Deputy Director of Digital Content & Publishing - Office for National Statistics - SCS1
Government Digital & Data -
Location
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), Manchester, London & Darlington.
All SCS colleagues are required to work from their contractually allocated site for at least 60% of their working time.
The induction process for the role will be conducted in person.
About the job
Job summary
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics, spanning the economy, society and population, and is the recognised National Statistical Institute. Our mission is to deliver trustworthy, independent, high-quality statistics that underpin the UK’s most critical economic and societal decisions and inform the public.
The Communications and Digital Publishing (CDP) directorate is responsible for sharing these statistics so that a broad spectrum of users across government, business, civil society and citizens can find, understand, explore and act upon them.
Job description
The Deputy Director of Digital Content and Publishing plays a critical role in ensuring all our statistics are published in a timely and accurate manner and that our information products are of high-quality, meeting user needs. The role requires working closely with colleagues across the organisation to ensure an aligned vision for the website and our other digital and data channels, which is informed by users and uses evidence to continuously improve.
You will be joining at an exciting and pivotal time as we roll out our new ONS website and content management system. As Deputy Director you will be the overall service owner for the ONS website and our broader web estate. You will be accountable for the phased implementation of our new website and content approach, set the requirements for our digital products and tools, including data visualisations, and lead across teams to transform our data dissemination in the context of increasing use of AI.
We are looking for an inspiring and collaborative leader with experience of delivering complex digital change with users at the heart. This role is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate your expertise in digital and content transformation, with an ability to bring together digital and communications disciplines to measurably increase impact with audiences.
Key Responsibilities:
- Leading the strategy for the ONS website and our external digital and data channels, working closely with colleagues in Digital Services and across the organisation to ensure alignment on vision.
- Using your knowledge of the evolving digital and AI communications landscape to set the requirements for the ONS website, digital and data tools, ensuring product and design decisions are driven by user research and insight.
- Championing, embedding and further developing user-led content and data standards and approaches and leading colleagues from multiple disciplines through this change, including culture change.
- Overseeing a quality publishing service, building collaborative relationships with statistical, digital and communications teams to deliver accurate, timely and high-quality data, statistics and visualisations that meet user need, with performance evaluated.
- Shaping our approach for Census 2031 dissemination, ensuring readiness for high-quality outputs and statistical and data products.
- Bringing your personal influence to drive a culture of continuous improvement for impactful content delivery by monitoring, measuring and reviewing, and identify opportunities for automation and more effective and efficient working across the organisation.
- Accountable for an annual budget in the region of £5m including a team of around 70 colleagues located at our Newport, Fareham, London, Darlington and Manchester offices, and contract and supply management in the digital/web technology field.
- Leading across, and collaborating closely with, colleagues in the Communications and Digital Publishing directorate to ensure a common user-led approach and integrated planning, with specific accountability for ensuring audience insights are amalgamated and inform our decision making.
- Being held to account for effective and visible leadership in support of our ONS People Plan, including providing clear direction and support to teams, creating an agile, inclusive work environment that encourages diversity, collaboration and empowerment, and supporting professional development.
- Support the Director of Communications, Engagement and Digital Publishing in the regular review of resources against priorities, delivering sound financial and resource management, maintaining clear delivery objectives, proactively managing risk and planning for future skills needs.
For more information, please refer to candidate pack attached.
Person specification
Essential Criteria
Candidates are expected to evidence these criteria within their CV and Personal Statement:
- Digital content specialist with extensive experience of leading website, digital, data and content transformation for large/information rich websites, using an evidence-based approach to deliver impactful results for users, while identifying opportunities to improve organisational productivity, including automation.
A track record of designing, implementing and evaluating engaging digital content or data strategies to engage wide audiences, employing a range of channels, digital and data tools and cutting-edge techniques including data visualisation and driving continuous improvement in the context of the evolving AI landscape
Outstanding leadership skills with evidence of bringing together high-performing, multi-disciplinary teams to work towards a single vision and produce impactful, accessible and trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Excellent communication and engagement skills, including an ability to convey complexity to all audiences both in writing and verbal and to influence through building credible and trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Recognised role model of visible, collaborative and inclusive leadership, known for exhibiting behaviour that motivates others, supports colleague development and champions diversity, while demonstrating excellent resource, finance and risk management to enable efficient and effective delivery.
