ONS operates a flexible hybrid working model across the UK, with colleagues linked to one of our contractual locations in Newport, Titchfield (Fareham), Manchester, London or Darlington and working between office and remote throughout the week.

As part of the hybrid working arrangement there is a 40% minimum office attendance requirement. Attendance is typically at your contractual office, with occasional travel to alternative locations. Due to estates constraints, there are currently temporary exceptions to this for colleagues based at Manchester and Darlington who are required to attend the office for a minimum of 20% of their work time.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UKs largest producer of official statistics, covering a range of key economic, social and demographic topics. These include measuring changes in the value of the UK economy, estimating the size, geographic distribution and characteristics of the population, and providing indicators of price inflation, employment, earnings, crime and migration, as well as leading on the publication of vital statistics on life events and health.

The Methodology and Quality Directorate (MQD) is responsible for the statistical methods that underpin statistical production and analysis, turning statistical theory into practice and ensuring high quality and continuous improvement.

We enable better analysis, statistics and research by ensuring Government analysts, both inside and outside ONS, are supported to develop and innovate. 

This role will lead a new division responsible for developing the Methodology that underpins our Social Statistics and elevating the investments we are making in developing capability through the Analysis Function, the Government Statistical Service, technical training and improvement implementation following technical reviews of statistical processes. 

The key focus of this role will be on leading a Division that produces relevant, high quality statistical methods and building statistical and methodological capability, covering people and systems in and beyond ONS.  

This is a critical leadership role and is responsible for using scarce public resources wisely to deliver change to increase innovation in official statistics. The successful candidate will need to bring considerable knowledge and expertise to the role to ensure the right focus, and to build a credible and authoritative approach that wins the confidence and support of key stakeholders.

You will need to be relentless in your approach to delivering the expected benefits of capability development and resilient enough to overcome the constraints and hurdles impacting upon delivery. You will be sufficiently experienced as a leader to operate confidently in uncharted waters, to make critical and timely decisions and to seize opportunities as they arise. The successful candidate will need to combine a deep and inventive curiosity with strong adaptive skills and technical methodological knowledge.

To be effective, you will have outstanding people skills, setting ambitious targets and expectations and supporting staff to be the best they can be. Implicit in this skill set will be managing the tensions between the wider organisational environment including, the controls and accountabilities necessary to demonstrate sound governance and the need to deliver with pace, challenging conventional practices. 

The successful candidate will have a background in the leadership of technical, analytical or scientific teams. You will understand the potential that the data revolution holds for official statistics, and how innovative methods combined with new and traditional data sources can produce a robust evidence base.

Essential Criteria 

• Strong leadership skills including the ability to set strategic direction and motivate and mobilise staff to deliver high quality methods at pace.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Engaging with key stakeholders and managing these relationships effectively.
• Strong interpersonal and people management skills.
• Experience of leading significant change, in particular around changes in business processes, with the ability to deliver complex programmes on time and to budget.
• Professional credibility and a track record of building analytical capability and capacity.
• Analytical skills and experience (e.g. as a statistician, economist, researcher).
• Exceptional understanding of statistical methods and processes.
• Understanding of process and quality management, particularly for regular high profile statistical outputs.
• Able to combine innovation and improvements in efficiency with regular delivery.

Alongside your salary of £76,000, Office for National Statistics contributes £20,520 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

The Office for National Statistics is part of the Civil Service, and as such we share a number of key benefits with other departments, whilst also having our own unique offerings to support our 5400 valued colleagues across the business.

Whether you are hearing about us for the first time or already know a bit about our organisation, we hope that the benefits pack attached (bottom of page) will give you a great insight into the benefits and facilities available to our colleagues, and our fantastic working culture.

 

style="max-width:100%;" alt="Inclusion & Diversity" 

Inclusion & Accessibility

At ONS we are always looking to attract the very best people from the widest possible talent pool, and we are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer. As a member of the Business Disability Forum and a Disability Confident Leader were committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process.

As part of our application process, you will be prompted to provide details of any reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process that you need. If you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments before applying, please contact the recruitment team in the first instance.

   

If you would like an accessible version of any of the attachments or recruitment documents below or linked to in this advert, please contact the recruitment team who will be happy to assist.

 

This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Job contact :

• Name : Sarah Henry
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]