Interviewer Manager

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Office for National Statistics as an Interviewer Manager, leading a team at the heart of data collection across the UK.

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.”

Location requirements:

We have vacancies in the following locations: Maidstone, Swindon, Bournemouth, Crawley, London, Hull, Bolton, Birkenhead, Reading, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Lincoln, Aberystwyth, Luton, Exeter. You must select at least one location preference.

We have both permanent and 12 month fixed term positions available. Please note - Current Civil Servants should note that if this post would represent a promotion, that promotion would be substantive. As this is a substantive move, applicants moving laterally or on promotion would retain no right to move back into their previous post. Whilst some of these posts are temporary, the type of contract which you will be offered will depend on your existing contract status.Please read the terms and conditions attached for more information.

Roles will be allocated in merit order for each location. Candidates with the highest overall scores will be offered a permanent position in their preferred location, subject to permanent vacancies being available within that location.

Candidates ranked lower in the merit order will be considered for the available 12-month fixed-term contracts in their preferred locations. These fixed-term contracts may be extended, subject to business need.

Candidates who are not immediately offered a role will be placed on a reserve list and may be offered future vacancies should they arise.

Job description

There is a requirement to work a minimum of 30 hours per week across 4 days.

Interviewer Managers manage a team of up to 15 remote working interviewers, engaging with members of the public in their local geographical location. Interviewer Managers are equivalent to the Executive Officer (EO) grade and are employed on homeworking contracts, with one of the above locations as their normal place of work. In this role, you will support a team of Field Interviewers based across the above locations.

In this role you will support the successful delivery of high-quality data collection and survey strategies by leading on performance, attendance, and wellbeing, while developing the capabilities of a team of Interviewers. This role is accountable for team level performance and resourcing, ensuring alignment with organisational goals, policies and standards.

The successful candidate will support and monitor interviewer performance against agreed survey and interviewing guidance, being prepared to work extensively with each interviewer in the field to provide support and build capability, spending a minimum of 20% of their time in the field with their team. They will also lead quarterly face to face meetings with their team, and escalate any issues where appropriate to their Field Operations Manager (FOM).

Training programme:

• Week 1: Your first week will be a virtual induction, where you will meet your team and start to understand some of our processes and systems.
  
• Week 2: From Tuesday to Friday, you will attend the Titchfield office to take part in a comprehensive induction and training programme. Please note you will need to be available for all 4 days of the in-person training at the Titchfield office. Travel and subsistence costs incurred during this period will be covered in line with our Travel and Subsistence Policy.
  
• Week 3: and beyond: You will receive further virtual training as you join your new team and begin settling into your role.

Please ensure you are able to complete the full training programme before applying. See the candidate pack attached for more information.

Responsibilities:

The role will include:

• Supporting and monitoring interviewer performance against agreed survey and interviewing guidance, being prepared to work extensively with each interviewer in the field to provide support and build capability.
• Interpreting, acting on and providing feedback on management information within the team to maximise flexibility, response and quality of the survey outcomes.
• Providing effective communications to the team and to colleagues as required.
• Ensuring conduct, under-performance and attendance matters related to staff in your team are pursued and dealt with in line with ONS policy and procedures, escalating cases where appropriate to the HEO (Field Operations Manager).
• Ensuring effective and efficient use of own and team's time and travel in line with central guidance and the most economic use of travel and subsistence.
• Working closely with the IM team to ensure consistent procedures and practices are aligned to the strategic direction of the Field Community.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• The ability to make balanced decisions at pace in line with business objectives and operational change.
• Performance Management through effective feedback and coaching to develop capability.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to influence a remote team to deliver operational goals whilst creating an inclusive environment.
• Highly organised and able to manage conflicting priorities effectively to tight deadlines.

Licences

A car, driving license (full UK or EU full member state equivalent) and internet connection at your residential address are essential requirements for this post. To qualify for the standard mileage rate, the car must carry comprehensive insurance which includes a clause for business use.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

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 (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.

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