GSS Learning and Talent Lead

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.

The role is part of the Office for the National Statistician. The Office for the National Statistician supports the National Statistician as the UK Government’s principal adviser on statistics and as Head of the Government Statistical Service (GSS) and Analysis Function (AF). The Office for the National Statistician leads the UK’s engagement with the international statistical system and supports excellence, coherence, innovation and responsiveness across the UK official statistics landscape. We provide advice and guidance that supports the community of UK civil servants working in the collection, production and communication of official statistics, comprising over 12,000 government professionals across more than 50 organisations; as well as the cross-government analytical network of around 17,000 people involved in the generation and dissemination of analysis.

In line with the UK Statistics Authority strategy and the GSS strategic vision, the GSS & Analysis Support and Standards Division creates high-quality standards and policies for statisticians across government to promote the production and publication of official statistics that serve the public good. These roles are part of the GSS Policy and Coordination team, which produces guidance and promotes collaboration to support the collection, production, and communication of official statistics in Government. In line with the UK Statistics Authority strategy and the GSS strategic vision, we bring departments across government together to promote the production and publication of official statistics that serve the public good.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the recently established Office for the National Statistician as we implement the priorities of the new National Statistician, and the findings from the recent GSS and Royal Statistical Society joint report on the Future Statistician.

Job description

The GSS Capability work strand aims to ensure that members of the GSS have the learning and development and wider capability support they need in all aspects of their career and development. Our vision is that GSS members can come from any background and work in supportive teams across the UK to reach their full potential, with clear progression routes and guidance from junior to the most senior grades.

The position holds leadership, delivery accountability and strategy development for capability projects across the GSS strategic vision. The core purpose of the post is to set strategic direction, hold delivery accountability and measure impact against a range of capability projects that support the GSS vision.

Working on behalf of the GSS People Advisory Group and GSS Heads of Profession, you will work across Departments and Professions to develop capability across the GSS, ensuring alignment with cross-government priorities and initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

You will be responsible for setting and overseeing the programme of work aligned to the Capability stream of the GSS Vision. Priorities include but are not limited to:

• Create a programme plan to deliver against the vision for statistical capability as defined by the GSS People Advisory Group, monitoring and overseeing the plan to ensure it continuously reflects emerging priorities across government.
• Lead and influence individuals and teams both within your reporting line and across departments to coordinate and ensure delivery against the capability plan.
• Responsible for delivery against key priorities within the capability plan. This includes supporting the career development and skills development of statisticians running our talent approach (including the development of senior talent management), and delivering competency frameworks.
• Task manage SEO project manager in the delivery of these priorities.
• Work with a range of stakeholders to actively shape and progress the Capability strand of the GSS Vision, through effective stakeholder management and collaboration with the Civil Service Learning Framework, GSS and Government Skills.
• You may also be responsible for overseeing the delivery of capability work to support the Analysis Function Strategy.
• Line management of 2 Senior Executive Officer's (SEO).

Person specification

Essential Skills Criterion

• Strong experience of delivering large scale learning and talent projects across boundaries, bringing together diverse groups to achieve a common objective.
• Management and leadership skills, with experience of leading and influencing across teams.
• Proven experience and ability to communicate successfully with varied stakeholders at senior levels, through both written briefings and verbally (including briefings for very senior stakeholders).
• Deliver at pace with a firm emphasis on prioritisation and management of large portfolios of work.
• Experience of working autonomously in a strategic HR and/ or capability context. Including experience of developing and evaluating learning and talent products and strategies to achieve strategic outcomes.

Qualifications

CIPD Level 7 or willingness to work towards

Behaviours

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

• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Developing Self and Others

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,861, Office for National Statistics contributes £16,472 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 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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

You will be required to provide a 5 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 Success Profiles Behaviour 'Developing Self & Others'.

Interviews will be held online via Microsoft teams.

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

The Sift will be conducted w/c 29th June

Interviews will be conducted w/c 6th July

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.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 : Philippa Robinson
• 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

2721 Advert 1B Permanent - ONS National v1-00 Opens in new window (pdf, 83kB)