in a fast-paced, evolving environment;
Culture & Inclusion: A commitment to embedding a culture of inclusion and wellbeing, valuing the diversity of experiences within your team.
Desirable Criteria
Insight into the infected blood community, health services, or the wider public sector context.
Experience in creating joined-up strategies that support the Government's vision for the future of data and AI
Additional information:
A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
Predictive Analysis & Machine Learning
Business Intelligence & visualisation
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £72,717, Infected Blood Compensation Authority contributes £21,066 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Premium allowance paid monthly after probation
Learning and development tailored to your role
An environment with flexible working options
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%
32.5 days of paid annual leave plus 8 bank holidays
Family friendly policies to support you and your everyday responsibilities
Enhanced maternity and paternity leave, up to 12 months shared parental leave
Recent changes in skilled worker visa eligibility mean that a Skilled Worker must have a job offer in an eligible skilled occupation from a Home Office-approved sponsor. From 22 July 2025, the job must normally be skilled to level 6 (graduate level) on the Regulated Qualifications Framework for England and Northern Ireland, or the equivalent level in Wales or Scotland, or be included on either the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List. Please be aware that if the role is not eligible for a skilled worker visa that we will be unable to provide sponsorship.
We are proud supporters of Women in Data. Connect, engage and belong to the largest free female data community in the UK – visit: to join our community.
Stay connected Follow us on LinkedIn for updates on career opportunities and more.