Director of Business Surveys
Office for National Statistics
Apply before 11:55 pm on Tuesday 29th October 2024
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Senior leadership
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Location
ONS operates a flexible hybrid working model across the UK, with colleagues linked to one of our contractual locations in Newport, Titchfield (Fareham), and London 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.
About the job
Job summary
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics and is the recognised National Statistical Institute.
Business Surveys Directorate (BSD) is responsible for collecting data from businesses, households and individuals across the country.
Our primary purpose is to provide high quality data that underpins core National Statistics and the wider UK statistical system. While much of ONS is reliant on us for their outputs and statistical bulletins, the data we generate supports research, policy development and decision making across the wider public and private sectors, academia, and the general public. It is our data that paints the picture of life in the UK.
In addition to managing the operational delivery of business surveys, the Business Surveys Directorate (BSD) is responsible for the overarching business survey strategy and for an ambitious portfolio of transformation and continuous improvement to better meet user needs through improvements in data quality, timeliness, efficiency and capability. BSD currently operates 77 business surveys (including 10 that are collected on behalf of other Government departments) equating to a total of 2.6 million questionnaires each year to 380,000 businesses (~7% of the UK business population).
Job description
- Improve the quality of core business data collection and processing activities, with a focus on improving the respondent experience, embedding revised ways of working, strengthening reporting and the use of management information.
- Ensure high quality and timely delivery of key business survey transformation activities, finishing Lotus Notes and Moving Surveys Online, supporting ARIES (Ambitious, Radical, Inclusive Economic Statistics) Legacy (technical debt) Reduction and completion and exploitation of the Statistical Business Register (SBR).
- Ensure delivery and implementation of the new Business Survey Strategy (BSS) in line with the ambitious appetite from the organisation.
- Build close working relationships with the ARIES change programme and the users of business surveys internally and externally. Understand emerging user priorities and be a ‘demanding provider’, ensuring clarity on quality and survey requirements.
- Build a collaborative, open relationship with the Director for Social Surveys, ensuring you are delivering in unison on key survey priorities and working jointly to develop, communicate and embed a new ONS survey strategy
- Provide strong, visible, and inclusive leadership to the directorate and across the Operations Group confidently managing the day-to-day challenges of leading a large, diverse workforce with your leadership team to support the delivery and innovation of high-quality data collection to input into our key national statistics.
Further information on the role can be found in the attached candidate pack.
Person specification
Essential Criteria
- A demonstrable understanding of large-scale data collection with a strong track record in delivering efficiencies and improved ways of working, alongside ensuring high quality day-to-day operation
- Understanding/practice of survey design and how surveys are used within economics statistics outputs
- Experience of successfully leading large-scale transformation activities at a senior level
- Proven ability to work at senior board level, building strong, collaborative relationships and able to effectively influence across a complex stakeholder landscape.
- A visible, inclusive leader of large teams with excellent proven leadership skills, able to provide a compelling vision, clear strategic leadership to a diverse, multi-disciplinary directorate, and take people with you
- Strong communication skills with an ability to engage effectively with staff at all levels, embed a culture that values the voice of the employee
Benefits
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.
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 we’re 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.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Security Clearance
The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for 3 consecutive years immediately prior to applying.
A lack of UK residency in itself is not always a bar to security clearance but the Department will need to consider eligibility by exception on a case-by-case basis. You will be asked to provide information regarding your UK residency during your application, and failure to provide this will result in your application being rejected.
If you are unsure that you meet the eligibility above, please contact the recruitment email on the advert before applying to discuss, as failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected and any offer of employment being withdrawn.
At the point of SC application you will need to provide or give access to the following evidence:
- Departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
- UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records
- Your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
- Security Services records
Applicants may utilise AI resources in their submissions; ensuring all information provided is factually accurate, truthful, and original, avoiding any form of plagiarism to maintain the authenticity and credibility of the application process.
Please note that all campaigns may be subject to withdrawal at any stage if the internal resource position changes.
Selection process details
Applications should consist of your CV and Answers combined as one document and uploaded as a single attachment through Civil Service Jobs.
A Curriculum Vitae consisting of:
- Details of your education and/or professional qualifications.
- Full employment history, giving details (where applicable) of budgets and numbers of people managed, relevant key achievements in recent posts.
- Details of your latest remuneration.
Answers to the following questions from your own career and experience linked to the essential criteria and role description – no more than 350 words per answer:
- How you have led and implemented strategies whilst ensuring high quality operational business as usual delivery?
- How you have fostered inclusive and collaborative environments with internal and external stakeholders?
Applications will be acknowledged shortly after receipt. If you do not receive an acknowledgement within one week of applying for the post, please contact our SCS Recruitment Team at: SCS.Recruitment@ons.gov.uk
Further information on the assessment and interview for this role can be found in the candidate pack.
Expected Recruitment Timetable
Shortlisting meeting: 5th November 2024
Employee Engagement Exercise: 20th November 2024
Stakeholder conversations: 27th November 2024
Interviews: 12th December 2024 - Held in ONS, Government Buildings, Cardiff Rd, Newport, NP10 8XG.
Dates are subject to change.
Full terms and conditions are attached at the bottom of this advert
If you meet the required standard but the recruiting department is unable to offer you the job, you may be given the option of being added to a reserve list. Reserve lists may be shared with other Civil Service departments and professions who are recruiting for similar roles.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Philippa Bonay
- Email : Philippa.Bonay@ons.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : SCS.Recruitment@ONS.gov.uk
Further information
