Portfolio Analyst

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UKs 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 Social Surveys Directorate plays a central role in delivering the ONS mission through the design, collection and production of household survey data that underpin some of the UKs most important economic and social statistics. Our work supports decision making across government, business, academia and the wider public, and provides the evidence base for policy, operational delivery and public understanding on issues that matter nationally and locally. With around 2,000 colleagues, Social Surveys Directorate is one of the largest business areas in ONS. It brings together the leadership, operational capability and in depth social research expertise needed to run and improve the UKs largest and most complex social surveys. The Directorate comprises six divisions: Social Surveys Central Services, Social Surveys Field Collection, Social Surveys Telephone and Ports Collection, Social Surveys Research and Production, Social Surveys Transformation, and Social Surveys Strategic Research and Innovation.

This is a new role that will sit within the Social Surveys Central Services Division which provides the strategic direction, governance and coordination that underpin the successful delivery of the entire Social Surveys Directorate. The Central Services Division brings together key functions including Business Support, Programme Management, Business Change, Transformed Labour Force Survey Programme leadership and future technology planning. Together, these teams ensure effective operations, consistent programme and project delivery, smooth implementation of organisational change and a clear long‑term technology roadmap for Social Surveys. This central function plays a vital role in enabling high‑quality, well-governed and forward-looking delivery across all areas of the Directorate.

The Portfolio Analyst is responsible for overseeing a collection of programmes or projects that support departmental or business area objectives. They focus on providing insights, information, and support to strengthen portfolio governance, enable prioritisation decisions, and ensure the effective allocation of resources. By analysing various information sources and engaging with programme and project stakeholders, analysts convert data into informed insights using appropriate reporting and visualisation methods to help achieve strategic objectives in line with government priorities.

A Portfolio Analyst supports delivery confidence across a portfolio of programmes and projects by providing clear, evidence-based insight into performance, risks, dependencies, resources, benefits, outcomes and strategic alignment. They bring together information from multiple sources to help senior leaders understand whether the portfolio remains on track to deliver intended organisational outcomes, where confidence is reducing, and what decisions or interventions may be required.

They establish and maintain portfolio information by bringing together milestone reporting, performance measures, risks, dependencies, assumptions, benefits, financial information and resource data. This supports a transparent view of portfolio health, delivery predictability, emerging constraints, opportunities, strategic priorities and outcome traceability.

They support effective governance by ensuring boards and senior decision makers have reliable, timely and proportionate information on delivery confidence, strategic alignment, risks, dependencies, affordability, benefits and organisational readiness. Their role is to provide insight, assurance support and constructive challenge rather than to own governance, benefits or stakeholder relationships.

Depending on grade and organisational context, they may also develop portfolio governance and reporting frameworks, lead portfolio confidence analysis, provide assurance and challenge, influence strategic decision making, and contribute to organisational capability through coaching, mentoring and the promotion of best practice.

Key Responsibilities

• Uses digital tools to analyse portfolio data and maintain portfolio information that supports assessment of delivery confidence, including progress, milestones, risks, dependencies, assumptions, resources and benefits. Identifies trends, risks and emerging issues, providing evidence-based insights to inform decision-making and resource allocation, and escalating where confidence in delivery is reducing.
• Coordinates portfolio reporting and analyses performance to support governance and decision making. Provides proportionate secretariat and governance support, ensuring information is accurate, timely and focused on the decisions required.
• Provides leadership within the portfolio analysis function, fostering collaboration and commitment to portfolio objectives. Builds trusted relationships with stakeholders, influences improvements to governance and reporting practices, and acts as a knowledgeable point of contact for portfolio data and insight. Coaches colleagues and promotes the adoption of consistent, data-driven approaches across the portfolio.
• Works with delivery teams, business areas and governance stakeholders to gather, validate and interpret portfolio information. Supports clear communication of risks, dependencies, progress and decisions required.
• Tracks portfolio dependencies, assumptions, constraints and areas of uncertainty, supporting escalation where these may affect delivery confidence, sequencing or prioritisation.
• Monitors and analyses portfolio risks, assumptions, opportunities and dependencies, identifying trends, emerging issues and potential impacts on delivery. Works with stakeholders to improve the quality and consistency of risk information, supports effective mitigation planning, and provides clear analysis and reporting to inform portfolio governance and decision-making.
• Maintains pipeline information and supports analysis of proposed initiatives against strategic objectives, capacity, dependencies, affordability, risk and expected outcomes.
• Supports the maintenance of traceability between strategic objectives, intended outcomes, benefits, milestones and delivery activity. Collates and analyses evidence on benefits and outcomes to support governance, prioritisation and decision making.

Essential criteria

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret, analyse and evaluate complex portfolio data and performance information, including milestones, KPIs, risks, dependencies and resource data, to identify trends, insights and emerging issues requiring intervention to support the successful delivery of strategic objectives.
• Experience of using digital tools and data analytics to develop high-quality management information, dashboards and reports, using data visualisation techniques to communicate analysis clearly and support evidence-based decision-making.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear, concise and actionable insights for a range of audiences, including senior leaders and governance boards.
• Experience of working within portfolio, programme or project management environments, with an understanding of governance frameworks, performance reporting, risk management and assurance processes.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality analytical products to agreed timescales, demonstrating strong organisational skills, attention to detail and a proactive approach to problem solving.