Co-Director, Knowledge, Analysis & Intelligence

What the role is really asking for

The scale changes the evidence standard. The post jointly leads a directorate of roughly 700 colleagues and connects analytical work with tax policy, operations, transformation and external institutions. Examples need to show enterprise outcomes, not only successful delivery inside one team.

The essential case spans five areas: strategic leadership, senior stakeholder influence, analytical depth, data and technology capability, and communication that changes decisions. A credible application will show how those elements reinforce one another.

Build an SCS-level evidence portfolio

Start with three or four leadership stories that operate at different levels:

1. Setting direction for a large analytical or evidence function.
2. Influencing a high-stakes policy or organisational decision.
3. Raising professional quality, assurance or capability at scale.
4. Modernising data or technology while protecting analytical trust.

For each story, establish the strategic context, the system you inherited, the choices only you could make and the measurable organisational consequence. Team success matters, but the panel still needs to understand your personal leadership judgement.

Candidate-pack and interview preparation

Read the attached candidate pack before drafting. Build a compliance sheet from its exact application documents, word limits, assessment criteria, timetable and contact instructions. If the pack and department summary differ, follow the pack and application portal.

At interview, expect evidence to be tested for scale and transferability. Prepare precise answers on analytical assurance, prioritisation, relationships with ministers or senior institutional stakeholders, inclusive leadership and the practical adoption of better data or technology.

Avoid presenting technical sophistication as an end in itself. The role requires analysis to land with impact, so connect methods and capability to decisions, public value and professional confidence.

Checks before you apply

The official page identifies counter-terrorist-check vetting and a three-year expected assignment duration. Confirm those conditions, location arrangements and all candidate-pack instructions before applying.