Resources for GSS Heads of Profession (HoPs)

Each government department that produces official statistics has a statistical Head of Profession (HoP) who leads and manages statistical activities. The HoPs are accountable to their departmental management for day to day delivery, but also have a professional accountability to the National Statistician. On this page we bring together useful information for the HoPs.

The following provide support for statistics Heads of Profession:

Central Policy Secretariat

Central Policy Secretariat (CPS) supports the HoPs network in a number of different ways, including organising meetings and sending out the weekly HoPs email. Get in touch by emailing: GSS@statistics.gov.uk.

The National Statistician and the Deputy National Statisticians

Find out more about the National Statistician and the deputies. Get in touch by emailing: National.Statistician@statistics.gov.uk.

GSS recruitment team

Find out more on the GSS careers and learning area.

Get in touch by emailing: GSS.Recruitment@ons.gov.uk.

GSS careers team

Find out more on the GSS careers and learning area.

Get in touch by emailing: GSS.Careers@ons.gov.uk.

GSS capability

Find out more on the GSS careers and learning area.

Get in touch by emailing: GSS.Capability@statistics.gov.uk

Other HoPs

You can contact other statistics HoPs through Central Policy Secretariat or via the HoPs channel on GSS Slack. These links will only work if you have a Slack account and are logged in. You will also need to be added to the HoPs channel to see the content there.  Please email GSSHelp@statistics.gov.uk if you need access.

HoPs from other departments can be contacted through the Central Policy Secretariat (email: GSS@statistics.gov.uk) or via the HoPs channel on the GSS workspace on Slack. These links will only work if you have a Slack account and are logged in. You will also need to be added to the HoPs channel. Please email GSSHelp@statistics.gov.uk if you need access.

Useful links

Recruitment campaign dates

Recruitment campaigns for Statistical Officers, Higher Statistical Officers and Senior Statistical Officers

Campaign Number Opening Date Closing Date Sifting Interviews Scheduled Allocations Completed
1 27 February 2023 28 March 2023 3 April and 10 April 2023 17 April and 24 April 2023 Week of 1 May 2023
2 3 April 2023 9 May 2023 15 May and 22 May 2022 29 May and 5 June 2023 Week of 12 June 2023
3 22 May 2023 20 June 2023 26 June and 3 July 2023 10 July and 17 July 2023 Week of 24 July 2023
4 3 July 2023 8 August 2023 14 August and 21 August 2023 28 August and 4 September 2023 Week of 11 September 2023
5 21 August 2023 19 September 2023 25 September and 2 October 2023 9 October and 16 October 2023 Week of 23 October 2023
6 2 October 2023 7 November 2023 13 November and 20 November 2023 27 November and 4 December 2023 Week of 11 December 2023
7 27 November 2023 9 January 2024 15 January and 22 January 2024 5 February and 12 February 2024 Week of 19 February 2024
8 22 January 2024 20 February 2024 26 February and 4 March 2024 11 March and 18 March 2024 Week of 25 March 2024

Questions about recruitment

Contact the recruitment team (GSS.Recruitment@ons.gov.uk) if you have a query relating to:

  • permanent and temporary recruitment
  • badging exercises
  • sandwich students
  • summer placements
  • GSS assessor training
  • careers fairs
  • GSS Fast Stream recruitment

Useful links

Questions about careers

Contact the careers team (GSS.Careers@ons.gov.uk) if you have a query relating to:

  • GSS professional standards
  • Government Statistician Group (GSG) competency framework
  • badging policy
  • careers and talent pipelines (including GSS apprenticeships)
  • GSS Fast Stream scheme and policies
  • GSS student roles

Data leaders network

Find out about the data leaders network on GOV.UK

Champion networks

GSS champion networks 

Analysis Function champion networks:

All producers of official statistics have a responsibility to work closely with the devolved administrations.

Read more about working across the devolved administrations.

The Office for National Statistics’ Data Science Campus supports the growth of data science skills and data transformation programme across the analytical community.

Find out more about the Data Science Campus.

The Office for Statistics Regulation is the regulatory arm of the UK Statistics Authority. It aims to enhance public confidence in the trustworthiness, quality and value of statistics produced by government. It does this using four main tools:

  • assessment – assessing statistics against the Code of Practice for Statistics and designating them as accredited official statistics if they comply in full
  • compliance checks – providing a high-level review of the statistics
  • systemic Reviews – on issues and opportunities that cut across the statistical system
  • casework – making public comment on the uses of official statistics

The OSR ogranise their work around subject themes. This has enabled them to develop wider networks of external contacts and topic expertise. As part of this approach, their regulators will seek to maintain regular contact with all HoPs. The OSR team page gives the names and contact information and their subject themes.

If you have any feedback on the content of this page, please email Analysis.Function@ons.gov.uk.