Probation and Reduced Reoffending Analysis Analysts (Ref: 22430)

Job summary

This position is based Nationally

Job description

Do you have the passion, values, and ability to help us solve the biggest problems of the justice system?

6x HEO Analytical roles in Probation and Reduced Reoffending Analysis (Ministry of Justice)

• Overview

We have up to six permanent HEO roles in Probation and Reduced Reoffending Analysis, an embedded analytical function within the Probation and Reduced Reoffending policy Directorate. This is an exciting time to join the team in a fast-paced and fascinating policy area that regularly attracts public, Parliamentary, and Ministerial interest. Our work both for offenders in the community and within prison, is critical to improving rehabilitation and reducing the chances of reoffending.

As a Directorate, we make a real difference: our policy has a tangible impact on the services provided for people who come into contact with the criminal justice system, whether that’s at court, in custody or in the community. This is a big part of why we’re so engaged in the work we do.

Reoffending is one of the big social policy challenges of our time. 80% of offenders are reoffenders and reoffending is estimated to cost society £23 billion a year (adjusted to 24/25 prices). The Reducing Reoffending Policy division leads work across Government to address the factors that can help to rehabilitate and improve outcomes for people in the criminal justice system, for example through providing access to mental health support and substance misuse treatment; securing accommodation; and helping them find employment.

Roles are open to:

• Existing badged analysts from all professions ( GORS/GSS/GSR/GES) either on level transfer or on promotion.
• Other candidates that are not members of GSS, GORS, GSR, professions but possess and can demonstrate similar experience at the appropriate level. Badging opportunities will be available once in post for those who wish to apply.

Specialist allowance

Due to the role(s) being analytical, those successful in recruitment will be eligible for a specialist allowance following an analytical interview based on the following values:

• HEO London: £1000
• HEO National: £1500

Minimum requirements to apply:

Candidates must be able to show the relevant experience and skills and must meet the criteria for entry:

HEO grade – must meet at least one of the following:

• You possess a numerate degree or a degree that has an analytical, statistical or research element, with a 2:2 or above, or as a higher degree (e.g. MSc, PhD).
• Alternatively, you have significant experience evidencing use of data and/or analytical skills (outside of a part-completed Civil Service degree apprenticeship).

We welcome applications from candidates based across the UK. Candidates will have the option of being based in the Leeds or London HQ offices (with flexible working arrangements available) or your nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office: see this map for more details .

Alternative locations may be available and will be discussed and agreed on the completion of background checks.

Interviews are likely to take place in October 2026 and will be held via MS Teams . We will keep a merit list for a year for those who successfully pass the interview board but who are not offered a post.

• About Probation and Reduced Reoffending Analysis

Probation and Reducing Reoffending Analysis (PRRA) is an analytical function within the Probation and Reducing Reoffending Directorate. PRRA provides high-quality evidence, research, evaluation, data and analysis to support policy, operational and strategic decision-making across probation services and reducing reoffending interventions. The team's work helps the department understand what works to reduce reoffending, improve rehabilitation outcomes and deliver effective services for people in contact with the criminal justice system.

PRRA is a multidisciplinary analytical community comprising over 80 analysts including social researchers, statisticians, operational researchers, economists, data scientists and data engineers. The function is organised across five analytical areas: Probation Analysis, Health Employment Drugs Research and Analysis, Accommodation and Justice Data Lab Analysis, and Offending Behaviour Interventions Evidence. Together, these teams deliver a broad programme of monitoring, performance reporting, economic analysis, research and evaluation, supporting priorities such as probation delivery, accommodation, health and substance misuse, employment and education, accredited programmes, and wider reducing reoffending policy.

Our work is highly visible and frequently informs decisions made by ministers, senior leaders and operational partners across the Ministry of Justice, HMPPS and wider government. We work in a fast-paced environment where robust evidence, analytical innovation and collaboration are at the heart of improving outcomes and reducing crime

• What you’ll do

Health Employment Drugs Research and Analysis x 2

The postholder will sit within the G7 led Drugs and Offender Health Research team and support the development of evidence on substance misuse and offender health interventions. The postholder will lead and contribute to research and evaluation projects across a varied portfolio, including drug testing in prisons, wastewater monitoring, recovery-focused prison environments, medication to manage problematic sexual arousal, and the department’s contribution to the cross-government Drug Strategy. Working closely with policy, operational and external stakeholders, the role involves commissioning and managing research, undertaking analysis, providing evidence-based advice, and communicating findings to support decision-making across MoJ and partner organisations.

The postholder will sit within the G7 led Employment Research team , supporting the development of evidence on offender employment outcomes and evaluation of ongoing interventions to support offenders into employment post release from custody. Analytical work includes conducting qualitative interviews with senior stakeholders, HMPPS staff, prisoners, and people on probation, alongside analysis and synthesis of different evidence types (e.g. administrative, survey, quantitative data). Working closely with policy, operational and external stakeholders, the role involves commissioning and managing research, undertaking analysis, providing evidence-based advice, and communicating findings to support decision-making across MoJ and partner organisations.

Reducing Reoffending Priority Projects Analysis (HEO)

The postholder will sit within the G7 led Reoffending, Evidence, Coordination and Analysis Project (RECAP) team and will support on cross cutting and priority projects building our evidence base on what works to reduce reoffending. Main activities will involve: supporting on the scoping planning, and delivering a mixture of short and long-term commissioned analytical projects in-house, developing and maintaining productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders including analytical, policy and operational colleagues to advise on robust and proportionate approaches to using data and analysis, and effectively communicating complex analysis to technical and non-technical stakeholders. Example areas that the role could include are cross-government reoffending strategy, family relationships and reoffending, and innovative approaches to measure an individual's desistance.

Probation Interventions Analyst

The postholder will sit within the G7 led Community Research & Analytical Projects team and will support on cross cutting and priority projects to support policy and operational leads to improve delivery of community interventions. Main activities will involve: support for scoping planning, and delivering a mixture of short and long-term commissioned projects in-house, developing and maintaining productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders including analytical, policy and operational colleagues to advise on robust and proportionate approaches to using data and analysis, and effectively communicating complex analysis to technical and non-technical stakeholders. Example areas that the role could include are targeting of interventions within revised community operating models and analysis to monitor and assess utilisation of intervention capacity for prison leavers and those on community sentences.

Community Support Analyst

The postholder will sit within the G7 led Community Support Analysis & Research team and will support quantitative analysis as part of a multi-year evaluation of new Community Support contracts, which represent a significant redesign of probation rehabilitation services. Main activities will include analysis and synthesis of different evidence types (e.g. administrative, survey, quantitative data), using coding skills to produce output and dashboards from large and complex datasets and effectively communicating complex analysis to support and improve service delivery across MoJ and partner organisations. Example areas that the role could include are cluster analysis of treatment pathways, assessing early reoffending impacts and supporting development of an innovative new measure of desistance.

Prison Education Analyst

The postholder will sit within the G7 led Analysis & Data of Education in Prisons Team and will support quantitative analysis to support management of multi-year contracts.

Education is a key part of rehabilitating prisoners to be able to turn their lives around. You will be working to improve the effectiveness of the education we deliver in prisons by using digital and performance data to analyse the impacts of investment across the country and understand what good looks like. Within a multidisciplinary team, you will use these insights with our operational and programme colleagues to help drive improvements to the current generation of education provision and to design the next generation of education provision. Example areas that the role could include are analysis of digital tools to improve education delivery within prisons in both current and future generation of education systems, using data to understand and improve utilisation of education contracts and investigation and reporting on KPIs and Benefits to understand current performance.

Why work as an Analyst at the MOJ?

We want all our people to feel valued for who they are and for the work they do. We provide a warm, inclusive place to work and offer a wide range of flexibilities and benefits as part of our people offer to reward our staff.

What we offer

• Flexible working arrangements and a focus on equality of opportunity – including welcoming part-time and/or job-share arrangements, compressed hours, working from home or your nearest Justice Collaboration Centres or Justice Satellite Office.
• Career development – regular development and promotion opportunities across a wide range of roles, career development support, with a generous individual learning and development budget.
• Range of new areas of work and new tools and techniques – we pride ourselves on our excellent deployment of well-established analytical methods, but also our progress to date. Progress such as our ambitious and innovative transformation programme to leverage departmental data and drive evidence-based decision-making using cutting-edge tools and techniques (for example: experimentation, personalisation, artificial intelligence).
• Analysis is at the centre of the Department’s decision making – our transformation programme is focused on maximising our impact on departmental outcomes. The Ministry of Justice’s Senior Team and our Ministerial Team want all decisions to be evidence driven – your analysis will be key in influencing decisions and real-world impact.
• Vibrant community – part of a multidisciplinary team that has a supportive culture a