Office for National Statistics
Senior Data Journalist
Get notified of more jobs like this · No spam, ever
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Locations for these roles are Newport and Titchfield (Fareham).
This role is aligned to ONS hybrid working principles, which are based on attending the office with purpose. The postholder will be expected to contribute to the organisation’s overall 40% office attendance, in line with business and role requirements.
The induction process for the role will be conducted in person.
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.
Do you have a talent for making complex information clear and engaging? As a Data Journalist in ONS Digital Publishing, you'll transform statistics into compelling content, helping users access the insights they need while shaping the future of our digital publishing platform.
Digital Publishing is responsible for the ONS statistical dissemination service. We place the breadth of ONS data and analysis in the hands of our users in the most useful ways possible.
Data journalists specialise in making statistical content accessible and engaging for a broad audience. We work in multi-disciplinary teams, and collaboration is a large part of the role. We are currently focused on supporting the transition of our content to a new website platform.
Job Description
Data journalists identify narratives in data and aid the understanding of statistical concepts, enabling improved communication to a wide variety of audiences in creative, accessible ways. We create content that makes statistics matter to our audiences.
As a senior data journalist, you’ll be responsible for leading journalism projects and coordinating between multiple teams to meet deadlines and standards. You’ll be asked to advise on the appropriate format for content and the communication of statistics for non-technical audiences. A basic understanding of statistics is necessary for this role, with a readiness to learn about various complex or specialist topics and work with experts.
Responsibilities
- Generating and developing high-quality editorial ideas based on data, and turning them into digital products (for example, articles, explainers, interactives, social media content) with impact.
- Collaborating and negotiating with statisticians, economists and analysts to balance the need for statistical accuracy with users’ need for clear, engaging and impactful content.
- Coordinating and managing your own projects, ensuring that everyone in the multi-disciplinary project team is hitting milestones.
- Supporting the migration and optimisation of citizen-focussed content as part transitioning to a new website platform.
- Managing the release of projects aimed at a wide range of users and working with colleagues across ONS to improve presentation and clarity.
- Offering support, expertise and advice to other parts of the organisation in areas such as editorial development and digital storytelling.
- Acting as a champion of our users’ needs within the organisation, to ensure our work is understood and valued internally.
- Building networks and positive relationships inside the organisation and sharing the management of planning sessions to foster good ideas and collaboration.
- Sharing responsibility for leading team meetings and working with managers and peers to improve the way we work.
Person Specification
Essential Criteria
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Data journalism (Expert) - You can draw on extensive experience to generate journalistic ideas sourced from data and presented in a range of formats designed to serve different user types. You can draw on extensive experience in using data and statistical analysis techniques to find stories in data. You can write clearly and can distill complex and varied data sources into accessible insight. You can demonstrate experience of leading journalistic projects. You can demonstrate a track record of delivering work to a high standard and to specific deadlines.
Data visualisation (Working knowledge) - You can use the most appropriate data visualisation to tell a focussed story that is relevant to the team's goals. You can work with others in a multidisciplinary team to ensure a visualisation provides the information they need.
Stakeholder management (Expert) - You can manage long-term strategic relationships with stakeholders, identifying where new connections need to be made and existing ones nurtured. You can influence important senior stakeholders and arbitrate when blockers are escalated. You can facilitate discussions across high risk and complex areas or projects under constrained timelines.
User-centred content design (Expert) - You can demonstrate extensive experience in creating, iterating, managing and overseeing content across multiple channels. You can be accountable for the production of high quality, user-focused content. You can encourage teams to review and evaluate the effectiveness of processes and systems, and support them to iterate for improvements.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Delivering at Pace
- Changing and Improving
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Statistical literacy skills test at interview.
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.
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.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
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
Please note: We will reach out to you once the advert has closed to confirm eligibility for this role, this will be via an e-mail. Please check you e-mails.
Visa Sponsorship
ONS are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. Applicants are expected to hold a valid right to work in the UK when employment commences. If you are applying on a time-limited visa, this will need to be valid for at least 18 months at point of application.
To work at the ONS, candidates must meet both UK right to work and security clearance requirements (where applicable).
If you are unsure whether you meet the appropriate right to work or security clearance eligibility criteria, please refer to the guidance on Gov.uk or contact the recruitment email provided in the advert before applying. Failure to meet these requirements will result in your application being rejected and employment offers being withdrawn.
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, CV, skills, experience, 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 word count allowed is 1250 words, 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).
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.
When a high volume of applications are received, the sift pass mark may be adjusted. Candidates will be invited to interview based on their merit order, with those achieving the highest scores being prioritised. Applicants who score below the adjusted pass mark but still pass will be placed on hold and may be invited to interview at a later
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Location