Would someone please decode this job description/title for me?

[BlueIsYou]

I know it's along the lines of administrative... I assume.

The salary and location are fabulous for me, so I'm hoping it's suitable.

Thank you

The Information Department are looking to employ an Information Analyst for a contract period of 1 year.

Although NHS experience is not required, an enthusiastic logical approach is essential.

The Information Department provides reporting to internal departments and external organisations on activities carried out within the Trust.

We work closely with both the IT and Finance Departments here, ensuring a high quality services and accurate billing is provided.

Sounds like a records clerk or administrator.

sunny that was the only description given, apart from salary, when I applied.

I feel a bit not really knowing what I'm being interviewed for!

But it really doesn't give much away in the description.

I hope they don't ask the old biscuit of "So tell us what you understand the job entails" or "what do you like about the sound of the job?"

Data. Spreadsheets. Reports. Charts. Diagrams. Picking up on common themes and trends.

This looks like an IT reporting analyst job. It's a skilled job and not an admin role. You would probably need reporting skills, andvanced excel and sql knowledge.

Pulling data, creating stats, excel docs etc so they can be weighed against national waiting list times by clinical staff and/or managers.

Did you apply via NHS job? If so, log back into it and the JD and PS should be attached to the advert. Download and read it to give you more idea.

What Alternative and Bekksy said.

Excellent skills will be essential. I'd imagine you'll need to be comfortable with pivot tables, linked workbooks, formulae like VLOOKUPS etc.

You'll also need good written presentation skills as the data and reports will need narrative.

What grade is it?
How did you find the job? It should come with a job description and person specification.

www.stepintothenhs.nhs.uk/careers/information-analyst

Bit of a noddy description and grade will have a bearing but this link might help

On the NHS jobs page should be a person specification which will make it clearer.

Hi all, wow, the role does seem quite complex by the descriptions some of you are giving... I'm a Medical Secretary so wondering if they thought my skills suitable, hence asking me to come in for interview?

It's a Band 4 role.

The category it comes under is Administrative and Clerical, hence me applying to begin with etc

In NHS all jobs are either administrative or medical. The CEO is administrative so that's not an indication of the role only that you be medical. The info team runs and submits reports to NHS England, comms team and clinical governance (probably many others). It's pretty full on but fun for people who like stats.

I work in comms. When I needed to know how many patients we had come in with Sepsis, it's the info team I ask before writing a press statement.

At band 4 I would assume it was a learning role and if you're interested they can teach the rest. Go for it.

You really need to see the job description and person specification before the interview. As others have said, it'll be there on NHS jobs.

(And a load of jobs come under admin & clerical, it's a generic misleading catch all for the non clinical jobs. Mine is under admin & clerical, and I'm neither )

I'd have said some kind of statistical analysis role, which the link seems to bear out.

You may be running regular reports, one-off reports (such as the comms one mentioned above) or showing where the money is being spent (particularly in the case of grants or similar, they understandably like to know what is happening with the money they handed over).

Good luck with the interview!

The thing is, that is the only job description I found. I have copied a link in, maybe someone can be so kind to point out where it actually is

https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/xi/vacancy/0cfec449d75809732a009943d2e65dec/?vacref=914720805&includeeexpired=1&origin=myapplications

At band 4 level, wouldn't it be more of a band 5 or 6, as far as skills required, knowledge, experience & responsibilities but with band 4 salary

Not familiar with the NHS at all, but it doesn't sound a million miles away from my role in a Monitoring & Evaluation team for an NGO (might be worth googling MEL to see if it matches up with your impressions of it?). An understanding of who/what the data is for, attention to detail and logical, thorough thinking is critical to that role (it does involve stats, from v simple to complex, but we have a specialist to help with that!).

The job description and person spec is on the right hand side of that page under Read this before applying.

Blue, you will need better attention to detail than that if you are spreadsheet wrangling :)

Alternative
Blue please, please read them properly before the interview.
And come back and tell us how it went.

There's a link to a full job description and person spec on that page

It's on the right hand side of the webpage. Titled job description and person specification if you're not on a lap top it's not easy to see.

If they've invited you for interview they're obviously interested in you.

On the right hand side of the page is a link to the job description and the skills etc required...

Can you email the point of contact and ask for a few more details. There is usually an email address on the right hand side of the NHS adverts with a person you can contact. This is separate to the application form. Band 4 would entail a reasonable amount of responsibility. Receptionist for outpatient dept and wards are usually a band 2 in the trust I work in. Team leaders etc band 4. Good luck op.

Thanks all for the right hand side tip... it was extremely difficult to see with my mobile (the only means I've used to view the page), because it cropped that bit out.

I'm a bit baffled that they're interested in me to interview since I have no experience in that department.

I'm a PA/Medical Secretary at the moment