Head of Function for Infrastructure

Office for National Statistics; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 72,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental statistical agency in the UK is seeking a Head of Function for Infrastructure. This role offers strategic leadership across Digital Services’ Infrastructure profession, ensuring security and resilience of core technology platforms. Candidates will benefit from a flexible hybrid working model, market-leading pension scheme, and generous holiday allowances. Ideal applicants will inspire collaboration, drive capability uplift, and promote continuous improvement within the infrastructure community.

Benefits

Hybrid working

Market-leading pension scheme

Generous holiday allowance

Mental Health Allies

Employee Assistance Programmes

Qualifications

• Minimum of 30 hours a week required.
• Experience in leading infrastructure engineering teams.
• Strong understanding of security and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Set direction and standards for infrastructure community.
• Contribute to core infrastructure delivery and maintenance.
• Ensure security and compliance are embedded in operations.
• Work with leadership to improve service reliability.
• Inspire collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Collaboration

Agility

Continuous improvement

Knowledge sharing

Job description

Location: The locations for this role are Newport and Titchfield (Fareham).

We operate a flexible hybrid working model across the UK, with colleagues linked to one of our contractual locations and working between office and remote throughout the week. As part of the hybrid working arrangement there is a 40% minimum office attendance requirement.

Salary: £72,030 - £75,364 plus a skills allowance of up to £10,000

Working Patterns: All our vacancies are offered as a flexible option of Full time, Part time, Flexible working, Job Share

Closing Date: Apply before 11:55pm on Thursday 22nd January 2026

The Head of Function for Infrastructure provides strategic and community leadership across Digital Services’ Infrastructure profession — spanning Infrastructure Engineering, IT Service Management, and DevSecOps.

You will set direction, standards and learning pathways; build a high‑performing, collaborative community; and ensure ONS’s core technology platforms (networks, cloud, identity & access, and enterprise services) are secure, resilient and aligned to ONS’s strategic plans.

As Head of Function you will be accountable for making sure the infrastructure communities are supporting their members and growing ONS capability.

You will:

• Own the professional community for Infrastructure (Infrastructure Engineers, IT Service managers and DevSecOps): set the standards, define the learning pathways, and drive capability uplift across the profession.
• Contribute to the delivery and maintenance of core infrastructure — networks, cloud platforms, identity & access, and enterprise services — enabling the ONS >6,000 staff and supporting critical statistical outputs.
• Ensure security, resilience and compliance are embedded in design, change and operations, strengthening governance across Digital Services.
• Work across ONS leadership and with other Heads of Function to embed modern engineering practices, improve service reliability, and coordinate cross‑cutting transformation.
• Inspire others and champion community collaboration, fostering a culture of agility, continuous improvement and knowledge sharing.
• This role requires a minimum of 30 hours a week.

If you would like to find out more about the Head of function for infrastructure vacancy, we will be running a webinar on 8 January 2026 with an opportunity to meet other heads of functions, the hiring manager and our recruitment team. Please click the following link to sign up: Webinar Head of Function for Infrastructure

For a full job description and details of the skills & experience we are looking for, please click the APPLY button to see our full advert on Civil Service Jobs.

In return we offer you:

✔Hybrid working and flexi-time so you can work around your life, not the other way around!

✔A market leading pension scheme - our employer contribution rate is around 29%

✔ A choice of working patterns *for every role* full-time, part-time, job-share.

✔Maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of 26 weeks full pay (subject to qualifying criteria)

✔Opportunities to learn new technology & skills on the job, utilising blocked out Protected Learning Time in your weekly schedule and taking advantage of the support of our Communities of Practice

✔Employee Assistance Programmes

✔Diversity Network Groups

✔Mental Health Allies

✔Civil Service Sports and Social club

✔Generous holiday allowance – 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years service in addition to 9 public holidays

For more information about this role, a full application pack, and to apply, please hit APPLY to be taken to Civil Service Jobs.