Deputy Director, Commercial

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 and Titchfield (Fareham).

All colleagues are required to work from their contractually allocated site for at least 60% of their working time. Frequent travel to the Titchfield office will be required as part of this role (if not already contracted there).

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.

The UK is preparing for its next National Census in
2031
, continuing the tradition of collecting vital population data every ten years.

• Full Census Commissioned: HM Government has commissioned ONS to conduct a mandatory, questionnaire-based census of the whole population of England and Wales in 2031.
• Digital-First Approach: The census will primarily be conducted online, improving accessibility and efficiency.
• Use of Administrative Data: Anonymised data from sources like HMRC and NHS will support more frequent and accurate population estimates.
• Public Consultation: A national consultation in autumn 2025 will invite feedback on census topics and data usage

Leading to Census 2031, ONS is in a critical foundation setting phase, with the aim to design a modern, trusted, and adaptive census for a rapidly changing society. Census 2031 will not simply repeat the successes of the past — it must integrate innovation, administrative data, and user needs as part of statistical system fit for the future.

One of the crucial milestones in the lead up to the Census is delivering a 2027 Census Test. To do this, procurement must begin in January 2026. The successful candidate will lead and drive this work.

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. Your work will support delivery of this transformational project that will shape how we understand and support our nation's future.

You'll be part of a team that ensures everyone is counted—and every voice is heard. We're building a culture that values collaboration, fresh thinking, and respect for diverse expertise. Whether you're a seasoned professional or bringing new perspectives, you'll be part of a team that welcomes bold ideas, works transparently, and thrives on solving complex challenges together.

Job Description
This is a critical leadership role with responsibility for developing and delivering the Census 2031 Commercial strategy.

The role has ownership, accountability, and responsibility for the Census Commercial Strategy; ensuring spend adheres to UK and EU Regulations and Directives; and aligns with broader ONS commercial activity, Government Commercial Function (GCF) and Cabinet Office guidelines, policies and procedures and delivers Value for Money (VfM) for the Authority.

The successful candidate will have considerable Commercial knowledge and expertise, particularly in a central government context, to ensure the right focus and to build a credible and authoritative approach that wins the confidence and support of key internal and external stakeholders and ensuring the success of Census 2031.

*Key Responsibilities*

• Shape and lead the Commercial strategy:
• Define and maintain a clear commercial strategy that supports Census 2031 goals, risk appetite, and gateway standards.
• Drive Commercial options appraisal and phased delivery routes that balance value, innovation, and resilience.
• Make sure all Commercial activity follows the Government Functional Standard for Commercial (GovS 008), the Procurement Act 2023, and relevant Cabinet Office playbooks.
• Build and orchestrate the supplier ecosystem:
• Lead early market engagement to assess capacity, capability, and innovation potential across supplier domains.
• Shape partnership models and performance frameworks that ensure readiness for the 2027 Test, 2029 Rehearsal, and 2031 live Census.
• Develop and lead the Census 2031 Commercial function:
• Lead recruitment, mentoring, and succession planning to develop future commercial leaders.
• Build strong alignment with ONS's central Commercial function to ensure continuity and knowledge transfer.
• Provide Commercial governance, assurance and value management
• Lead Commercial input to all major assurance and approval points, including NISTA gateways, CCS and HMT reviews.
• Oversee Commercial assurance, supplier risk, and value for money through design, delivery, and live operations.
• Integrate Commercial delivery with programme execution:
• Work with colleagues across policy, finance, digital, and delivery to align Commercial plans with the programme roadmap, ensuring readiness for the 2027 Test, 2029 Rehearsal, and 2031 Census.
• Ensure seamless Commercial continuity through to data outputs and decommissioning.
• Strengthen legacy and institutional capability:
• Capture and apply lessons from Census 2021 and 2031 to improve future procurements and supplier partnerships.
• Champion and support the capability build across non-commercial staff on the census of better ways of working in supplier management, contract design, and commercial assurance.

Further information on the role can be found in the attached candidate pack.
This is a critical leadership role with responsibility for developing and delivering the Census 2031 Commercial strategy.

The role has ownership, accountability, and responsibility for the Census Commercial Strategy; ensuring spend adheres to UK and EU Regulations and Directives; and aligns with broader ONS commercial activity, Government Commercial Function (GCF) and Cabinet Office guidelines, policies and procedures and delivers Value for Money (VfM) for the Authority.

The successful candidate will have considerable Commercial knowledge and expertise, particularly in a central government context, to ensure the right focus and to build a credible and authoritative approach that wins the confidence and support of key internal and external stakeholders and ensuring the success of Census 2031.

*Key Responsibilities*

• Shape and lead the Commercial strategy:
• Define and maintain a clear commercial strategy that supports Census 2031 goals, risk appetite, and gateway standards.
• Drive Commercial options appraisal and phased delivery routes that balance value, innovation, and resilience.
• Make sure all Commercial activity follows the Government Functional Standard for Commercial (GovS 008), the Procurement Act 2023, and relevant Cabinet Office playbooks.
• Build and orchestrate the supplier ecosystem:
• Lead early market engagement to assess capacity, capability, and innovation potential across supplier domains.
• Shape partnership models and performance frameworks that ensure readiness for the 2027 Test, 2029 Rehearsal, and 2031 live Census.
• Develop and lead the Census 2031 Commercial function:
• Lead recruitment, mentoring, and succession planning to develop future commercial leaders.
• Build strong alignment with ONS's central Commercial function to ensure continuity and knowledge transfer.
• Provide Commercial governance, assurance and value management
• Lead Commercial input to all major assurance and approval points, including NISTA gateways, CCS and HMT reviews.
• Oversee Commercial assurance, supplier risk, and value for money through design, delivery, and live operations.
• Integrate Commercial delivery with programme execution:
• Work with colleagues across policy, finance, digital, and delivery to align Commercial plans with the programme roadmap, ensuring readiness for the 2027 Test, 2029 Rehearsal, and 2031 Census.
• Ensure seamless Commercial continuity through to data outputs and decommissioning.
• Strengthen legacy and institutional capability:
• Capture and apply lessons from Census 2021 and 2031 to improve future procurements and supplier partnerships.
• Champion and support the capability build across non-commercial staff on the census of better ways of working in supplier management, contract design, and commercial assurance.

Further information on the role can be found in the attached candidate pack.
Person specification

*Essential Criteria*

• Possesses relevant commercial expertise as a Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply.
• Possesses considerable knowledge and expertise to ensure the right focus and builds a credible and authoritative approach to Commercial activity that wins the confidence and support of key stakeholders.
• Extensive knowledge of public sector procurement regulations and their practical application and knowledge and experience in managing complex requirements in central government.
• Demonstrates exceptional business acumen and Commercial judgement in developing commercial strategies.
• Provides effective leadership and guidance to a Commercial team managing a large diverse supplier base, across a range of different categories, setting clear direction, engaging with staff to bring the vision to life, coaching and developing staff.
• Ability to deliver difficult messages to stakeholders on compliance with contract regulations.
• Applies strong knowledge of contract law and an understanding of relevant government precedents, demonstrating the ability to draft bespoke terms and conditions to work outside established frameworks.

Qualifications
Achievement of an A grade at the Government Commercial Function's Assessment Development Centre, either existing (and valid) or obtained through the selection process.

Memberships

Possesses relevant commercial expertise as a Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply.

Alongside your salary of £81,000, Office for National Statistics contributes £23,465 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.

ONS are committed to flexible ways of working that support a healthy work-life balance. ONS has already considered how this job could be right sized for applicants working flexibly and we are happy to explore options with you about working part time, in a job share or flexibly, in line with our hybrid working policies.

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

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 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

Artificial intelligence (AI)
software such as ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot and Gemini are powerful tools that can create and review text in ways that mimic what people can do. These tools can help you enhance your application and prepare for the process, but it is essential you use them appropriately.

They must also not be used to provide misleading or false information at any stage of the application journey.

It is also important to understand that while AI can help you prepare for an interview, you must not use it to produce responses during an interview.

For full guidance in relation to the use of AI through the recruitment process, please click here.

Selection Process
Applications should consist of your
CV
and
Personal Statement
combined as one document and uploaded as a single attachment through Civil Service Jobs.

A
Curriculum Vitae
consisting Of:

• Details of your education and/or professional qualifications.
• Full employment history, giving details (where applicable) of budgets and numbers of people managed, relevant key achievements in recent posts.
• Details of your latest remuneration.

A
Personal statement
detailing in no more than 2 pages of A4 how you meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification. We recommend that you give clear examples for each describing your own contribution and the impact and value of your actions. Your statement should be no longer than 1250 words.

Applications will be acknowledged shortly after receipt. If you do not receive an acknowledgement within one week of applying for the post, please contact our SCS Recruitment Team at:

Further information on the assessment and interview for this role can be found in the attached
candidate pack
.

Interview eligibility
To be eligible for interview, all shortlisted candidates will need to possess 'A' grade at the Government Commercial Function's Assessment Development Centre. If a candidate does not currently hold a valid assessment they will be invited to undertake the assessment on Friday 16th January 2026.
Further details regarding the assessment process can be found attached to this advert.
Expected Recruitment Timetable
Closing date - 5th January 2026.

Shortlisting meeting - 7th January 2026.

Government Commercial Function Assessment Development Centre (ADC): 19th January 2026 (all day duration - applicable candidates
MUST
be available on this date)

Employee Engagement Exercise - 26th January 2026.

Interviews - 4th February To be conducted online via Microsoft Teams

Dates are subject to change.

Informal conversations to discuss suitability with the recruiting manager are welcomed in advance of the application closing date and can be arranged via email.

If you meet the required standard but the recruiting department is unable to offer you the job, you may be given the option of being added to a reserve list. Reserve lists may be shared with other Civil Service departments and professions who are recruiting for similar roles.

Please note that all campaigns may be subject to withdrawal at any stage if the internal resource position changes.

Full terms and conditions are attached at the bottom of this advert.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

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.

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

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).

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.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).

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).

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 :

• Name : Jason Zawadzki
• Email :

Recruitment team

• Email :

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 If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission