Appointees from this competition will join a professional team of Statisticians/Data Analysts. They can expect to work on any element of statistical production in the CSO from data collection and processing, to data analysis and dissemination.  Statisticians/Data Analysts can also be expected to manage, and lead teams involved in the statistical production life cycle.

The role involves a wide range of functions, including:

• Producing Official Statistics using analytical and statistical techniques; whilst upholding the core values of the CSO in all aspects of the work, namely professional independence, objectivity and confidentiality;
• Identifying, analysing, interpreting and communicating trends or patterns in complex datasets;
• Acquiring data from primary or secondary data sources and maintaining databases/data systems;
• Working with other data sources such as unstructured data – social media, big data etc;
• Working with users of statistics to determine their current and future data needs;
• Working with respondents to understand their perspective and ensure that the burden of compliance is minimised;
• Providing policy makers with evidence and insight to frame policy on topics such as employment and social conditions, the economy and the environment;
• Extracting key messages from single or multiple data sources and presenting them in an appropriate format to the relevant audience;
• Exploiting geospatial data to enhance statistical processes;
• Developing and implementing data collection and processing systems and other strategies to optimise statistical efficiency and data quality; Thinking creatively and critically about how to improve and add value to existing processes and outputs and following through to implementation;
• Leading and managing a team of support staff and where opportunities arise engaging with corporate priorities and objectives and providing the necessary leadership within your team and across the organisation;
• Managing the implementation of a variety of aspects of the statistical lifecycle such as data collection, data processing, data analysis and dissemination, in line with best statistical practice and within specified timeframes;
• Actively representing the organisation in formal settings including participating in national and international meetings relating to the work of the CSO;
• Preparing reports and recommendations for senior management in the CSO, demonstrating awareness of strategic issues relating to Official Statistics;
• Contributing effectively to, and taking responsibility for the achievement and implementation in your respective area of responsibility of the corporate objectives set out in various strategic frameworks associated with the CSO long term strategy, Vision 2030, and contributing to the implementation of reforms under the Civil Service Renewal Plan;

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) is Ireland’s national statistical office and our purpose is to impartially collect, analyse and make available statistics about Ireland’s people, society and economy. CSO official statistics inform decision making across a range of areas including construction, health, welfare, the environment and the economy.

With offices in Cork and Dublin, a key focus for the CSO is maintaining and developing a progressive and professional working environment, which fosters innovation and is underpinned by strong national and international working relationships.

The CSO currently has vacancies for Statisticians/Data Analysts (based in Cork and Dublin)

The successful candidate will:

• Have an opportunity to turn data into information and information into insight which helps decision makers understand and tackle some of the key challenges facing society today.
• Work on a variety of roles relating to the statistical lifecycle including requirements analysis and design, analysis and reporting, continuously monitoring performance, and quality control plans to identify improvements.
• Have operational and Human Resource responsibilities as well as liaising with other departments and international organisations.

The successful candidate must have, on or before the 23rd of May 2024:

• Minimum Level 8 primary degree (2H1 or higher) on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) (or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the CSO) in a discipline with a significant numerate component such as Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Computer Science, Data Science/Data Analytics etc. In the absence of a primary degree with a significant numerate component, please note that postgraduate short courses such as Diplomas or Higher Certificates or 1 Year Masters programmes are not acceptable for eligibility purposes. If you believe that you possess a qualifying post-graduate qualification in the absence of an eligible primary degree, please contact the CSO before application to discuss.

Therefore, it is, in the applicant’s own interests to provide a detailed and accurate account of their qualifications, in particular highlighting numerate components/experience on the application form.

And

The successful candidate must also be able to demonstrate:

• Technical statistical skills e.g., knowledge or experience in sampling and survey design, data linkage and integration, data processing, data modelling, geographic information systems (GIS) and quality assurance
• Proficiency in using programming/scripting languages associated with statistical computing environment such as R, SAS, SPSS or equivalent, and the capability to learn statistical software packages
• Combining various data processing techniques to achieve a given analytical task
• Evidence of keeping up to date in their field of expertise and openness to continuous professional development
• Strong analytical skills to collect, organise, analyse and disseminate significant amounts of information with attention to detail and accuracy, and the ability to extract key messages and underlying trends
• Ability to work effectively on own initiative, as part of a team, and as a leader of a group
• Ability to look at data and statistics in the broader context, taking the “bigger picture” into consideration
• Strong focus on meeting the needs of customers
• Ability to manage resources and progress multiple projects and work activities successfully under the pressure of competing deadlines
• Strong communication, report writing and presentation skills
• Capability in building and maintaining good working relationships with a wide range of people, both at national and international level.

Applicants should have all the abilities required of a Statistician/Data Analyst. Applicants must demonstrate, by reference to specific achievements in their career to date, that they possess or have the capacity to acquire those qualities, skills and knowledge required for the role of Statistician/Data Analyst as identified by the CSO.  A description of the competencies is set out in Appendix 1 of the information booklet.

If you have previously created a profile with Hirelab , the following steps should be followed.

1. Click on the “Login Here” button on the job advertising page of the Statistician/Data Analyst competition.
2. You will then be brought to your profile. If you need to update your profile, do so before applying for the competition.
3. Do not submit your application form until your happy your profile and application form are fully updated.
4. If you have already applied but need to update your application, then withdraw your application form by clicking the withdraw button. Then repeat step 1.