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 this role are Newport, Titchfield (Fareham) All colleagues are required to work from their contractually allocated site for at least 40% of their working time. Frequent travel to the Titchfield office will be required as part of this role (if not already contracted there).
The requirements of the programme mean that the need for in-person attendance may vary for some roles overtime, particularly during peak design and operational periods. This may also include travel between sites.
The induction process for the role will be conducted in person.
ONS are committed to flexible ways of working that support a healthy work-life balance. ONS has already considered how this job could be right sized for applicants working flexibly and we are happy to explore options with you about working part time, in a job share or flexibly, in line with our hybrid working policies.
Job Summary
Are you ready to be part of something that shapes the future of our nation? Do you thrive on variety, enjoy working with lots of teams, and want to make a real difference? If so, this could be the opportunity you've been looking for.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UK's largest producer of official statistics and home to over 5,000 colleagues. We create the data that drives decisions, from measuring economic growth and tracking population changes to informing policy on everything from housing to healthcare. Our statistics don't just sit in reports; they directly influence how billions of pounds are allocated, how services are planned, and how communities are supported across the country.
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.
Your work will support delivery of this transformational project that will shape how we understand and support our nation's future. You'll be part of a team that ensures everyone is counted—and every voice is heard. We're building a culture that values collaboration, fresh thinking, and respect for diverse expertise. Whether you're a seasoned professional or bringing new perspectives, you'll be part of a team that welcomes bold ideas, works transparently, and thrives on solving complex challenges together.
The Census Commercial Services Division leads all procurement, contract management, and supplier performance activities for Census 2031. Its purpose is to embed robust commercial strategy early in the programme lifecycle, ensuring effective market engagement, cost efficiency, and strong risk management. This approach builds on lessons from the 2021 Census, where early commercial involvement was essential to successful delivery.
Job Description
We currently have 3 positions available.
As a Commercial Category lead for Census, you will have responsibility for one of the following areas:
Design and Integration
Communications
Field Collection
Data & Operational Management
Technology
You will become a specialist in the category area, with experience applying best practice, developing methods and tools, generating ideas, and advising or leading others across the organisation.
These roles offer a unique opportunity to lead a highly challenging and time critical commercial portfolio. To thrive, you will bring extensive commercial expertise, a track record of delivering impactful results, and the confidence to operate at a senior level. You will have built a credible career and be ready to demonstrate your success across the key areas below.
Key Responsibilities
Category Management
Develop and implement market facing Category Strategies that maximise innovation, value, and organisational benefits.
Lead Delivery Model Assessments and secure agreement on recommended approaches.
Plan, implement, and manage major supplier contracts for Census delivery.
Commercial Management
Manage a portfolio of contracts, ensuring compliance with commercial policy, sourcing processes, and procurement regulations.
Provide commercial protection for the organisation by ensuring adherence to legal, financial, regulatory, and government requirements with embedded risk analysis and management.
Leadership
Lead contract negotiations, including pricing and terms, using a strong understanding of various contract forms (Model Services, Mid-Tier, Short Form, Bespoke).
Develop structured negotiation strategies aligned with legislation and organisational objectives, understanding the appropriate levers available to develop a structured negotiation plan.
Provide leadership development support to Commercial team members as part of a wider positive and proactive approach as part of the Senior Leadership Team.
Supplier Relationship Management
Build strong and effective relationships with existing and potential suppliers through early and ongoing market engagement.
Work with Government Crown Representatives and Strategic Partnering Managers to embed strategic supplier management practices.
Ensure supplier relationships support competitive pricing and high-quality solutions.
Stakeholder Engagement & Management
Promote the organisation's reputation and vision, inspiring engagement from internal and external stakeholders.
Collaborate with colleagues, customers and delivery partners to achieve agreed commercial outcomes, inspiring full engagement and alignment with the aims and long-term vision for Census.
Foster strong working relationships with Category, Finance, and Delivery leads to support cohesive delivery.
We currently have 3 positions available.
As a Commercial Category lead for Census, you will have responsibility for one of the following areas:
Design and Integration
Communications
Field Collection
Data & Operational Management
Technology
You will become a specialist in the category area, with experience applying best practice, developing methods and tools, generating ideas, and advising or leading others across the organisation.
These roles offer a unique opportunity to lead a highly challenging and time critical commercial portfolio. To thrive, you will bring extensive commercial expertise, a track record of delivering impactful results, and the confidence to operate at a senior level. You will have built a credible career and be ready to demonstrate your success across the key areas below.
Key Responsibilities
Category Management
Develop and implement market facing Category Strategies that maximise innovation, value, and organisational benefits.
Lead Delivery Model Assessments and secure agreement on recommended approaches.
Plan, implement, and manage major supplier contracts for Census delivery.
Commercial Management
Manage a portfolio of contracts, ensuring compliance with commercial policy, sourcing processes, and procurement regulations.
Provide commercial protection for the organisation by ensuring adherence to legal, financial, regulatory, and government requirements with embedded risk analysis and management.
Leadership
Lead contract negotiations, including pricing and terms, using a strong understanding of various contract forms (Model Services, Mid-Tier, Short Form, Bespoke).
Develop structured negotiation strategies aligned with legislation and organisational objectives, understanding the appropriate levers available to develop a structured negotiation plan.
Provide leadership development support to Commercial team members as part of a wider positive and proactive approach as part of the Senior Leadership Team.
Supplier Relationship Management
Build strong and effective relationships with existing and potential suppliers through early and ongoing market engagement.
Work with Government Crown Representatives and Strategic Partnering Managers to embed strategic supplier management practices.
Ensure supplier relationships support competitive pricing and high-quality solutions.
Stakeholder Engagement & Management
Promote the organisation's reputation and vision, inspiring engagement from internal and external stakeholders.
Collaborate with colleagues, customers and delivery partners to achieve agreed commercial outcomes, inspiring full engagement and alignment with the aims and long-term vision for Census.
Foster strong working relationships with Category, Finance, and Delivery leads to support cohesive delivery.
Person specification
Essential Criteria
Extensive knowledge of public procurement regulations (including the procurement act, 2023) and their practical application, providing credible and authoritative commercial leadership that builds stakeholder confidence.
Proven experience in a senior commercial or procurement role.
Experience delivering category strategies, leading delivery model assessments, managing major contracts, applying innovative procurement techniques, and engaging stakeholders effectively.
Experience of managing complex, high value contracts and strategic supplier relationships to optimise performance - including the ability to proactively taking calculated risks in the pursuit of implementing efficient sourcing projects to deliver innovative solutions.
Able to build trust and influence through clear communication, senior level relationship management, and inclusive leadership that develops and empowers others.
Can navigate very large complex commercial environments in a time limited environment, translating strategic priorities into clear outcomes while making sound decisions amid ambiguity and pressure.
Qualifications
MCIPS Qualification
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Leadership
Managing a Quality Service
Delivering at Pace
Communicating and Influencing
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
Extensive knowledge of public procurement regulations and their practical application to ensure the right focus, and builds a credible and authoritative approach to commercial activity that wins the confidence and support of key stakeholders.
Alongside your salary of £68,199, Office for National Statistics contributes £19,757 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 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.
ONS are committed to flexible ways of working that support a healthy work-life balance. ONS has already considered how this job could be right sized for applicants working flexibly and we are happy to explore options with you about working part time, in a job share or flexibly, in line with our hybrid working policies.
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, Experience and Technical skills.
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.
If you are unsure that you meet the eligibility above, please read the information available on 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
Selection Process Details:
Applicant Support
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 CV, 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 wordcount allowed is 1250, 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).
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 and any required technical skills.
You will be required to provide a 10 minute presentation at interview. The presentation topic will be emailed to candidates who have passed the initial online application stage, 1 week prior to interview. This presentation will assess candidates against the Success Profiles Behaviour Delivering at pace.
Interviews may be conducted via Microsoft Teams.
Our main locations are Newport (South Wales), Titchfield.
A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made.
Important Dates:
The Sift will be conducted from 16/03/2026
Interviews will be conducted from 30/03/2026
Dates are subject to change.
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.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
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.
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.
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).
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 : Rhys Thomas
Email :
Recruitment team
Email :
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 If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission