Portfolio Analyst

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 Social Surveys Directorate plays a central role in delivering the ONS mission through the design, collection and production of household survey data that underpin some of the UK’s most important economic and social statistics. Our work supports decision making across government, business, academia and the wider public, and provides the evidence base for policy, operational delivery and public understanding on issues that matter nationally and locally. With around 2,000 colleagues, Social Surveys Directorate is one of the largest business areas in ONS. It brings together the leadership, operational capability and in depth social research expertise needed to run and improve the UK’s largest and most complex social surveys. The Directorate comprises six divisions: Social Surveys Central Services, Social Surveys Field Collection, Social Surveys Telephone and Ports Collection, Social Surveys Research and Production, Social Surveys Transformation, and Social Surveys Strategic Research and Innovation.

This is a new role that will sit within the Social Surveys Central Services Division which provides the strategic direction, governance and coordination that underpin the successful delivery of the entire Social Surveys Directorate. The Central Services Division brings together key functions including Business Support, Programme Management, Business Change, Transformed Labour Force Survey Programme leadership and future technology planning. Together, these teams ensure effective operations, consistent programme and project delivery, smooth implementation of organisational change and a clear long‑term technology roadmap for Social Surveys. This central function plays a vital role in enabling high‑quality, well-governed and forward-looking delivery across all areas of the Directorate.

Job description

The Portfolio Analyst is responsible for overseeing a collection of programmes or projects that support departmental or business area objectives. They focus on providing insights, information, and support to strengthen portfolio governance, enable prioritisation decisions, and ensure the effective allocation of resources. By analysing various information sources and engaging with programme and project stakeholders, analysts convert data into informed insights using appropriate reporting and visualisation methods to help achieve strategic objectives in line with government priorities.

A Portfolio Analyst supports delivery confidence across a portfolio of programmes and projects by providing clear, evidence-based insight into performance, risks, dependencies, resources, benefits, outcomes and strategic alignment. They bring together information from multiple sources to help senior leaders understand whether the portfolio remains on track to deliver intended organisational outcomes, where confidence is reducing, and what decisions or interventions may be required.

They establish and maintain portfolio information by bringing together milestone reporting, performance measures, risks, dependencies, assumptions, benefits, financial information and resource data. This supports a transparent view of portfolio health, delivery predictability, emerging constraints, opportunities, strategic priorities and outcome traceability.

They support effective governance by ensuring boards and senior decision makers have reliable, timely and proportionate information on delivery confidence, strategic alignment, risks, dependencies, affordability, benefits and organisational readiness. Their role is to provide insight, assurance support and constructive challenge rather than to own governance, benefits or stakeholder relationships.

Depending on grade and organisational context, they may also develop portfolio governance and reporting frameworks, lead portfolio confidence analysis, provide assurance and challenge, influence strategic decision making, and contribute to organisational capability through coaching, mentoring and the promotion of best practice.

Key Responsibilities

• Uses digital tools to analyse portfolio data and maintain portfolio information that supports assessment of delivery confidence, including progress, milestones, risks, dependencies, assumptions, resources and benefits. Identifies trends, risks and emerging issues, providing evidence-based insights to inform decision-making and resource allocation, and escalating where confidence in delivery is reducing.
• Coordinates portfolio reporting and analyses performance to support governance and decision making. Provides proportionate secretariat and governance support, ensuring information is accurate, timely and focused on the decisions required.
• Provides leadership within the portfolio analysis function, fostering collaboration and commitment to portfolio objectives. Builds trusted relationships with stakeholders, influences improvements to governance and reporting practices, and acts as a knowledgeable point of contact for portfolio data and insight. Coaches colleagues and promotes the adoption of consistent, data-driven approaches across the portfolio.
• Works with delivery teams, business areas and governance stakeholders to gather, validate and interpret portfolio information. Supports clear communication of risks, dependencies, progress and decisions required.
• Tracks portfolio dependencies, assumptions, constraints and areas of uncertainty, supporting escalation where these may affect delivery confidence, sequencing or prioritisation.
• Monitors and analyses portfolio risks, assumptions, opportunities and dependencies, identifying trends, emerging issues and potential impacts on delivery. Works with stakeholders to improve the quality and consistency of risk information, supports effective mitigation planning, and provides clear analysis and reporting to inform portfolio governance and decision-making.
• Maintains pipeline information and supports analysis of proposed initiatives against strategic objectives, capacity, dependencies, affordability, risk and expected outcomes.
• Supports the maintenance of traceability between strategic objectives, intended outcomes, benefits, milestones and delivery activity. Collates and analyses evidence on benefits and outcomes to support governance, prioritisation and decision making.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret, analyse and evaluate complex portfolio data and performance information, including milestones, KPIs, risks, dependencies and resource data, to identify trends, insights and emerging issues requiring intervention to support the successful delivery of strategic objectives.
• Experience of using digital tools and data analytics to develop high-quality management information, dashboards and reports, using data visualisation techniques to communicate analysis clearly and support evidence-based decision-making.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear, concise and actionable insights for a range of audiences, including senior leaders and governance boards.
• Experience of working within portfolio, programme or project management environments, with an understanding of governance frameworks, performance reporting, risk management and assurance processes.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality analytical products to agreed timescales, demonstrating strong organisational skills, attention to detail and a proactive approach to problem solving.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Changing and Improving

Technical skills

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

• Digital and Data - Practitioner Level - Project Delivery Profession Framework
• Assurance - Working Level - Project Delivery Profession Framework

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

Visa Sponsorship

ONS is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. Applicants must have a valid right to work in the UK when employment commences. If you are currently in the UK on a time-limited visa, it must have at least 18 months remaining at the point of application.

Right to Work

To work at ONS, applicants must meet the Civil Service nationality requirements, satisfy UK right to work requirements and, where applicable, meet the relevant security clearance requirements.

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, 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 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 and any required technical skills.

You will be asked to complete an in-tray exercise which will be provided on the day of the interview and candidates will be allocated time to prepare. This in-tray exercise will assess candidates against the Digital and Data Technical Skill (Practitioner Level).

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.

Important Dates

The Sift will be conducted from Thursday 22nd October

Interviews will be conducted week commencing Thursday 5th November

Dates are subject to change.

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

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 : Elaine Randall
• Email : Recruitmentoperations@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 v1-00 (2) Opens in new window (pdf, 83kB)Role1_Standard_Requirements Opens in new window (pdf, 76kB)