Business Systems Configurator

Job summary

Join us as a Business Systems Configurator and play a key role in transforming critical systems, modernising legacy applications, and shaping the future of digital services.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UK’s 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.

The Operational Delivery Profession (ODP) is the largest profession in the Civil Service. ODP’s 200,000+ members work in a wide range of operational delivery roles across government, providing essential services that support and protect UK citizens at home and overseas. They help to make ONS a great place to work.

As a member, ODP supports you by providing learning and development opportunities, career pathways, tools and resources to help develop your skills and progress your career. This is an exciting opportunity to join a modern, innovative and inclusive Civil Service profession that sits at the heart of public service delivery.

You will work as part of the Life Events Processing (LEP) team to support, maintain, and enhance the existing application estate, including MS Access‑ and MS Excel‑based systems. You will help ensure that these systems continue to meet evolving user, business, and regulatory requirements, while also supporting the organisation’s longer‑term ambition to modernise and migrate away from legacy technologies.

Job description

The Business Systems Configurator Works collaboratively with colleagues, you will contribute to identifying opportunities to improve processing efficiency, automation, data quality, and control, as well as supporting better user enablement and the streamlining of repeatable processes. You will balance day to day operational support with involvement in change and improvement activity.

You will play an active role in the maintenance and support of live systems, helping to resolve incidents in a timely manner, carrying out investigation and analysis of underlying issues, and supporting any related follow up change or enhancement work.

As part of the wider transformational change agenda, you will contribute to system redevelopment and modernisation activity, including supporting the migration or refactoring of functionality from MS Access and VBA based solutions to modern platforms such as .NET/C# and the Power Platform (Power Apps and Power Automate). This will include working with colleagues to design, test, and implement changes safely and proportionately.

You will support the evaluation and use of appropriate development approaches and tools, apply agreed standards and best practices, and contribute to activities such as peer reviews, testing, and documentation to ensure solutions are secure, reliable, and supportable.

The role involves working closely with colleagues within LEP, across Population Statistics Directorate, Digital Services Team, and the wider ONS, as well as with external partners where required. You will contribute to changes driven by regulation, technology updates, data framework changes, or continuous improvement initiatives. Projects and changes may vary in size and complexity.

You will develop and maintain a broad understanding of end to end processing activity within Life Events Processing, including cause of death and occupation coding, associated systems, interfaces, and the wider data journey.

You will be encouraged to continue developing your technical skills and knowledge, learning new technologies and approaches to ensure alignment with the ONS technology strategy. This includes contributing to small prototypes or proof of concept activities to explore and test new ideas before wider adoption.

You will work with colleagues at different levels across the organisation, contributing positively to the team environment, sharing knowledge, and providing constructive support to less experienced colleagues where appropriate.

Responsibilities

• Support the development, maintenance, and day to day running of the application estate, including MS Access and Excel based legacy systems, helping to ensure they remain reliable, secure, and fit for purpose.
• Contribute to the planned modernisation of legacy applications, supporting work to migrate or refactor functionality to modern platforms such as .NET/C# and the Power Platform, under agreed architectural and organisational direction.
• Provide regular support for live systems and data, responding to incidents and issues, carrying out investigation and root cause analysis, and helping to deliver effective and timely resolutions.
• Assist with the review and improvement of existing systems, identifying opportunities to automate processes, improve efficiency, enhance data quality, and strengthen controls.
• Support the implementation, integration, and ongoing use of IRIS and G Code software (developed in collaboration by several National Statistics Institutions to enable cause of death coding and occupation coding), working with colleagues to ensure these specialist systems operate effectively across desktop and server environments.
• Be part of our transformational change capability with specific responsibility for system (re)development and functionality, working with a broad set of colleagues and partners. Delivering change driven by regulation, technology, data framework updates and other internal or external drivers.
• Actively contribute to our continuous improvement capability focusing on our systems and data. To include processing efficiency and automation, data quality and control, user enablement.
• Always work collaboratively with colleagues within LEP and across wider teams within Population Statistics Directorate, Digital Services and the wider organisation. Build and maintain positive working relationships with external customers and stakeholders.
• Apply appropriate software development approaches, tools, and ways of working, following agreed standards and practices to ensure solutions are proportionate, maintainable, and secure.
• Participate in code reviews and solution reviews, helping to maintain good coding standards, quality, and alignment with security and support requirements, while learning from more experienced colleagues.
• Support the development of prototypes and proof of concept solutions, testing and validating new ideas or technologies before they are adopted more widely.
• Produce and maintain relevant documentation to cover system implementation, management, and support, to aid business continuity and future change and migration.
• Share knowledge and provide constructive support to colleagues, seeking guidance when needed and continuously developing your own technical skills and understanding.

Person specification

Essential Skills Criteria:

• Demonstrable experience of using C# .NET, Python and/or Java for application development, data processing, or system integration, along with good software design concepts such as object oriented programming (OOP), SOLID and design patterns.
• Experience of, or exposure to, legacy system modernisation or migration, particularly from desktop or Access-based solutions to web, cloud, or low-code platforms.
• Experience of working within a live operational environment, balancing system support responsibilities alongside development and change activity. Producing and maintaining technical and user documentation to support system operation, knowledge transfer, and future change.
• Experience of working collaboratively across teams, including engaging with IT support, security, and infrastructure functions, and contributing to collective delivery outcomes.
• Working knowledge of version control, testing approaches, and structured change delivery.
• Experience working in data-sensitive or regulated environments, with an understanding of access control, auditability, and data protection requirements.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £34,587, Office for National Statistics contributes £10,019 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

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 valued colleagues across the organisation.

Whether you are hearing about us for the first time or already know a bit about our organisation, we hope that our careers site 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 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

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Visa Sponsorship:

ONS are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. Applicants are expected to hold a valid right to work in the UK when employment commences. If you are applying on a time-limited visa, this will need to be valid for at least 18 months.

To work at the ONS, candidates must meet both UK right to work and security clearance requirements (where applicable).

If you are unsure whether you meet the appropriate right to work or security clearance eligibility criteria, please refer to the guidance on Gov.uk or contact the recruitment email provided in the advert before applying. Failure to meet these requirements will result in your application being rejected and employment offers being withdrawn.

Security Clearance

For ONS the requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for 3 consecutive years immediately prior to applying and the department will 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 read the information available on Gov.uk on this link, or 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.

Application Process

Number of Stages: 2 stage process

Stage 1: Application

Stage 2: Interview

Stage 1 – Application

The assessment process at the application stage will be based on your work history, skills, experience, and personal statement. It is important that your application is tailored to highlight the skills, knowledge, and experience relevant to the role.

A personal statement is required at application stage, the maximum wordcount allowed is 1250, which should not be exceeded. You should provide evidence for each essential skill criterion listed in the person specification. As these criteria are scored, it is advisable to give clear examples for each one, including the impact of your actions, ideally utilising the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

Please note that Success Profiles Behaviour examples are not required at this stage of the application process.

When a high volume of applications are received, the sift pass mark may be adjusted. Candidates will be invited to interview based on their merit order, with those achieving the highest scores being prioritised. Applicants who score below the adjusted pass mark but still pass will be placed on hold and may be invited to interview at a later date.

Stage 2 – Interview

If invited to interview, you will be assessed using techniques aligned with the Civil Service Success Profiles framework, covering all behaviours listed in the job advert.

Interviews will be carried out Via Ms Teams.

Our main locations are Newport (South Wales), Darlington and Titchfield.

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made.

Important Dates:

The Sift will be conducted from 07/07/2026

Interviews will be conducted from 21/07/2026

Dates are subject to change.

For the full terms and conditions of the post, please see attachment.

Please note that all campaigns may be subject to withdrawal at any stage if the internal resource position changes.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

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).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

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

Apply and further information

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.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Recruitmentoperations@ons.gov.uk
• Email : Recruitmentoperations@ons.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitmentoperations@ons.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact recruitment.complaints@ons.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission

Attachments

ONS_Vacancy_Terms(Permanent) Opens in new window (pdf, 83kB)