Lead Psychometrician (Product Management and Development)
Cabinet Office
Apply before 11:55 pm on Tuesday 1st October 2024
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Psychology
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About the job
Job summary
The Government People Group exists to work with departments, professions, and functions to build a modern, effective Civil Service.
We support the government workforce with the right skills and capability. We are working with leaders to get the right people in the right jobs, with the right skills and continuous learning to excel in their roles.
We provide leadership, and in turn, create leaders with exceptional line management capability across departments, influencing partners in the wider public sector and beyond. This involves getting our retention and reward strategy right, to nurture specific skills, and create pride and resilience in our workforce.
Our role is also to provide system leadership across central government in pulling together back office services. Collectively, we help support the Cabinet Office’s priority to drive efficiencies, and reforms that will make government work better, to ultimately provide a better service to the public.
Job description
This is an exciting time to join our Occupational Psychology Services (OPS) team - part of the Recruitment Directorate in Government People Group in Cabinet Office - as we seek to update and expand our services.
Our Vision
To embed best practice occupational psychology insights and solutions to support the future of the Civil Service, through delivery of high quality psychometric tests and assessments.
Our Priorities
- To be at the leading edge of assessment and selection techniques and digital developments.
- To develop our services through evidence-based research and analysis.
- To ensure diversity and inclusion is embedded in all our activities.
- To provide a seamless and flexible customer experience.
- To meet business requirements with efficient, effective and value for money solutions.
- To provide a great and evolving candidate journey.
Our Service
Acting as an internal consultancy to all of the Civil Service, we collaborate with government departments, functions and professions to develop and deliver high quality, customer-focused assessment products and solutions grounded in occupational psychology and psychometrics. Our services aim to help identify and develop the best people from all backgrounds, including the Civil Service’s prestigious talent programmes.
We also place ourselves at the forefront of assessment innovation, and are actively creating a growing range of evidence-based psychological assessment tools.
You will be joining a high performing multi-disciplinary team of occupational psychologists, psychometricians and digital experts who use evidence-based practice to put the client and user at the heart of what they do. We are a team that embraces innovation to deliver better results, improved efficiency and added value, with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion.
If you are passionate about applying psychology and psychometrics in the workplace to really add value across a wide and varied agenda, then we really want to hear from you!
The Lead Psychometrician will lead on the psychometric development, testing and system integration of a suite of online tests used for recruitment in the Civil Service and the psychometric aspects of integration with our main candidate management systems. They will develop new content, carry out subject matter expert reviews and content trialling and lead the assembly and implementation of test products with our departmental customers – using a combination of surveys, item trialling, workshops and one to one user research. They will research and analyse new innovations and products, carrying out in-depth statistical evaluations.
The Lead Psychometrician will act as a subject matter expert and represent the service line professionally with a wide range of customers and stakeholders. They will manage the day to day availability and integrity of the test player and analytical function to ensure delivery is according to agreed standards.
The Lead Psychometrician will work very closely with a multi-disciplinary digital team operating an agile project management approach, so will work in an agile way in the design of test integrations, the user interface and test assembly, staging and implementation. Occasional travel within the UK will be a requirement of the role.
The Lead Psychometrician will be a member of a wider team of professional psychologists and will be expected to contribute to the development of professional practice and work collaboratively with colleagues on a wider portfolio of activities when the need arises.
Key responsibilities include:
Psychometric analysis
- Design and conduct psychometric and statistical analysis using CTT and IRT methods
- Conduct advanced statistical and psychometric forensic analyses to enhance test security measures
- Lead the development of new psychometric tests and research in the recruitment and assessment space
Product Management and Development
- Manage the design, trialling and delivery of content and assembly of tests and assessments
- Manage test availability, integrity and performance against agreed service standards
- Manage item banks to ensure they meet psychometric/statistical needs
- Develop and implement specifications and standardised procedures in test design and form assembly to support the publication process
Leadership
- Oversee the integrity of tests and assessments to provide accurate item and candidate performance data to support test construction work
- Act as a subject matter expert for recruitment tests and assessments
- Lead the psychometric implementation of accessibility standards
- Advise on delivery of user research, job analysis, online surveys and customer needs engagement initiatives
- Present and communicate analytical/research findings and proposals to customers, stakeholders and others, orally and in writing
- Keep up-to-date with and knowledge share the latest innovations in psychometrics, modern testing methods and in particular recruitment testing
- Line management of one or two Psychometric Analysts may be required
Person specification
In order to be successful in this role you will:
- Be degree educated in a numerate discipline with strong statistics/psychometrics background. You are likely to have a Masters in either Educational Measurement & Statistics, Quantitative Research Methods, Industrial/Organisational/Occupational Psychology, Psychometrics, or highly-related discipline with a significant component of measurement theory in it
- Be well versed in psychometric methods, modern statistical and psychometric theories, measurement principles, test design, analysis and validation, item bias, standard setting and have expertise in test development and psychometric methods using CTT and IRT methods
- Have knowledge of SPSS and other statistical analysis packages (e.g., R or Mplus), survey packages, MS Office/Google Docs are required
- Have good knowledge of group differences analysis, such as Differential Item Function (DIF) and adverse impact analysis
- Experience in use of modern measurement models. Fore example, cognitive diagnostic models (CDM) or linear-on-the-fly models (LOFT)
- Be experienced with managing large-scale research and testing programs, either of norm trialling, volume recruitment testing, certification and/or licensure applications
- Be a member of a professional body that regulates or promotes measurement standards, such as the BPS Divisions or statistical professions, or willing to work towards membership, and you may be a Registered Test User with the BPS
- Basic understanding of WCAG 2.0 standards in relation to user interfaces and test design
- Have significant experience working in product delivery environments where high stakes assessment is carried out using computer-based testing
- Have experience of working in a large, complex organisation with many approval controls, moving parts and stakeholders
- Have excellent oral/written and interpersonal communications, leadership and management skills for multi-functional projects and operations
- Have the ability to combine theory-based, academic and empirical experiences of developing new research / technical reports
- Have the ability to work with various stakeholders, committees and governing boards, vendors, consultants, and business partners of different backgrounds
- Have the ability to focus on technical details while maintaining high level perspectives
- Enjoy working in a team environment, be intellectually curious, conscientious, and motivated to work to continually improve the quality and validity of programme deliverables
- Have project management skills to effectively manage multiple project assignments, timelines, deliverables, and milestones in accordance with Government Digital Services standards
You’ll be reporting directly to the Head of Online Tests and Assessments. You will work with a variety of clients, departments and professions across government. You will need to be able to demonstrate flexibility, the ability to deliver at pace and be someone who your team can really rely on.
You’ll need to demonstrate real passion for applying psychometric expertise and evidence-based practice. Finally, we are a forward-looking team and so you will need to be too. You’ll embrace change and be eager to learn from it to develop and strengthen your role.
Do you see yourself as a talented individual that can achieve all this, progressing yourself and our team to the next level?
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.
Qualifications
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Developing Self and Others
- Working Together
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Managing development of assessment content, with follow up questions
- Conducting research and evaluation
- Working with complex statistics and developing own knowledge
- Innovating in an applied environment
- Evidencing and ensuring fairness and validity of assessments
Benefits
- 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 average employer contributions of 27%.
- A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application process
Stage 1
Complete basic personal details
Stage 2
After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Numerical Test and, if you pass the test, the Civil Service Verbal Test. If you successfully pass both tests, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application. Please note that the Civil Service Verbal Test may be subject to pass mark rises. Further information on our tests can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/civil-service-online-tests
Stage 3
If you pass the tests you will then automatically be invited to submit a full application form which includes:
a) A CV section setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements along with details of any relevant qualifications. You will not be sifted on your CV, as it will only be used if you are invited to interview; and
b) A personal statement (no longer than 1250 words total) outlining how you meet the requirements of the role as set out in the job description and person specifications provided.
Selection process
Interview
Candidates demonstrating the best fit for the role will be invited to attend a panel interview and which will also include a presentation. Candidates will be assessed on Technical Skills and CS Behaviours listed above. Further details will be provided to candidates who are shortlisted in due course.
Expected timeline (subject to change)
Expected sift date – TBC
Expected interview date/s – TBC
Interview location - Online
Reasonable adjustments
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.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Further information
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.
Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Any move to the Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.
A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Gaye Ildeniz
- Email : gaye.ildeniz@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service at: cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: info@csc.gov.uk.
For further information on the Recruitment Principles, and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk.
