ONS Local Engagement Lead

The locations for these roles are Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the South of England.

The nature of ONS Local roles requires regular in-person engagement within the communities and locations covered by the post. Although contracted as home-working, postholders will be expected to travel frequently within their allocated area, attending ONS offices and other locations as required to undertake their duties.

Roles Are Being Advertised For The Following Areas South of England (1 post)

Devolved Nations (1 post)

Applicants considering future moves within ONS should note that these arrangements are specific to ONS Local’s place-based delivery model and may differ from those applying to other ONS roles.

Job Summary The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UK's largest producer of official statistics, providing trusted data and analysis that helps inform decisions affecting people, communities and businesses across the country.

We are recruiting for two Grade 7 leadership roles within the ONS Local Engagement Service, part of the ONS Local Statistics and Analysis (OLSA) Division.

The ONS Local service supports users to access, analyse and understand government statistics and data to inform decisions at a local level. These roles offer a unique opportunity to influence how evidence and insight are used to support place-based decision making across the UK.

The ONS Local Statistics and Analysis (OLSA) division is a centre of excellence for local statistics, analysis and dissemination. The ONS Local service works closely with local, regional and national partners to understand evidence needs, identify data gaps, and ensure decision-makers have access to high-quality statistics, analysis and insight.

We Are Recruiting For The Following Roles Head of ONS Local Engagement: South England covering : South East (E12000008) &​ South West (E12000009)

Head of ONS Local Engagement: Devolved Nations covering:

• Wales (W92000004), Northern Ireland (N92000002), Scotland (S92000003)

The successful candidate will become the senior ONS Local lead for their assigned geography, representing ONS externally, building strategic partnerships, and ensuring stakeholder needs are effectively understood, prioritised and delivered.

Job Description Greater devolution and the increasing demand for locally relevant evidence mean decision-makers across the UK need more local data and insight than ever before to support policy development and evidence-based decision making.

As a ONS Local Engagement Lead , you will provide strategic leadership across your assigned geography, leading ONS Local's engagement activity and ensuring users can access the data, analysis and expertise they need. You will be responsible for delivering and evolving the ONS Local offer within your area, developing services in response to stakeholder requirements, emerging priorities and identified evidence gaps.

Reporting to the Head of ONS Local Engagement Service, you will work closely with ONS Local leads across England and the Devolved Nations, helping to strengthen ONS's capability to meet the evolving needs of users across the UK. You will collaborate with analytical and development teams to ensure stakeholder priorities are translated into impactful statistical outputs, analysis and services.

This role requires exceptional stakeholder management and relationship-building skills, a strategic mindset and an understanding of analytical approaches. We are looking for someone who can develop and sustain influential networks, understand complex user requirements and work collaboratively with colleagues and partners to ensure data and evidence are effectively used to support decision-making.

You will have line management responsibility for a Senior Engagement Officer, and there may be further opportunity to matrix manage projects and colleagues across ONS Local and the wider ONS. As a member of the ONS Local leadership team, you will contribute to strategic priorities, foster a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration, and support the wider Social, Local and Census Statistics Directorate in delivering its objectives.

Stakeholders are likely to include local government leaders and analysts, mayoral strategic authorities, Welsh Government, Scottish Government, NISRA, MHCLG, other government departments, academics, local industry representatives and colleagues across ONS, particularly those working on subnational and regional statistics.

As a place-based leadership role, regular engagement with stakeholders across your assigned geography is essential. You will be expected to build strong local relationships through a combination of virtual and face-to-face engagement and travel regularly within your portfolio area to meet stakeholders and support local delivery activities.

For the South role, applicants should be ordinarily resident within the South East or South West and be willing to travel across both regions as required. For the Devolved Nations role, applicants should be ordinarily resident in Wales, Scotland

or Northern Ireland and be willing to travel across the devolved nations to support stakeholder engagement and partnership working. Travel undertaken for business purposes within your assigned geography will be reimbursed in accordance with ONS travel and expenses policies.

Where applicants choose to live outside their assigned area(s), additional travel costs from their home address will not normally be reimbursed.

Some of our offices are based within the areas listed for these roles, regular access to workstations within these offices (in addition to the expectation to travel to stakeholder-based locations) can be arranged. Offices within these areas include Titchfield (Fareham), Newport (Wales), Edinburgh and Belfast.

Occasional travel to other UK Statistics Authority sites and external venues may also be required.

Greater devolution and the increasing demand for locally relevant evidence mean decision-makers across the UK need more local data and insight than ever before to support policy development and evidence-based decision making.

As a ONS Local Engagement Lead , you will provide strategic leadership across your assigned geography, leading ONS Local's engagement activity and ensuring users can access the data, analysis and expertise they need. You will be responsible for delivering and evolving the ONS Local offer within your area, developing services in response to stakeholder requirements, emerging priorities and identified evidence gaps.

Reporting to the Head of ONS Local Engagement Service, you will work closely with ONS Local leads across England and the Devolved Nations, helping to strengthen ONS's capability to meet the evolving needs of users across the UK. You will collaborate with analytical and development teams to ensure stakeholder priorities are translated into impactful statistical outputs, analysis and services.

This role requires exceptional stakeholder management and relationship-building skills, a strategic mindset and an understanding of analytical approaches. We are looking for someone who can develop and sustain influential networks, understand complex user requirements and work collaboratively with colleagues and partners to ensure data and evidence are effectively used to support decision-making.

You will have line management responsibility for a Senior Engagement Officer, and there may be further opportunity to matrix manage projects and colleagues across ONS Local and the wider ONS. As a member of the ONS Local leadership team, you will contribute to strategic priorities, foster a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration, and support the wider Social, Local and Census Statistics Directorate in delivering its objectives.

Stakeholders are likely to include local government leaders and analysts, mayoral strategic authorities, Welsh Government, Scottish Government, NISRA, MHCLG, other government departments, academics, local industry representatives and colleagues across ONS, particularly those working on subnational and regional statistics.

As a place-based leadership role, regular engagement with stakeholders across your assigned geography is essential. You will be expected to build strong local relationships through a combination of virtual and face-to-face engagement and travel regularly within your portfolio area to meet stakeholders and support local delivery activities.

For the South role, applicants should be ordinarily resident within the South East or South West and be willing to travel across both regions as required. For the Devolved Nations role, applicants should be ordinarily resident in Wales, Scotland

or Northern Ireland and be willing to travel across the devolved nations to support stakeholder engagement and partnership working. Travel undertaken for business purposes within your assigned geography will be reimbursed in accordance with ONS travel and expenses policies.

Where applicants choose to live outside their assigned area(s), additional travel costs from their home address will not normally be reimbursed.

Some of our offices are based within the areas listed for these roles, regular access to workstations within these offices (in addition to the expectation to travel to stakeholder-based locations) can be arranged. Offices within these areas include Titchfield (Fareham), Newport (Wales), Edinburgh and Belfast.

Occasional travel to other UK Statistics Authority sites and external venues may also be required.

Person specification

**Essenti