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 1 March 2022 19 March 2022 4 April and 11 April 2022 18 April and 25 April 2022 9 May 2022
2 4 April 2022 10 May 2022 16 May and 23 May 2022 6 June and 13 June 2022 27 June 2022
3 23 May 2022 21 June 2022 27 June and 4 July 2022 11 July and 18 July 2022 1 August 2022
4 4 July 2022 16 August 2022 22 August and 29 August 2022 5 September and 12 September 2022 26 September 2022
5 22 August 2022 20 September 2022 26 September and 3 October 2022 10 October and 17 October 2022 31 October 2022
6 3 October 2022 8 November 2022 14 November and 21 November 2022 28 November and 5 December 2022 17 December 2022
7 21 November 2022 10 January 2023 16 January and 23 January 2023 30 January and 6 February 2023 20 February 2023
8 16 January 2023 14 February 2023 20 February and 27 February 2023 6 March and 13 March 2023 27 March 2023

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 National 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