The ONS operates a flexible hybrid working model across the UK, with colleagues linked to one of our contractual locations working between office and remote throughout the week. The locations for these roles are Newport (Gwent), Titchfield (Fareham), Manchester or Darlington. All colleagues are required to work from their contractually allocated site for at least 40% of their working time. Due to current capacity constraints there is currently an exception for colleagues based at the Darlington Economic Campus, this is expected to move to 40% attendance in 2027-28 for Darlington. The induction process for the roles will be conducted in person.
About the job
Job summary
Do you want to produce statistics to improve society?
The Office for National Statistics provides statistics to give insight into different areas of society and our economy. 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.
Census 2031 represents our most ambitious data collection project yet – a once-in-a-decade opportunity to capture a complete picture of everyone living in England and Wales. Building on the digital success of 2021, we’re pioneering new ways to reach every household and community, ensuring no one is left uncounted. This vital work will provide the foundation for policy decisions, resource allocation, and community planning for the next decade.
We will achieve these goals through quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research so are seeking to recruit people with the relevant research skills to support us in this.
By joining us 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. To apply for these roles, all candidates need to demonstrate competence in quantitative social research.
The majority of GSR roles in ONS are quantitative but a handful of qualitative roles are also available. In your online application you can select your preference for qualitative roles, but we are unable to make guarantees on placement for successful candidates.
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.
This campaign is to fill current vacant posts, therefore apply only if you have already completed your degree or are due to complete and receive your degree by 30th September 2026.
Job description
High quality data and analysis are required to inform the UK, improve lives and build the future. You could be working on topics of interest and programmes of work that include Census 2031, responding to changing data needs, population and migration, health monitoring, crime or survey transformation and quality.
- Production and publication of high‑quality National Statistics on a range of 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.
- Assisting with research to understand administrative datasets and how they can be used in the production of official statistics.
- Conducting qualitative research (employing a range of methods including mental model research, focus groups, cognitive interviewing, pop‑up research, usability testing and so on) with the public and businesses. This may include conducting participant recruitment for the research.
- Designing and developing questionnaires for social and economic surveys (suitable for paper, telephone, face‑to‑face and online self‑completion) using qualitative research methods.
- Disseminating work in various ways and to different audiences via written reports, through presentations, at ‘show and tell’ meetings, and through papers to a variety of audiences, both in the UK and internationally at conferences and other community events.
- Building strong professional working relationships with project stakeholders. Answering queries from customers and departments on ad‑hoc analyses or standard outputs; helping customers make best use of our statistics.
- Using specialist statistical software such as R, Python or equivalent to support this research.
Person Specification
As a GSR Research Officer, we will be looking for you to demonstrate skills and experience in five key areas below. Your evidence can come from academic study and/or professional work. In your personal statement provide evidence of how your skills and experience meet ALL of the following:
- Experience with using quantitative and/or qualitative methods and techniques, including research design and data collection.
- Experience in conducting and interpreting quantitative and/or qualitative data analysis, includes selecting appropriate analytical techniques, identifying the most relevant findings, and considering the strengths and limitations of the analysis.
- Ability to communicate complex analysis to both specialist and non‑specialist audiences in a range of formats (e.g., written, verbal), using appropriate tools (e.g., visuals) to support understanding.
- Ability to work effectively as part of a team, including taking a leading role when required, and build strong collaborative relationships with a diverse range of colleagues.
- Experience with managing your own workload, prioritising tasks to meet tight deadlines, and adapting plans when faced with professional challenges.
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 by 30th September 2026, an undergraduate degree at a minimum of 2:2 or a postgraduate degree in a social science related subject with sufficient social research content. Your degree must include training or experience in quantitative methods including research design, data collection, and data analysis.
- Badged route: Already be a member of the Government Social Research profession. Must use the RO Eligibility form to confirm.
- Professional Experience route: Hold, or expect to get by 30th September 2026, an undergraduate degree at a minimum of 2:2 or postgraduate degree in any subject or hold a degree equivalent. AND At the time of application, have at least four years of successful experience of working in applied social research in which strong analytical skills have been clearly demonstrated. Your experience must include working with quantitative methods including research design, data collection, and data analysis.
Behaviours
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Delivering at Pace
Technical Skills
- GSR technical skills: Knowledge of research methods, techniques & application of these in small scale projects; Identifying research needs, designing and specifying research; Analysis & interpretation.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £35,144, Office for National Statistics contributes £10,181 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
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.
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