Portfolio Analyst at Office for National Statistics, Remote/Titchfield, 6 Months, £Contract Rate

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.

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

SC Clearance is an essential requirement for this role, preference may be given to candidates who meet all of the essential criteria and hold active security clearance.

As a Portfolio Analyst, your main responsibilities will be:

• Leads the development of portfolio confidence reporting, providing senior leaders with clear assessments of delivery predictability, emerging risks, systemic constraints, trade-offs and options for intervention. Challenges optimism bias and ensures reporting reflects evidence rather than activity alone.
• Leads portfolio governance, reporting and assurance support, setting standards for consistent assessment of performance, delivery confidence, risks, dependencies, resource pressures, affordability and benefits. Provides independent challenge and presents evidence-based recommendations, options and trade-offs at boards and senior forums.
• Provides visible leadership for portfolio analysis, governance and reporting. Sets direction for how portfolio data is gathered, interpreted and used, building trusted relationships with senior leaders, delivery teams and professional communities. Acts as a subject matter expert, presents insight at boards, coaches and mentors colleagues, and uses influence to drive best practice.
• Builds trusted working relationships with senior leaders, delivery teams and governance forums to support effective decision making. Uses evidence, insight and constructive challenge to influence prioritisation, escalation and intervention decisions.
• Provides portfolio-level analysis of complexity, uncertainty and dependencies, identifying systemic risks, competing priorities and delivery constraints. Supports senior leaders to understand trade-offs and adjust portfolio plans, sequencing or controls in response to emerging evidence.
• Provides strategic oversight of portfolio risks, assumptions, opportunities and dependencies. Uses evidence to identify emerging issues, delivery constraints and risks to objectives, supporting governance bodies with clear assessment of risk exposure, delivery confidence and organisational resilience.
• Leads portfolio pipeline analysis to support prioritisation, sequencing and investment decisions. Develops evidence-based views of demand, capacity, strategic fit, affordability and delivery confidence to inform portfolio choices.
• Leads portfolio-level analysis of outcomes, benefits and strategic value, ensuring senior leaders can understand whether delivery activity remains aligned to intended organisational objectives. Provides challenge where benefits, outcomes or assumptions are unclear, unsupported or misaligned.

Essential Skills

• Extensive experience across the analysis off risk management data delivery
• Portfolio analysis experience and skillset
• Stakeholder engagement at all levels which will include leadership teams
• Experience of the forecasting of risk and data as part of a busy role
• Strong self starter with a proactive approach to all duties

Qualifications

• Risk management practitioner qualification is essential for this role