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 primary purpose of Social Surveys Directorate (SSD) is to provide high quality data that underpins core National Statistics and the wider UK statistical system. While much of ONS is reliant on us for their outputs and statistical bulletins, the data we generate supports research, policy development and decision making across the wider public and private sectors, academia, and the general public.
Social Surveys Directorate is also responsible for the overarching ONS Survey Strategy and for an ambitious portfolio including data collection, transformation and continuous improvement to better meet user needs through improvements in data quality, timeliness, efficiency and capability. Led by Alex Lambert, SSD is the largest Directorate in ONS, comprising approximately 2,000 colleagues, including the field communities, and split across six divisions.
Social Surveys Field Collection (SSFC) Social Surveys Telephone and Ports Collection (SSTPC) Social Surveys Research and Production (SSRP) Social Surveys Strategy, Research and Innovation (SSRI) Social Surveys Transformation (SST) Social Surveys Central Division (SSCD) Together we are responsible for many of the largest Social Surveys run in the United Kingdom.
The Social Survey Field Collection Division is a large and operationally complex area responsible for enabling the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to collect high‑quality survey data from households across the UK.
It is organised into three business areas Face‑to‑Face Field Operations, Audit & Quality, and Strategy & Programmes - which collectively oversee the interviewing community and deliver the enabling functions needed to support a wide‑scale, largely remote workforce.
Together, these business areas provide leadership, frontline delivery, governance, and innovation, ensuring that ONS survey data collection remains robust, efficient, and responsive to changing demands.
This work is guided by the division’s mission statement: “We are a flexible and diverse community of data collection experts, and our mission is to collect and deliver high‑quality, trusted social survey data from the public, utilising robust, sustainable and innovative processes to paint a picture of rapidly changing life in the United Kingdom.
Job overview
The Field Technical Support (FTS) team provides first-line technical support to field-based interviewers across Face-to-Face, Telephone Operations and the International Passenger Survey, as well as supporting Interviewer Managers, Site Managers, Field Operations Managers and some HQ staff. The team is also responsible for building, testing and dispatching equipment to both new and existing staff.
As a Field Technical Support Officer, you will diagnose and resolve a range of technical issues for remote interviewers, ensuring they can carry out their roles effectively. You will provide clear technical guidance to support interviewing activities, test new equipment to ensure it is fit for purpose, and work collaboratively with colleagues across the Surveys Directorate and Digital Services to maintain and improve support processes.
Due to the operation requirements of this role, you will be expected to attend the Titchfield (Fareham) office Monday to Friday from approximately 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
Key Responsibilities
- Monitor and respond to Service Desk calls logged by the field staff and Field Enquiry Line.
- Support remote workers with various technical issues.
- Diagnose faults, and research effective resolutions providing advice to quickly resolve.
- Review and up-date instruction manuals to support the wider team with troubleshooting.
- Support, when necessary, with building, testing and dispatching equipment, as well as manage the returns process.
Person specification
Essential Criteria
- Experience in identifying, troubleshooting, and resolving user requests/incidents.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to instruct and explain information simply to a non-technical audience.
- Experience of working with a range of Microsoft 365 services.
- Ability to work independently and prioritise workload.
- An awareness of data security principles.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Working Together
- Delivering at Pace
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £28,138, Office for National Statistics contributes £8,151 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.
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 and Experience.
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.
If you are unsure that you meet the eligibility above, please read the information available on Gov.uk 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
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.
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, 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 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.
We often have similar roles available at different grades. If a candidate is suitable for a similar role or a lower grade than they have applied for, we may offer the candidate that role without the need to go through a further selection process providing the role has the same behaviours, and essential skills.
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 date.
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.
Interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams.
Our main locations are Newport (South Wales) and 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 17/06/2026
Interviews will be conducted from 06/07/2026
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.
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.
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
Please note this Post is not regulated by the Civil Service Commission.
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).
Apply and further information
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
Recruitment team
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 [email protected].
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.
Attachments
2721 Advert 1B Permanent - ONS National v1-00 - Opens in new window (pdf, 83kB)
