Analyst (Early Careers)

Start building your analytical career while helping solve real-world problems across government.

The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) is at the centre of actuarial expertise within government. We provide advice with strong analytical foundations to government across a range of significant policy areas. We enable government to better understand and quantify risk and uncertainty and in turn help shape better outcomes for the UK public. Our analysis is pivotal to the government across a number of areas such as:

• the management of costs and risks across the public service workforce, including the design and operation of public service pension schemes.
• understanding insurance risks and costs affecting government, including clinical negligence in the NHS.
• bespoke advice on financial and demographic risks facing government, including social security benefits.

We are an inclusive organisation that values the unique perspectives and strengths of a diverse team, supported through our staff networks and active Diversity and Inclusion strategy, we ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

This is an entry-level opportunity. It would suit someone who is completing, or has recently completed, a degree with a high numerical or analytical focus, or someone in the early stages (within first 18 months) of their analytical career looking for their next challenge. If you are a motivated individual and wish to join our analytical team we would welcome your application.

As an Analyst at the Government Actuary's Department (GAD), you'll join a multidisciplinary team delivering practical solutions across a wide range of business areas. Our early-career role will help you build the skills, knowledge and experience to succeed as an analyst, while developing transferable analytical skills that support your long-term career. You’ll gain exposure to:

• Business understanding: learning how our work helps government make better decisions.
• Core technical skills: building practical skills in data analysis, coding, modelling and problem-solving.
• Hands-on project experience: working on real projects alongside experienced colleagues and apply your learning in practice.

Your work will span the full analytical lifecycle, from gathering and preparing data, identifying patterns and trends, and developing models, through to communicating insights and presenting findings. We are also exploring how AI can help analysts deliver their best work. Together, the analytical tools and techniques you learn will allow you to produce high-quality work efficiently, providing evidence that supports decision-making and expert advice for our clients.

Analysts play an important role across several specialist teams, each with its own focus and opportunities to develop expertise (a summary of the teams is provided below). While the work varies and involves different business domain areas, all teams draw on a common set of analytical skills.

When you join, you’ll receive targeted training to help you build the core skills needed for your analyst role, tailored to the team you’re placed in. This ensures you quickly get up to speed with the specific tools, methods, and business areas relevant to your team.

Reproducible Analytical Pipeline Team: Enhancing efficiency and reliability in analytical production processes

• Use programming (with R, Python and similar) and version control to clean, analyse, and visualise data.
• Build smart data flows for tools like Power BI.
• Work with large datasets to uncover insights.
• Improve and maintain code to make analysis faster and more reliable.
• Automate tasks to cut out manual work and boost reproducibility.
• Find creative ways to share results beyond traditional presentations.

Data Insights Team: Turning data into decisions, insights into impact

• Use programming (with R, Python and similar) and statistical methods to spot trends and give evidence-based recommendations for financial modelling.
• Dive into policy data to support key projects and initiatives.
• Create clear visuals and use smart techniques to make findings easy to understand.
• Keep up with the latest modelling methods to deliver strong, reliable analysis.
• Read, write, and talk about data clearly: understand sources, pick the right methods, and show how data adds value.

Model Solutions and Assurance Team: Delivering excellence in model and system development

• Contribute towards building models and systems, across a range of analytical tools (with Excel, Python and more), that work well and are easy to use.
• Scope out new tools with users to understand what they need.
• Check analytical models to make sure they meet high standards.
• Team up with others to deliver joined-up quality assurance.
• Use your critical thinking to check models; make sure they meet requirements and actually work.

Insurance Provisioning Calculations Team: Strengthening liability assessments through expert and efficient analytical support

• Use data, modelling and analytical techniques (with Excel, R and similar) to estimate the future cost of insurance-related liabilities across government.
• Analyse large datasets to identify trends, assumptions and key drivers of long-term costs.
• Develop and maintain calculation models that support financial reporting, budgeting and decision-making.
• Work with actuaries to develop and apply modelling assumptions.
• Help improve and automate calculation processes to make them more efficient, transparent and reliable.

Policy Solutions Team: Enhancing policy impact through proactive analytical support

• Solve clients’ modelling challenges (with Excel, R, Python and more).
• Review social security systems in the UK and abroad, helping set coverage and contribution levels.
• Support pensions policy work, including modelling for government and regulators.
• Help with investment modelling, especially for pension schemes, and build up skills in using scenario generations.
• Work on climate and disaster risk models, including disclosures and disaster response projects.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Technical skills.

Application deadline: 2355 hrs on 08 November 2026

Assessment Centre

Dates: w/c 25 January 2027

Location: Canary Wharf - London

Process

Please apply via the recruitment portal below. The selection process will consist of an online application form, online assessment, video interview and in person assessment centre in London to be held week commencing Monday 25th January 2027.

The closing date for applications is 8th November 2026, so if this role feels like the right fit for you, we invite you to apply now and take advantage of this exciting opportunity to join our team!

Please DO NOT email your CV as shortlisting will be carried out based on information provided in your application form only.

Shortlisting criteria is based on the Person Specification as set out in the Assessment Criteria section of the Job Description. Please ensure you provide examples of how you meet the Assessment Criteria; a strong application will also demonstrate that you meet the required criteria that are identified as key for this role. Applications will be shortlisted in line with the essential criteria for the role. The desirable criteria will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates. Behaviours will be assessed at sift and interview stage. Candidates who are successful at shortlist will be contacted as soon as possible and advised of the interview process and assessment (exact times and dates will also be confirmed).

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Agency Notice: We will not pay agency fees for any candidate submitted in response to this advertisement unless we have explicitly agreed and contracted with an agency to support that specific role prior to advertising. Agency referrals will only be recognised where prior approval has been obtained from the Recruitment Team for the specific vacancy. Any other candidate submissions will be treated as direct applications.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.