GORS Analytical 1-Year Sandwich Placement or Summer Placement
Government Operational Research Service
Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 21st October 2024
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Operational Research
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About the job
Job summary
Apply now for this exciting opportunity to spend your university sandwich year placement in a high-profile Government Department.
Year-long placement opportunities are available at: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Department for Work and Pensions, Ministry of Defence, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, Department of Health and Social Care, HM Revenue and Customs, Home Office, Office for National Statistics, Scottish Government, Valuations Office Agency in the following locations: Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Croydon, Darlington, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Newport, Salford, Sheffield, Fareham and Pontypridd.
Summer placement opportunities are available at: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Department for Transport, Scottish Government, Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology and Ministry of Defence in the following locations: Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Salford, Sheffield, Pontypridd.
You will have the opportunity to learn skills required for professional life whilst working for organisations ranked in the top 10 graduate employers in the country as rated by graduates.
You must be studying a highly numerate degree and expecting to achieve a 2:1 or above. You must be in at least your second year of study and must be returning to university after completing your placement, for either your current degree or a masters.
Please select more than one location while expressing your location preference, this will allow us to allocate you the next preferred location, in case your first preferred location has been fully occupied.
Job description
The Government Operational Research Service (GORS) are the analytical minds behind many of the Government’s policies. Policies which, when implemented, affect everybody in the UK – including you.
By looking closely at complex systems, and developing models that predict the way they behave, our analysts can bring a new perspective to the way problems are tackled.
If you join us, you’ll be part of a select team who can influence the decisions of policy makers at more than 25 government departments and agencies. From immigration to climate change, we look objectively at the complex problems the government faces and apply a range of analytical and modelling techniques to help them find better solutions.
Apply for a GORS placement to gain professional and technical skills whilst working on some of the most interesting and pertinent problems facing the country. We recruit students who are interested in learning modelling, statistical and computing skills and have the drive and personality to work effectively both on their own and in a team.
For hints and tips on how to apply, please see the student section of the GORS website:
www.operational-research.gov.uk/recruitment/students
Note that once you have submitted your application you cannot amend it. Please do not submit your application until you have answered all the relevant questions. We cannot accept late applications.
All applications for these vacancies must be made online. Paper applications will only be considered if you have a disability that will prevent you from applying online. If this is the case, please email gorsjobs.csr@csresourcing.gov.uk.
Want help understanding whether your nationality qualifies to join the Civil Service, or UK immigration rules? Please search online for Civil Service Nationality Rules.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules
Further information: www.operational-research.gov.uk
Person specification
Our analytical teams cover a broad range of remits, including dealing with resource allocation, workforce planning, forecasting, performance measurement, and strategic planning.
Previous student projects have included:
- Informing impact assessments to provide balanced and objective views of the costs and benefits of policies.
- Designing a pilot study to test the impact of a new policy to increase the likelihood of unemployed people entering work.
- Analysing the impact of customer behaviour to identify different types of customers we interact with.
- Forecasting migration routes into the UK.
- Working on analysis to achieve world class education from early years through to adulthood.
We are looking for bright, forward-thinking students from highly numerate subject areas such as Astrophysics, Data Science, Decision Science, Econometrics, Engineering, Mathematics, Operational Research, Physics and Statistics. Other numerate degrees, such as Accounting, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Economics, Finance, Geography, IT, Management, Management Science, Psychology, Sociology, Social Sciences and Systems Science, may be accepted if 50% or more of the modules are considered highly numerate.
Being highly numerate is only the starting point for our student analysts. We expect you to build on your technical skills and work towards successfully influencing policy decisions by presenting your analyses effectively in meetings, written reports, and oral presentations.
Qualifications
To meet our definition of highly numerate, at least half of your modules must be from one or more of the following subjects: Astrophysics, Data Science, Decision Science, Econometrics, Engineering, Mathematics, Operational Research, Physics, Statistics, or similar. You must have a good chance of obtaining a 2:1 or better.
Modules that we do not consider highly numerate include Accounting, Business, Computer Science, Economics, Finance, Geography, IT, Psychology and Sociology. This list is not exhaustive.
Please detail your degree including:
- Type of qualification (e.g. BSc, MMath)
- Subject (e.g. Maths, Physics, OR)
- Current year of study
- Completed modules (listing the year they were taken and the grade achieved)
- Current modules (listing the expected grade)
- Degree class or mark expected (for example 1, 2:1)
- Your current institute of study (this is for informational purposes only and will not affect your application outcome)
Please specify whether you are:
A) Currently in your second year of a 3- year university course, or in your second or third year of a 4- year university course and are applying for this placement as your ‘sandwich year’ placement.
B) Currently in your final year of a 3- or 4- year university course and intend to return to university for post-graduate study after completing your placement. Please state the subject of your post-graduate study.
C) Other. Please specify.
If you do not include this information on your application, your application will not pass the qualification sift.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Working Together
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Knowledge and Application of OR Skills and Techniques
- Achieving Impact with Analysis
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- 23-25 Annual leave days
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Your application form will be sifted based on eligibility (including level of degree numeracy) and based on the technical skills and the behaviour examples provided in your application.
For hints and tips on how to apply, please see the student section of the GORS website: www.operational-research.gov.uk/recruitment/students.
If your application is successful at the sift stage, we will invite you to book an interview. You will be able to choose from dates as mentioned for your interview. Before the interview begins, you will be asked to prepare and deliver a five-minute presentation to describe the approach you would take to tackle a problem described in a given scenario.
There will be only one round of interviews and it will focus on testing your technical skills and behaviours in line with the presentation you prepare on the day and the examples you have provided in your application form. If successful at interview, you will be allocated to a Government department based on your location preferences. It is important that you give us your first, second and third choice of location from the list of available locations, and we will do our best to allocate you to your first or second choice.
Sift dates to be confirmed.
Interview dates - week commencing 18th November and 25th November 2024.
Interviews are to be held virtual via Microsoft Teams.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.
Eligibility
To check that you are eligible to apply, review this eligibility information
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 GORSrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
If you need a reasonable adjustment or a change to be made so that you can make your application, review this information on reasonable adjustments
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.
Diversity and Inclusion
Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.
We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible after considering operational and customer service needs. We can’t guarantee that we can meet all requests to work flexibly, as agreement will be subject to business ability to accommodate, and any request to work a more flexible arrangement should be made prior to your acceptance of the provisional offer.
The Civil Service runs a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Security Update
For more information on the level of security checks we will carry out, review this information on security checks
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for SC is 5 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.
Further Information
A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.
Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application/s will be withdrawn from the process.
Duplicate applications for the same vacancy will also be withdrawn.
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
Problems during the application process
If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
If you think you’ve made a mistake on a short application form (e.g. you’ve ticked the incorrect eligibility box), please contact GORSrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk at least two working days before the vacancy closes. After this, we won’t be able to reopen your application.
Please use the subject line to insert appropriate wording e.g. Please re-open my application - 342827 & vacancy closing date 21st October 2024. Please note that we cannot amend or re-open your application if you have submitted your full application in the interests of fair and open recruitment.
For reasonable adjustments queries or requests, please see details within reasonable adjustments section above.
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 : GORS Student Recruitment Team
- Email : GORSSTUDENTRECRUITMENT@HMRC.GOV.UK
Recruitment team
- Email : GORSSTUDENTRECRUITMENT@HMRC.GOV.UK
Further information
