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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 last few years has seen an extensive overhaul of security and information management to meet the challenges of corporate and statistics transformation in technology, methods and practice, the Digital Economy Act and organisational risk appetite. The capability is evolving and expanding to address changes in threat and business direction.

The management of information used for corporate and statistical activities is critical to business operations and the trust that citizens place in us. ONS has a strong commitment to protecting this information.

This role sit in the Security and Information Management (SaIM) Directorate, which operates five key services across ONS: Security Risk Advice and Management; Knowledge and Information Management (KIM); Physical Security and Business Continuity; Security Compliance and Audit (SCA); and Cyber Security, including our Partnering Services.

Join the KIM team and play a key role in helping ONS unlock the value of its information and knowledge assets. The team provides the frameworks, governance, and expert support that enable information to be managed effectively, remain compliant, and drive informed decision-making across the organisation.

Job description

To support strategic delivery of KIM services to ensure that information management in the ONS and UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) meets legislative and regulatory requirements, meets the needs of internal users and supports the business in collecting, analysing and disseminating statistics about the UK's economy, society and population.

In the KIM role you will be responsible for administrative information management activities for information in any medium held by ONS and UKSA. Information Management role holders work within an information legislation culture in support of The Public Records Act, UK GDPR, Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and The Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Information Management role holders support internal stakeholders responsible for information governance activities, including SharePoint Site Owners, Disposition Reviewers, Networks Share Managers, Information Asset Owners, Information Asset Liaison Officers, Data Protection Officers, directors, Senior Civil Servants and the Accounting Officer.

Responsibilities:

• Manage ONS Information Asset Register and apply appropriate good practice and standards. Ensuring metadata fields are accurately completed and regularly validated.
• Administration of information governance for all media throughout their lifecycle.
• Regular reporting on information governance, including provision of monthly metrics, quarterly reviews for IAOs or IALOs, and annual reporting for directors for escalation to the relevant governance board or Accounting Officer where required.
• Apply appropriate information governance standards, including those around metadata.
• Manage procedures for information handling and governance.
• Maintain appropriate knowledge of information governance role holders within the organisation and their responsibilities.
• Management of starters, movers, and leavers in relation to information governance roles.
• Responding to all support requests relating to information governance or asset management.
• Development and delivery of training and guidance on information governance and asset management, including monitoring compliance rates with mandated learning activity.
• Engage with stakeholders to ensure services are understood and promoted across business areas.
• Once in post, the successful candidate will be required to demonstrate a willingness to work towards achieving and maintaining Government Knowledge and Information Management (GKIM) Communication and Engagement competency, and GKIM Information Manager: Information Asset Management competency, both at Awareness level.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Experience of working in a knowledge and information management role, or demonstrable knowledge and understanding of information management principles.
• Experience of working with and responding to enquiries from a wide range of internal and/or external stakeholders, with good interpersonal and communications skills.
• Proactive with excellent organisational skills, strong attention to detail and the ability to work to deadlines.
• The ability to be highly collaborative and flexible within a team to ensure that a range of diverse tasks are completed to a high standard.
• IT literate with experience of cloud-based collaboration platforms such as Microsoft 365, and associated standard applications such as MS Word, and MS Excel.

Behaviours

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

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

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £28,138, Office for National Statistics contributes £8,151 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.

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 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 1000 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).

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.

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.

Interviews will be 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

• Eligibility checks from 05/08/2026 - 12/08/2026. Please be aware we will be sending all candidates an e-mail to complete a eligibility form.
• Sift will be conducted from 13/08/2026
• Interviews will be conducted from 31/08/2026

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 : Government Digital and Data Recruitment
• Email : Government-Digital-and-Data-Recruitment@ons.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Government-Digital-and-Data-Recruitment@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_Statement Opens in new window (pdf, 47kB)