Research officer

Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location ONS operates a flexible hybrid working model across the UK, with colleagues linked to one of our contractual locations in Newport (South Wales), Titchfield (Fareham), Manchester or Darlington and working between office and remote throughout the week. As part of the hybrid working arrangement there is a 40% minimum office attendance requirement. Attendance is typically at your contractual office, with occasional travel to alternative locations. Due to estates constraints, there are currently temporary exceptions to this for colleagues based at Manchester and Darlington who are required to attend the office for a minimum of 20% of their work time. About the job Job summary Do you want to be part of an organisation that produces statistics for the public good? There has never been a more interesting or important time to work with data and statistics across Government. Here at the Office for National Statistics we have unrivalled access to a breadth and depth of data that we use daily to provide statistics, analysis and insight for the public and policy makers. We are at the forefront when it comes to the production of reliable data, giving trusted and unique insights into health, well-being, work, household finances, local economies, high streets and more. By joining ONS as a Research Officer you will become a member of Government Social Research (GSR), which is the analytical profession for civil servants who generate and provide social and behavioural research and advice. At ONS we are creative about the way we work to deliver brilliant and sustainable outcomes and as we collaborate, we approach working together with positivity and trust, investing in building excellent and inclusive working relationships across the organisation. Please note we are running a Candidate Support Webinar via Teams for this vacancy on Thursday 23rd January at 12 noon. Click the following link to register: Research Officer Candidate Support Webinar Job description What can we offer you? Job satisfaction knowing that you are producing information that really does help the public and make a difference to their daily lives. Exposure to a range of other teams and topics across ONS and outside of the organisation to get a broader understanding of the great work that goes on across the office. Being responsible for a range of projects and seeing your teams work being picked up in the media. Using the latest programming software to manipulate and visualise data in an innovative way. Learning from topic experts and becoming an expert yourself. Flexible working with a work life balance and the autonomy to work to your strengths whilst developing additional skills as you build a career with us. Membership of the Government Social Research profession, providing you with the opportunity to develop your analytical career. What will the successful candidate be doing? High quality data and analysis are required to inform the UK, improve lives and build the future. We currently have a range of vacancies open now that offer the opportunity to work on some of the most important public policy issues that the UK will need to address in future years. Some of these roles include work looking at: Responsive analysis : The ONS responds to emerging and priority topics that the public and government face. To name some examples, results from our Ukrainian Humanitarian Survey provided data to inform government work in a range of areas including jobs and careers support. We supported investigations for those over 50 years old who are leaving the labour force and we continue to produce insights into the impact of the cost of living in the UK. Population and migration : Our data provides insights on the main drivers for migration to the UK and we are working to transform the population and migration statistical system. Some of this work involves refining and improving methods to produce population estimates using administrative data sources. Health monitoring : ONS is recognised as world leading when it comes to mortality and morbidity analysis. We were at the heart of the analytical response to the coronavirus pandemic in the UK and our mortality statistics are regarded as among the very best by our international counterparts. Crime : Our data is key to delivering the ambitions of the Government Safer Streets Mission. Using data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales and Police Recorded Crime, we publish crime levels and trends and provide important insights including violent crime, sexual offences, drug misuse, and bullying and online experiences among children. Survey transformation and quality : We are working to enhance core data collection and improve the quality of our surveys including the Transformed Labour Force Survey. We also have other divisions including Integrated Data Platform and Economic Statistics each with limited social research positions. Person specification Responsibilities Roles may include some of the following: Production and publication of high-quality National Statistics on a range of social and subject matters Discrete pieces of analysis to provide context and understanding around statistical outputs Development of new methods, production systems and reporting/dissemination to make sure we meet data users changing needs Answering queries from customers and departments on ad-hoc analyses or standard outputs; helping customers make best use of our statistics Assisting with research to understand administrative datasets and how they can be used in the production of official statistics Producing supporting documentation including metadata, operational or quality and methodology documentation Contributing to quality assurance and production of statistical or research publications Conducting qualitative research (including focus groups, cognitive interviewing, pop-up research, usability testing and so on) with the public and analysis of findings Designing and developing questionnaires for social and economic surveys (suitable for paper, telephone, face-to-face and online self-completion) using qualitative research methods Reporting findings through presentations, at show and tell meetings, and through papers to a variety of audiences, both in the UK and internationally Liaising closely with other staff across ONS to share knowledge and develop expertise Using specialist statistical software such as R, Python or equivalent to support this research Qualifications Entry Routes for this vacancy To be eligible to apply for this Research Officer (RO) role in the Government Social Research (GSR) profession, you need to fulfil the criteria of one of the following three entry routes: Qualification route Hold, or expect to get during this academic year, an undergraduate degree at a minimum of 2:1 (or postgraduate degree in addition to an undergraduate degree at a minimum of 2:2) in a social science related subject where at least 30% of the modules or credits, excluding dissertation modules, included social research content. The RO Eligibility form attached to this advert includes detail on what qualifies as a social science subject. Please read this form carefully to ensure that you meet the criteria for this route. Badged route Already be a member of the Government Social Research profession You must use the RO Eligibility form to tell us if you are already a badged member of GSR, which will be checked when we process your application. Please read this form carefully to ensure that you meet the criteria for this route. Professional Experience route Hold, or expect to get during this academic year, an undergraduate degree at a minimum of 2:1 (or postgraduate degree in addition to an undergraduate degree at a minimum of 2:2) in any subject or hold a degree equivalent (for example, an advanced Certificate or Diploma from MRS), AND Have at least four years of successful experience of working in applied social research in which strong analytical skills have been clearly demonstrated. The RO Eligibility form attached to this advert includes further information on what qualifies as successful work experience. Please read this form carefully to ensure that you meet the criteria for this route. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Delivering at Pace Working Together Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: GSR Technical Skill: Identifying research needs, designing & specifying research GSR Technical Skill: Analysis & interpretation GSR Using and promoting social research skill: Communication of research evidence & analysis and Championing social research Benefits Alongside your salary of £34,624, Office for National Statistics contributes £10,030 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 5400 valued colleagues across the business. We are committed to supporting our peoples wellbeing by offering flexible ways of working that support a healthy work life balance. We are happy to explore opportunities with you about working flexibly in line with our hybrid working policies. Whether you are hearing about us for the first time or already know a bit about our organisation, we hope that the benefits pack attached (see bottom of the advert) 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 member of the Business Disability Forum and a Disability Confident Leader were 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 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 The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for 3 consecutive years immediately prior to applying. A lack of UK residency in itself is not always a bar to security clearance but the Department will need to 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. If you are unsure that you meet the eligibility above, please read the information available on GOV.UK on this link, or contact the recruitment email on the advert before applying to discuss, as failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected and any offer of employment being withdrawn. 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 Use of AI All applicants will have access to AI resources, it is therefore important to remember these tools, although helpful in streamlining the writing process, cannot fully understand the organisational context, or requirements for the role you are applying for. To maintain authenticity and credibility of the application process, should you choose to use generative AI tools, you need to ensure the information you provide in your supporting evidence accurately reflects your skills, knowledge, and experience. ONS does not advocate relying solely on generative AI to write your application. Doing so may negatively impact your chances of success during the selection process. If you are invited to interview, please be aware the use of AI tools is prohibited and any suspected use may result in the termination of your interview and subsequent withdrawal from the campaign. Please note that all campaigns may be subject to withdrawal at any stage if the internal resource position changes. PLEASE ENSURE YOU READ AND FOLLOW ALL GUIDANCE to understand the requirements. There are 6 key steps to completing the application process followed by the interview assessment process, which has 2 elements. APPLICATION PROCESS This section advises of the steps on how to apply. The Candidate Pack contains information to help you complete your application. It is attached at the bottom of this job advert. Please establish if you are eligible to apply through one of three entry routes. Having decided you are eligible you must fill out the Research Officer (RO) Eligibility Form. Complete the online Application Form. Include your Research Proposal, as outlined below, in the Personal Statement section of the Application Form. Attach your completed Research Officer (RO) Eligibility Form to your completed online Application Form and submit. After submitting your online application you will be invited to complete an online GSR Skills Knowledge Test. ENTRY ROUTES for this vacancy - To be eligible to apply for this Research Officer (RO) role in the Government Social Research (GSR) profession, you need to fulfil the criteria of one of the following three entry routes: Qualification route; Badged route; Professional Experience route. See the ' Qualifications' section of the advert for the explanations of each of the entry routes. The Candidate Pack attached to the advert also includes information on the entry routes. RESEARCH OFFICER (RO) ELIGIBILITY FORM - This form is attached to the advert. (i) Read the form carefully, (ii) Complete the relevant section, depending on your entry route of application, and (iii) Upload/attach your completed form when you submit your application. APPLICATION FORM - Found via the ' Apply Now button in this advert. To apply for the Research Officer role you must complete all parts of the online application form including the Research Proposal. RESEARCH PROPOSAL - You are required to provide this information in the Personal statement section of the online application form. You must include a research proposal for a topic that is in the news or for a topic of interest, where you feel social research could provide useful insight for the government. Your Research Proposal will be assessed against the following GSR technical skills: Identifying research needs, designing & specifying research Analysis & interpretation There is a 750-word limit on this section. The Candidate Pack attached to the advert includes information on what you need include in the proposal. Please Note: Failure to complete and attach your Research Officer (RO) Eligibility Form to your online application or failure to complete all sections of the online Application Form including the Research Proposal in the Personal Statement section will result in your application being sifted out of the recruitment process. KNOWLEDGE TEST Candidates who submit their online application will be invited to complete an online GSR Skills Knowledge Test. This will happen after the closing date for online applications. Candidates will have a week to complete the test. Candidates do not need to complete the GSR Skills Knowledge Test if they are already GSR profession badged or if they have successfully passed the Knowledge Test within the last 12 months. Candidates that have successfully passed the GSR Skills Knowledge Test within the last 12 months are asked to email Social.Research.Recruitmentons.gov.uk with evidence of their pass. More information on the GSR Skills Knowledge Test can be found in the candidate pack. If you require any reasonable adjustments to complete the Knowledge Test, for example needing extra time, please contact Social.Research.Recruitmentons.gov.uk after submitting your application. Please head your email with the vacancy reference number and title 385184 Research Officer and a member of the team will contact you to discuss further. YOU MUST PASS THE KNOWLEDGE TEST FOR YOUR APPLICATION TO PROGRESS TO SIFT STAGE. Candidates who do not pass the GSR Skills Knowledge Test can repeat it after having waited at least six months. Upon reaching sift stage there will be an evaluation of your online application including your Research Proposal (Personal statement) and your Research Officer (RO) Eligibility Form. INTERVIEW ASSESSMENT PROCESS Candidates who successfully pass sift stage will be invited to the final stage which is an online interview assessment. The assessment has 2 elements - a short presentation and an interview - to further assess candidates general and technical competence for the Research Officer role. If you are successful at sift stage you will receive an invitation to book an interview slot. The invitation to interview will contain an attachment with all the information you will need about what to prepare for your presentation and interview. At interview you will be assessed against the three GSR technical skills, which are set out in the adverts Technical Skills section, and align to the GSR Technical Framework. You will also be assessed against two Civil Service Behaviours, which are set out in the adverts Behaviours section and align to the Civil Service Success Profiles. Interviews will take place using video conference via the MS Teams platform. IMPORTANT DATES Application closing date: Thursday 30th January 2025 Online GSR Knowledge Test from Monday 3rd February to Monday 10th February Application Sift from Wednesday 12th to Wednesday 19th February Candidate Interview dates from Thursday 27th February to Wednesday 19th March We aim to provide feedback to all applicants no later than week commencing 24 th March All dates may be subject to change. In cases where there is a high number of applications, the application pass mark required may be adjusted and candidates will be invited to interview based on the highest scoring applications. If there are more successful candidates than vacant positions, we will maintain a reserve list of remaining successful candidates from which further appointments will be made. A reserve list of successful applicants may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. If you already work for ONS, please note that by applying to this recruitment you may be moved to a priority role in a different team or directorate to that in which you are currently working. Successful candidates are required to carry out all their duties from a UK location and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time, unless this has been specified as a part of their role. Presence at an ONS office location will vary and have flexibility built around the following: Needs of the role and business objectives. Successful collaboration and effective partnerships with teams/customers and stakeholders. Personal Preferences. Disability and wellbeing considerations. For the full Terms and Conditions of the posts please see attachment. 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 the Civil 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 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 : Social Research Recruitment Email : Social.Research.Recruitmentons.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : Social.Research.Recruitmentons.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.complaintsons.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission Attachments ONS Recruitment Benefits Pack June 2024 Opens in new window (pdf, 792kB) Terms and Conditions for Permanent and Fixed Term Roles Opens in new window (pdf, 100kB) Research Officer (RO) Eligibility Form Opens in new window (docx, 57kB) RO Candidate Pack_Jan_2025 Opens in new window (pdf, 665kB) Share this page Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn GMail