Digital Delivery Manager

Job summary

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.

Are you excited by the idea of building a rewarding career as a Digital Delivery Manager in the Government Digital and Data profession?

Do you thrive on working with people, improving how teams work, and helping deliver outcomes that genuinely make a difference?

As a Digital Delivery Manager, you will lead the successful delivery of high‑impact digital products and services. You will be a confident communicator, able to influence senior stakeholders, motivate teams, and drive delivery using agile and lean approaches.

Job description

We have five exciting Digital Delivery Manager opportunities across various Directorates at ONS: Data Products Services and Governance, Digital Services, Macroeconomic and Environment Statistics and Strategic Innovation and Analysis.

• Data Products Services and Governance (DPSG) - the role sits centrally within ONS, provides a cross-ONS capability for data, including data access and preparation, and the provision of data and linked data products. DPSG develops and manages the systems and processes that underpin the distribution of data across ONS and beyond. DPSG provides data to ONS, academia, wider government, and other external users in a safe and controlled way, supporting and encouraging users to maximise data utility, enabling innovation and statistical and research use.
• Digital Services (DS) - You will provide dedicated delivery leadership to the Knowledge Exchange Hub (KEH). KEH is an enabling function whose primary customers are software engineers and delivery teams across ONS, as well as key digital stakeholders involved in implementing software led change. Rather than delivering end user services directly, KEH focuses on improving engineering effectiveness, consistency and quality across the organisation through shared capability, standards, tooling and guidance. KEH plays a key role in enabling the adoption of AI‑assisted software engineering across ONS, embedding practical approaches (e.g. GitHub Copilot and emerging spec‑driven and multi‑agent development patterns) into day‑to‑day delivery and scaling proven practices across teams.
• Macroeconomic and Environment Statistics (MESA) - the role will be in the Public Sector Systems (PSS) project. We are developing a data platform on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) which aims to modernise data processing systems for the National Accounts and Public Sector Finances. This is an exciting role that is key to delivering improved systems not only for the Public Sector Division but also could be implemented across ONS as part of the Digital Delivery Framework.
• Strategic Innovation and Analysis (SIA) - will be working in Data and Technology division which delivers AI and technology product development, economic and geospatial data development, data science projects for economic analysis and directorate operations.

The Digital Delivery Manager Role

As a Digital Delivery Manager, you are accountable for the delivery of products and services. Build and maintain motivated teams, making sure there is an iterative plan to work towards. Protect the team and make sure the team collaborates, communicates, and focuses on what is most important. Coach team members and others. Facilitate continuous improvement and apply the most appropriate agile and lean tools and techniques for their environment. Proactively manage dependencies, overcome obstacles, and get the best value against constraints. May manage risks, budgets, and people.

Responsibilities

• Own delivery of products and services, ensuring outcomes are achieved efficiently and sustainably.
• Build, lead, and motivate high-performing teams, setting clear goals and maintaining an iterative, outcome-focused delivery plan.
• Create a safe and effective delivery environment, protecting teams from unnecessary distractions and enabling strong collaboration and communication.
• Coach and support team members and stakeholders, embedding agile ways of working and developing delivery capability.
• Drive continuous improvement, selecting and applying the most appropriate agile and lean tools for the Academy context.
• Manage dependencies and constraints, proactively resolving issues and maximising value.
• Oversee risks, budgets, and resourcing, ensuring effective governance and responsible use of funding.
• Actively contribute to planning and estimation, adapting delivery plans to respond to change and emerging challenges.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Agile and Lean practices (Practitioner) - Compare and select the most appropriate delivery methods and processes. Recognise, reflect and adapt when something does not work, encouraging experimentation. Use a blended approach depending on the context. Help teams to measure, evaluate and visualise outcomes. Encourage reflective practice to improve ways of working.
• Making the process work (Expert) - Identify and challenge organisational processes of increasing complexity and those processes that are unnecessarily complicated. Add value and can coach the organisation to inspect and adapt processes. Understand external suppliers’ delivery approaches and adapt to ensure interface to ONS delivery approach is smooth, challenging external supplier to align more closely where appropriate. Guide teams through the implementation of a new process.
• Planning (Practitioner) - Understand the environment and is able to prioritise the most important or highest value tasks. Use data to inform planning. Manage complex internal and external dependencies. Provide delivery confidence. Remove blockers or impediments that affect the plan and is able to develop a plan for difficult situations. Ensure teams plan appropriately for their own capacity.
• Maintaining Delivery momentum (Practitioner) - Facilitate the delivery flow of a team, managing the pace and tempo. Actively address internal and external risks, issues and dependencies including where ownership exists outside the team.
• Communicating between the technical and non-technical (Practitioner) - Listen to and interpret the needs of technical and non-technical stakeholders, and manage their expectations. Manage active and reactive communication. Support or host difficult discussions within the team or with diverse senior stakeholders.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

Technical skills

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

• The application of Agile tools and techniques and the ability to apply the appropriate methodology to support effective delivery.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £41,985, Office for National Statistics contributes £12,163 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, Experience and Technical skills.

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.

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

Please note: We will reach out to you once the advert has closed to confirm eligibility for this role, this will be via an e-mail. Please check you e-mails.

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 at point of application.

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.

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, CV, 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 word count allowed is 1250 words, 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: In the event of a large number of applications being received, the sift will be held on the lead Essential Criteria skill which is Agile and Lean practices (Practitioner) within your Personal Statement.

In instances where a high number of applications are received, the sift pass mark may be adjusted, and candidates will be invited to interview based on merit order, i.e., those with the highest scores.

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.

We often have similar roles available at different grades. If a candidate is suitable for a similar role or a lower grade than they have applied for, we may offer the candidate that role without the need to go through a further selection process providing the role has the same behaviours, and essential skills.

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

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 in person in our Newport and Titchfield offices:

Titchfield: Segensworth Road, Titchfield, Fareham, Hampshire, PO15 5RR
Newport: Government Buildings, Cardiff Road, Newport, NP10 8XG

Please note: Travel expenses will not be reimbursed. You will also be required to bring valid photo identification to your interview.

You will be required to provide a 10 minute presentation at interview. The presentation topic will be emailed to candidates who have passed the initial online application stage, 1 week prior to interview. This presentation will assess candidates against the Technical skills Agile tools and techniques.

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

Important Dates

• Eligibility checks from 18/09 - 25/09. Please be aware we will be sending all candidates an e-mail to complete a eligibility form.
• Sift will be conducted from 28/09/2026
• Interviews will be from 12/10/2026 - In person

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 basic (or equivalent) 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 : Government Digital and Data Recruitment
• Email : Government-Digital-and-Data-Recruitment@ons.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : About.You@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

2721 Advert 1B Permanent - ONS National Opens in new window (pdf, 83kB)Flexibilities.1 Opens in new window (pdf, 47kB)