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, Titchfield (Fareham) 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 Darlington who are required to attend the office for a minimum of 20% of their work time About the job Job summary The Office for National Statistics (ONS) makes headline news almost every day. Operating impartially and free of political control, we produce the trusted numbers that matter most on the economy, business, people, population and communities. Our work informs the decisions made by the UK governments, businesses and third-sector organisations. The External Affairs department is a central source for stakeholder insight, impact and engagement expertise. The External Affairs team works closely with the Outreach and Engagement team and collectively, they comprise the Communications Division Engagement Hub. External Affairs is also the main point of contact for engaging with external stakeholders from the public and private sector, including users and producers of statistics from across the Government Statistical Service. Job description In the role of a External Affairs Officer, you will support the coordination of external stakeholder engagement for the ONS. This includes supporting planning and delivery, such as arranging external events and communications with external stakeholders. This role sits within the Engagement Hub (part of the Communications and Digital Publishing Division) of the ONS and supports the External Affairs work for the organisation. Key Responsibilities: Support engagement with our priority external stakeholder organisations such as arranging meetings with stakeholders, sending follow-up notes and actions, Work with the External Affairs team to manage, promote and evaluate our formal and informal consultations, Support the team in organising, promoting, facilitating and evaluating corporate events and webinars, Provide various administrative and business support duties to the immediate team (and when required to the wider team) including mailbox monitoring, creation of presentations and materials and contributing to forward planning schedules, Maintain accurate records of stakeholder organisations, individual contacts and engagement activities using MS Lists, Support the Senior External Affairs Manager and Deputy Head of External Affairs with the delivery of their work, along with key business areas across the ONS. Person specification Essential Criteria Experience of using Microsoft packages including Outlook, Excel, Word, Teams, PowerPoint, Lists. Able to demonstrate a good level of IT literacy. Strong administrative skills and a good attention to detail (for example, for when arranging events, scheduling meetings). Ability to work effectively and collaboratively across teams and directorates. Ability to communicate and liaise with a wide range of stakeholders, including the coordination of external events and webinars. Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, managing and scheduling competing tasks. Good written and oral presentation skills. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Delivering at Pace Communicating and Influencing Working Together Benefits Alongside your salary of £27,252, Office for National Statistics contributes £7,894 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. 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 (bottom of page) 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 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 and Experience. Artificial Intelligence (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. 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, CV, and personal statement. It is important that your application is tailored to highlight the skills, knowledge, and experience relevant to the role. Your personal statement should be no longer than 1250 words. 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. 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. 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. Interviews will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams. A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. Sift - w/c 24th February 2025 Interviews w/c 3rd March 2025 Dates are subject to change For the full terms and conditions of the post, please see attachment below. 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 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 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 : Bethan Strange Email : Bethan.Strangeons.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : recruitmentoperationsons.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 2424 ONS Recruitment Benefits Pack Update v4-00 Opens in new window (pdf, 1345kB) ONS_External_Vacancy_Terms_1 Opens in new window (pdf, 37kB) Share this page Print Email Gmail Facebook LinkedIn