Office for National Statistics
Portfolio Analyst
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Job Summary
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UK’s largest producer of official statistics, covering a range of key economic, social and demographic topics. These include measuring changes in the value of the UK economy, estimating the size, geographic distribution and characteristics of the population, and providing indicators of price inflation, employment, earnings, crime and migration.
The Social Surveys Directorate plays a central role in delivering the ONS mission through the design, collection and production of household survey data that underpin some of the UK’s most important economic and social statistics. Our work supports decision making across government, business, academia and the wider public, and provides the evidence base for policy, operational delivery and public understanding on issues that matter nationally and locally. With around 2,000 colleagues, Social Surveys Directorate is one of the largest business areas in ONS. It brings together the leadership, operational capability and in depth social research expertise needed to run and improve the UK’s largest and most complex social surveys. The Directorate comprises six divisions: Social Surveys Central Services, Social Surveys Field Collection, Social Surveys Telephone and Ports Collection, Social Surveys Research and Production, Social Surveys Transformation, and Social Surveys Strategic Research and Innovation.
This is a new role that will sit within the Social Surveys Central Services Division which provides the strategic direction, governance and coordination that underpin the successful delivery of the entire Social Surveys Directorate. The Central Services Division brings together key functions including Business Support, Programme Management, Business Change, Transformed Labour Force Survey Programme leadership and future technology planning. Together, these teams ensure effective operations, consistent programme and project delivery, smooth implementation of organisational change and a clear long-term technology roadmap for Social Surveys. This central function plays a vital role in enabling high-quality, well-governed and forward-looking delivery across all areas of the Directorate.
Job Description
The Portfolio Analyst is responsible for overseeing a collection of programmes or projects that support departmental or business area objectives. They focus on providing insights, information, and support to strengthen portfolio governance, enable prioritisation decisions, and ensure the effective allocation of resources. By analysing various information sources and engaging with programme and project stakeholders, analysts convert data into informed insights using appropriate reporting and visualisation methods to help achieve strategic objectives in line with government priorities.
A Portfolio Analyst supports delivery confidence across a portfolio of programmes and projects by providing clear, evidence-based insight into performance, risks, dependencies, resources, benefits, outcomes and strategic alignment. They bring together information from multiple sources to help senior leaders understand whether the portfolio remains on track to deliver intended organisational outcomes, where confidence is reducing, and what decisions or interventions may be required.
They establish and maintain portfolio information by bringing together milestone reporting, performance measures, risks, dependencies, assumptions, benefits, financial information and resource data. This supports a transparent view of portfolio health, delivery predictability, emerging constraints, opportunities, strategic priorities and outcome traceability.
They support effective governance by ensuring boards and senior decision makers have reliable, timely and proportionate information on delivery confidence, strategic alignment, risks, dependencies, affordability, benefits and organisational readiness. Their role is to provide insight, assurance support and constructive challenge rather than to own governance, benefits or stakeholder relationships.
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Depending on grade and organisational context, they may also develop portfolio governance and reporting frameworks, lead portfolio confidence analysis, provide assurance and challenge, influence strategic decision making, and contribute to organisational capability through coaching, mentoring and the promotion of best practice.
Key Responsibilities
- Uses digital tools to analyse portfolio data and maintain portfolio information that supports assessment of delivery confidence, including progress, milestones, risks, dependencies, assumptions, resources and benefits. Identifies trends, risks and emerging issues, providing evidence-based insights to inform decision-making and resource allocation, and escalating where confidence in delivery is reducing.
- Coordinates portfolio reporting and analyses performance to support governance and decision making. Provides proportionate secretariat and governance support, ensuring information is accurate, timely and focused on the decisions required.
- Provides leadership within the portfolio analysis function, fostering collaboration and commitment to portfolio objectives. Builds trusted relationships with stakeholders, influences improvements to governance and reporting practices, and acts as a knowledgeable point of contact for portfolio data and insight. Coaches colleagues and promotes the adoption of consistent, data-driven approaches across the portfolio.
- Works with delivery teams, business areas and governance stakeholders to gather, validate and interpret portfolio information. Supports clear communication of risks, dependencies, progress and decisions required.
- Tracks portfolio dependencies, assumptions, constraints and areas of uncertainty, supporting escalation where these may affect delivery confidence, sequencing or prioritisation.
- Monitors and analyses portfolio risks, assumptions, opportunities and dependencies, identifying trends, emerging issues and potential impacts on delivery. Works with stakeholders to improve the quality and consistency of risk information, supports effective mitigation planning, and provides clear analysis and reporting to inform portfolio governance and decision-making.
- Maintains pipeline information and supports analysis of proposed initiatives against strategic objectives, capacity, dependencies, affordability, risk and expected outcomes.
- Supports the maintenance of traceability between strategic objectives, intended outcomes, benefits, milestones and delivery activity. Collates and analyses evidence on benefits and outcomes to support governance, prioritisation and decision making.
Person Specification
Essential Criteria
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret, analyse and evaluate complex portfolio data and performance information, including milestones, KPIs, risks, dependencies and resource data, to identify trends, insights and emerging issues requiring intervention to support the successful delivery of strategic objectives.
- Experience of using digital tools and data analytics to develop high-quality management information, dashboards and reports, using data visualisation techniques to communicate analysis clearly and support evidence-based decision-making.
- Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear, concise and actionable insights for a range of audiences, including senior leaders and governance boards.
- Experience of working within portfolio, programme or project management environments, with an understanding of governance frameworks, performance reporting, risk management and assurance processes.
- Proven ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality analytical products to agreed timescales, demonstrating strong organisational skills, attention to detail and a proactive approach to problem solving.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
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- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Changing and Improving
Technical Skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Digital and Data - Practitioner Level - Project Delivery Profession Framework
- Assurance - Working Level - Project Delivery Profession Framework
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £41,985, Office for National Statistics contributes £12,163 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
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.
Things you need to know
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.
Security Clearance
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.
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
Visa Sponsorship
ONS is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. Applicants must have a valid right to work in the UK when employment commences. If you are currently in the UK on a time-limited visa, it must have at least 18 months remaining at the point of application.
Right to Work
To work at ONS, applicants must meet the Civil Service nationality requirements, satisfy UK right to work requirements and, where applicable, meet the relevant security clearance requirements.
If you are unsure whether you meet the appropriate right to work
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