Data Analyst

About The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is an independent membership organisation concerned principally with the education, training and assessment of Surgeons, Dental Surgeons and Doctors who are involved in the surgical care of patients. Founded in 1505, the College currently has a membership approaching 30,000 in approximately 100 countries throughout the world.

About the Role

Reporting to the Deputy Head of Academic Development and Standards (Psychometrics), the post holder will work within the psychometrics team and also provide support to exams staff and examiners to contribute to the smooth running of the department and the development of our assessments.

This is a varied and rewarding role, with a range of tasks to undertake day-to-day and the opportunity to further develop relevant skills to both support personal development and ensure that work within the department can be carried out efficiently and to the highest possible standards.

Experience/Qualifications/Key Skills

The postholder must have a good undergraduate degree in a science or social science subject, have proven experience of quantitative research methods, excellent problem solving and critical thinking skills, and an ability to write academic-style reports to a high standard. A postgraduate masters in a science or social science subject is desirable. The postholder will also require highly-developed interpersonal and communication skills, experience in effectively prioritising and managing competing demands, and must be willing to engage in ongoing in-house training as necessary. A good working knowledge of R coding and RStudio is desirable.

Working with us

At the College we aim to embrace views from across the organisation, sharing common goals and values for the betterment of healthcare through the advancement of surgical and dental professionals. We aim to develop teams that are reflective of the needs of our members and maximise the potential of every employee.

To reflect the varying needs across the organisation, we offer a range of policies and benefits for our workforce including a generous 42 days annual leave, flexible working practices (including hybrid working), enhanced employer pensions contribution and various discounts throughout the College including the Ten Hill Place Hotel, 1505 Café and free entry to Surgeons' Hall Museums.

More details about the position are below.

Examinations, Education and Faculties Directorate

This directorate incorporates Examinations, Education, JCIE, Faculties, Academic Quality and Standards and Psychometrics. The Academic Quality and Psychometric activity includes ongoing review and quality assurance of a variety of dental and surgical examinations, in line with established good practice within the field, in addition to statistical analysis to support these quality assurance activities and verify candidate outcomes.

The main objective of the Psychometrics team is to support examination bodies and their candidates by analysing and reporting on examination data, in order to assess the quality of examinations and inform future decisions about examinations. The team is based in the college and provide psychometric support for RCSEd examinations and JCIE examinations as well as external organisations.

ROLE SUMMARY

Reporting to the Deputy Head of Academic Development and Standards (Psychometrics), the post holder will work within the psychometrics team and also provide support to exams staff and examiners to contribute to the smooth running of the department and the development of our assessments.

This is a varied and rewarding role, with a range of tasks to undertake day-to-day and the opportunity to further develop relevant skills to both support personal development and ensure that work within the department can be carried out efficiently and to the highest possible standards.

The postholder must have a good undergraduate degree in a science or social science subject, have proven experience of quantitative research methods, excellent problem solving and critical thinking skills, and an ability to write academic-style reports to a high standard. A postgraduate masters in a science or social science subject is desirable. The postholder will also require highly-developed interpersonal and communication skills, experience in effectively prioritising and managing competing demands, and must be willing to engage in ongoing in-house training as necessary. A good working knowledge of R coding and RStudio is desirable.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The key duties of the role include, but are not limited to:

Data analysis

• Carrying out routine analyses of examination data (item analysis, reliability, inter-marker reliability, standard setting statistics) and writing up reports for examination boards to explain the analysis outcomes


• Supporting examination staff in their use of bespoke Psychometric software


• Production of routine reports which contribute to the examination quality assurance processes


• Analysing data to inform best practice


• Leading on and/or supporting other members of the team on ad hoc requests from exam boards as appropriate


• Assisting in implementing quality assurance policies and procedures

Communication

• Communicating at different levels to meet the needs of a wide range of audiences. This will include participating in board meetings, delivering presentations, advising examination conveners and staff, liaising with examination staff, and producing high quality written reports.

Ad Hoc

• Basic R coding tasks as appropriate, training will be provided


• Undertaking any training identified as relevant to the post and any other duties in the College, commensurate with the grade of the post

PERSON SPECIFICATION

COLLEGE VALUES

Our values underpin who we are, how we behave, and the ways in which we work together across every aspect of the life of the College. They determine how we will deliver our ambitious Vision, Mission and Strategy. Our values are the principles that guide all our actions and decisions which, in turn, will shape the culture of our organisation. They apply to everyone who is part of the life of the College, including our staff.

GENERAL INFORMATION AND CONDITIONS

Working Patterns

The default hours of work shall be 35 hours per week, working each day Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm with a one-hour unpaid lunch break on each day worked, however the College supports requests for flexible or compressed working arrangements. The Data Analyst may be required to work outside of normal working hours on occasion. They may also be required to travel and work away from Edinburgh for short periods, which may require overnight stays away from their normal place of residence.

Accountability

The Data Analyst is accountable to the Deputy Head of Academic Development and Standards (Psychometrics).

Pension Scheme:

The College uses the Peoples Pension, pension scheme. Further information can be obtained from the Finance Department. (Anyone wishing to transfer from an existing Pension Scheme should discuss this option with their Financial Adviser).

Sick Pay Scheme:

Members of staff are eligible for the benefits of the College's Sick Pay Scheme once they have been in post for a minimum of six months.

Personal Holidays

• 30 standard personal days


• 3 fixed compulsory days which fall in between Boxing Day & New Years Day

Public Holidays

• 9 public holidays


• 5 days of those Public Holidays can be taken on any date


• 4 fixed compulsory public holidays taken on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and the 1st & 2nd of January (or nearest working days)

The College's annual leave year runs between 1st January to 31st December and awards staff the following entitlements (pro-rata for part time employees)

Total annual leave given per year = 42 days

General

All posts are offered subject to the receipt of references satisfactory to the College.

This post is offered on a sixmonth probationary period basis.

Candidates may be requested to undergo a medical examination.

Appointment is subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK provided in advance of the proposed start date.

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