Recruitment Operations Officer

About the role

**Details**

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### **Reference number**

472943 ### **Salary**

£34,587 A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28\.97% GBP ### **Job grade**

Higher Executive Officer### **Contract type**

Permanent### **Business area**

ONS \- Corporate Services \- Census Delivery \& Operations### **Type of role**

Human Resources### **Working pattern**

Flexible working, Full\-time, Job share, Part\-time### **Number of jobs available**

1 **Contents**

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* Location * About the job * Benefits * Things you need to know * Apply and further information **Location**

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The location for this role is Titchfield (Fareham).

This role requires regular attendance at an ONS office, with a minimum of 2\-3 days per week worked on site.

The postholder will be expected to work in the office on a regular basis to undertake in‑person activities. This level of attendance will apply for most of the programme, although requirements may vary at different stages, with periods of increased or reduced on\-site working in response to census priorities, delivery phases and business need.

The induction process for the role will be conducted in person.**About the job**

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### **Job summary**

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.

This role sits within the dedicated HR Operations function of the Census Field Services Group. It is responsible for working with a broad range of stakeholders to support the development and delivery of workforce solutions and people\-related operational activity for the Census Field operation across the Census Test in 2027, the Census Rehearsal in 2029, and the full Census operation in 2031\.

### **Job description**

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 Recruitment Operations Officer is a key role within the dedicated Census HR Operations function. The HR Operations function manages all aspects of people operations for the Census field, from recruitment and onboarding through to payroll, learning and development, employee relations, performance management, and leaver processes.

Working to the Recruitment Operations Manager, this role is responsible for supporting the delivery of recruitment and onboarding activity, working closely with business areas and external suppliers to ensure activity is delivered in line with agreed requirements, timelines and quality expectations.

The role plays an active part in shaping and refining recruitment requirements, working with business areas to ensure roles, locations and expectations are clear, realistic and deliverable, and translating these into effective delivery through suppliers.

It is embedded in day\-to\-day recruitment delivery, working through issues as they arise and contributing to practical solutions. This includes identifying risks such as shortfalls in applicant numbers or changes in demand, understanding the implications, and working with stakeholders and suppliers to support appropriate responses.

The role maintains oversight of recruitment pipelines and onboarding progress, using data and operational insight to support delivery, challenge where required and ensure activity remains aligned and on track.

The role works collaboratively with a range of stakeholders, including the ONS People and Places Directorate, operational teams across Census and other government departments, and third\-party suppliers, to support delivery of recruitment and onboarding activity in line with corporate standards while meeting Census delivery needs.

**Role Responsibilities:**

**Requirement Definition and Planning**

* Work with business areas to define, refine and maintain clear, deliverable recruitment requirements, ensuring alignment with operational needs.

**Translating Demand into Delivery**

* Translate business requirements into effective recruitment delivery through suppliers, ensuring roles, locations and expectations are understood and achievable.

**Issue Resolution and Delivery Flow**

* Work directly with business areas and suppliers to identify, work through and resolve issues in real time, ensuring delivery remains aligned and on track.

**Managing Recruitment Challenges**

* Identify and respond to challenges in recruitment delivery, including shortfalls, changing demand or local market constraints, contributing to practical and timely solutions.

**Applying Market Insight**

* Use knowledge of recruitment delivery and the external market to inform decisions, challenge assumptions and support effective outcomes.

**Supporting Supplier Delivery**

* Support delivery of recruitment and onboarding activity through suppliers, ensuring activity meets agreed timelines and quality expectations.

**Performance Monitoring and Insight**

* Monitor recruitment progress and pipeline, using data and operational insight to inform actions and escalate risks where needed.

**Managing Change to Requirements**

* Manage changes to recruitment requirements, working with stakeholders and suppliers to understand impacts and implement adjustments.

**End\-to\-End Alignment**

* Work collaboratively with colleagues across recruitment, onboarding and training to ensure an aligned and effective end\-to\-end process.

**Stakeholder and Supplier Relationships**

* Build and maintain effective working relationships with internal stakeholders and external suppliers to support delivery. ### **Person specification**

**Essential criteria:**

* **Problem Solving and Delivery** \- Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and maintain delivery across multiple workstreams, identifying issues and driving them through to resolution. (**Lead Criteria \-** to be addressed through a targeted question at application stage, see the selection process for further details). * **Recruitment and Operational Delivery** \- Working knowledge of current recruitment and onboarding practices and processes, with experience of delivering recruitment activity in a high\-volume environment. Awareness of external recruitment market conditions and how these Experience of monitoring and reviewing can impact delivery (e.g. volumes, location challenges, candidate availability). * **Stakeholder and Supplier Management** \- Experience working with internal stakeholders and external recruitment suppliers to deliver recruitment activity and resolve delivery challenges. * **Communication and Influence** \- Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain recruitment requirements, challenge constructively and support delivery outcomes. * **Use of Data and Insight** \- Experience using recruitment data or management information to monitor pipelines, identify risks and inform actions. ### **Qualifications**

CIPD Level 5 or willingness to work towards### **Behaviours**

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

* Working Together * Delivering at Pace * Making Effective Decisions * Managing a Quality Service **Benefits**

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Alongside your salary of £34,587, Office for National Statistics contributes £10,019 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.

**Things you need to know**

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### **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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.### **Selection process details**

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours and Experience. 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 the UK right to work requirements.

If you are unsure whether you meet the appropriate right to work 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: 4\-stage process**

**Stage 1:** Work history, CV, skills and experience

**Stage 2:** Personal Statement

**Stage 3:** Question

**Stage 4:** Interview

**Stage 1 – CV**

The assessment process at stage 1 will be based on your work history, CV, skills and experience.

**Stage 2 – Personal Statement**

A personal statement is required at application stage, the maximum word count allowed is 750 words, which should not be exceeded. You should provide evidence for each essential skill criterion listed below (criterion 2\-5 from 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).

**2\. Recruitment and Operational Delivery** \- Working knowledge of current recruitment and onboarding practices and processes, with experience of delivering recruitment activity in a high\-volume environment. Awareness of external recruitment market conditions and how these Experience of monitoring and reviewing can impact delivery (e.g. volumes, location challenges, candidate availability)

**3\. Stakeholder and Supplier Management** \- Experience working with internal stakeholders and external recruitment suppliers to deliver recruitment activity and resolve delivery challenges.

**4\. Communication and Influence** \- Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain recruitment requirements, challenge constructively and support delivery outcomes.

**5\. Use of Data and Insight** \- Experience using recruitment data or management information to monitor pipelines, identify risks and inform actions.

**Stage 3 \- Question**

500 word answer to the following question which is aligned to the Lead Essential Criteria (Criterion 1\):

**Describe a time when you identified and resolved a significant challenge affecting a volume recruitment exercise. Your answer should:**

* Briefly outline the recruitment exercise and your role in it * Explain the challenge you identified and the potential impact on recruitment delivery * Describe the actions you took and the impact your contribution had on the overall success of the recruitment exercise

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the lead Essential Criteria, which you will address through Stage 3 of the process. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview.

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 4 – 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 in person at our Titchfield Office \- Segensworth Rd, Titchfield, Fareham PO15 5RR.

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 \- w/c 17th August

Interviews will be conducted \- w/c 31st August

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. 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) * 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 ### **Working for the Civil Service**

The Civil Service Code 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 . 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 and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .**Apply and further information**

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This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans 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 : Ailsa Bull * Email : scs.recruitment@ons.gov.uk

#### **Recruitment team**

* Email : scs.recruitment@ons.gov.uk ### **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 recruitment.complaints@ons.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission