Senior Performance Advisor

Senior Performance Advisor

Fixed Term, 12 month contract

Full Time, 37 hours per week

£43,431 to £51,095 per annum

Location: Chelmsford*

Working Style: Anywhere worker

Closing Date: 8th June 2025

*Please note this is a hybrid-working role, with a requirement to work in the Chelmsford office 2-3 days per month on average, depending on business need.

This opportunity will be offered as a 12 month fixed-term contract or secondment.

As a Senior Performance Analyst, you’ll play a pivotal role in ensuring high-quality performance conversations and providing valuable business intelligence that enables informed decision-making and governance across ECC. You will proactively liaise with senior colleagues, including Executive and Political Leaders, to ensure key business intelligence questions are addressed.

You will lead the charge in building understanding of the Council’s performance and impact through collaboration with multi-disciplinary teams and complex analytical techniques. Your insights will drive strategic decision-making, improve outcomes for local people, and strengthen organisational accountability.

This role sits within the wider Performance and Business Intelligence function, which is made up of five core teams working to support the Council’s key business areas.

- Climate, Environment and Customer Services and EIPH

- Adult Social Care

- Children and Families

- Education

- Corporate Services

Accountabilities

- Supporting Senior Management with data-driven performance insights and overseeing and guiding performance analysis activities within designated areas, acting as a subject matter expert.

- Designing and implementing performance measurement frameworks, including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), ensuring alignment with the organisation’s objectives and strategies.

- Working with stakeholders to understand their needs, ‘deep dive’ analyses, reporting of management information, design and development of accessible user focused dashboards and support delivery of operational performance reporting.

- Providing technical leadership by developing tools and techniques to support high-quality analysis. Producing visualised analysis and reports that tell compelling, actionable stories with clear recommendations and presenting strategic performance insights to senior stakeholders, influencing decision-making processes.

- Leading cross-functional collaboration to define success metrics and evaluate complex project outcomes. Actively shaping organisational strategies by applying insights from data trends and performance analysis.

- Establishing and enforcing best practices for data accuracy, reliability, and ethical use across the organisation. Leading efforts to improve data quality by innovating data preparation, integration, and cleansing processes, and performing advanced quality assurance.

- Actively contributing to the broader performance analysis community, building relationships across departments and analytical disciplines.

- Contributing to the development of the national performance agenda by engaging with local, regional, and national forums.

Person Specification

Key Knowledge

· Detailed knowledge of current issues affecting local authorities.

· Detailed knowledge of performance management and service improvement methodologies.

· An understanding of, and practical experience with data analysis and visualisation tools, e.g. Power BI that support the presentation of performance data and information

Relevant Experience

· Track record of building relationships and working in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders, including those at a senior level and in other organisations

· Experience of working in multidisciplinary teams where influence, negotiation and persuasion are needed to achieve successful outcomes

· Experience of supporting and delivering projects and programmes, including workshop and meeting facilitation

· Extensive experience of undertaking and presenting analysis and devising clear and high-quality performance dashboards

· Experience of having worked within local government would be preferred, and in addition to the technical skills required in this role, it is desirable that the post holder has knowledge of reporting & systems relevant to the ECC function they support (e.g. Adult Social Care, Children’s Services, Place or Corporate Services)

· Experience of working in a Business Intelligence function, including design and delivery of management information and solutions using software such as Excel, SQL and Power Bi

Expected Competencies (based on the Government Digital and Data Progression Capability Framework)

Analysis and insight

You can understand and help teams to apply a range of techniques to analyse data and provide insight. You can be proactive and present compelling findings that inform wider decisions. You can apply innovative approaches to resolve problems.

Communicating analysis and insight

You can turn complex data into compelling, clear and actionable stories. You can share data communication skills with the team and across the Council. You can present analysis and visualisations in clear ways to communicate complex messages. You can communicate negative and positive information to stakeholders. You can give tactical and strategic recommendations.

Performance measurement

You can lead the development of performance measurement frameworks including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). You can demonstrate a deep understanding of business goals and can turn these into tangible performance measures.

Technical understanding

You can show a deep understanding of the technical concepts required for the role and understand how they fit into the wider technical landscape. You can understand the limitations of digital technology.

Understanding analysis across the product life cycle

You can apply experience in multiple parts of the product life cycle. You can recognise when to move forward and when to stop. You can recognise the appropriate deliverables and engage the right people to meet them. You can work with other Agile delivery disciplines throughout the product life cycle. You can plan and proactively engage with stakeholders at the appropriate stage of the project. You can identify which tools and techniques should be used at each stage.

User-centred analysis

You can understand the difference between user needs and desires of the user. You can demonstrate experience in meeting user needs across a variety of channels. You can integrate digital analytics with qualitative data, such as user surveys and user research, to develop hypotheses for testing. You can offer recommendations on the best tools and methods to use.

Verification and validation of data and analysis

You can set up a system to get data ready for use and specify how data should be cleansed and prepared. You can bring data together from different sources and communicate the limitations of data. You can peer-review colleagues’ outputs to ensure quality.

Working within constraints

You can work with and challenge senior stakeholders. You can prioritise and mitigate constraints and can turn them into an advantage. You can adapt the approach according to constraints. You can demonstrate a good knowledge of security and data privacy.

Expected Behaviours

Inspires- Displays a passion for making a difference. Creates and shares an ideal image of what we can become and motivates others to see exciting possibilities for the future.

Innovates - Thinks creatively, takes calculated risks and learns from mistakes. Is curious and challenges the status quo, seeking opportunities for original solutions.

Enables - Supports and encourages others to experiment with new ways of working in an atmosphere of trust, respect and dignity. Accountable for own development and sharing best practice with others.

Collaborates - Creates and develops networks and involves others to first understand their point of view and then join together in a common purpose. Crosses internal and external organisational boundaries to improve and deliver shared solutions and services in ways that achieve mutual gain.

Delivers - Provides a quality service by displaying professional excellence and expertise taking into account diverse customer needs. Seeks best value for money and pursues commercial opportunities as they arise.

To read more about us please visit: People, Policy, Economy and Public Health - Working for Essex

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex . With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In February 2025 , Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR ) on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles , including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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