International Passenger Survey Interviewer - Fishguard & Pembroke

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.

Social Surveys Directorate (SSD) is the largest Directorate in ONS, comprising 2000 colleagues, including the field communities, split across six divisions:

Social Surveys Field Collection (SSFC)

Social Surveys Telephone and Ports Collection (SSTPC)

Social Surveys Research and Production (SSRP)

Social Surveys Strategy, Research and Innovation (SSRI)

Social Surveys Transformation (SST)

Social Surveys Central Division (SSCD)

The post sits within Social Surveys Telephone and Ports Collection (SSTPC) division which encompasses the International Passenger Survey community, who are based at airports, seaports, and international train stations across the UK, and the Telephone Operations community, which is based within our HQ offices. This International Passenger Survey Interviewer role will see you being part of a continuous survey that started in 1961 and is based at all major sea, air and international rail terminals within the United Kingdom.

In this vital role, you'll be at the frontline of data collection, conducting interviews with departing passengers to gather essential information for the International Passenger Survey. This survey provides critical insights into travel patterns, tourism spending, and migration flows that directly influence government policy and economic planning. At ONS, we're committed to creating an inclusive workplace where diverse perspectives strengthen our work. Your contribution will help produce the official statistics that guide important decisions affecting millions of lives across the UK, making this a truly meaningful career opportunity.

Thinking about applying? Get an inside look at the role, the team, and the impact you could make by watching our short video : Is This Role for You? Working as International Passenger Survey Interviewer at the ONS

The International Passenger Survey Interviewer position sits within ONS's Survey and Field Operations directorate, playing a crucial role in collecting data that underpins some of the UK's most important economic and social statistics.

This role directly supports the International Passenger Survey, one of ONS's flagship data collection operations that provides essential information on overseas travel, tourism expenditure, and migration patterns.

Working from the Fishguard & Pembroke ports, you'll be part of a national network of interviewers who ensure comprehensive coverage of the UK's major departure points. The data you collect feeds into official statistics used by government departments, businesses, and researchers to understand travel trends and their economic impact.

The role offers exposure to diverse operational environments and the opportunity to develop skills in data collection, customer service, and digital systems. This position provides a foundation for career development within the organization's survey operations, with opportunities to progress into supervisory or specialized roles within our field operations network.

You will be based at either Fishguard & Pembroke , and this will be regarded as your normal place of work (your base site).

The Fishguard-based team provides cover for the residual sites at Pembroke, and you will be required to work at these locations as part of your duties.

Similarly, if you are Pembroke-based, you will be required to provide cover at the residual sites of Fishgaurd.

IPS shifts are allocated on a 6 weekly basis with a mixture of AM & PM weekday and weekend shifts.

Shift lengths are normally 4 hours in length. As is normal with the IPS Interviewer positions, any contract awarded will include the requirement to work weekends. The shifts at Fishguard and Pembroke are irregular and may be at any time of the day or night.

Important Information: all Candidates must hold a valid full driving licence with access to a vehicle and appropriate business insurance due to regular travel requirements between sites.

Responsibilities :

• Work independently or as a part of a small team to undertake interviews with the travelling public, demonstrating high standards of data collection and meeting your KPIs.
• Gathering data at the beginning of the passenger journey, follow guidelines and instruction dependent upon how passengers are processed at the data collection point.
• Be responsible for self, ensuring site operating procedures and health and safety procedures are adhered to at all times.
• Be punctual, ensuring shift start times are met.
• Build effective relationships with airport/port staff to enable co-operation necessary for effective data collection.
• Collect and transmit high quality data within agreed timeframe and following agreed protocols.
• Be proficient in the digital technology and corporate systems required for your role. · Take responsibility for your breaks, ensuring data collection is not compromised.
• Complete the administrative tasks required for your role as detailed.
• Buddy new interviewers as required, helping them settle into the environment and reach required standards.
• Working in partnership with your Site Manager, identify areas for your continued learning, self development and progression.
• Provide constructive feedback to your managers to help the operation and structure perform more efficiently.

Must hold a valid full driving licence with access to a vehicle and appropriate business insurance due to regular travel requirements between sites.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Visa Sponsorship

ONS is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. Applicants must have a valid right to work in the UK when employment commences. If you are currently in the UK on a time-limited visa, it must have at least 18 months remaining at the point of application.

Right to Work and Nationality Requirements

To work at ONS, applicants must meet the Civil Service nationality requirements, satisfy UK right to work requirements and, where applicable, meet the relevant security clearance requirements.

If you are unsure whether you meet the appropriate right to work or security clearance eligibility criteria, please refer to the guidance on Gov.uk or contact the recruitment email provided in the advert before applying. Failure to meet these requirements will result in your application being rejected and employment offers being withdrawn.

Background Checks

This role requires you to obtain an Port ID security pass from the Security ID Unit at your base site, as well as from any residual sites you may be required to work at.

Please note that unconditional appointment to this post can only be made once all security and employment‑history vetting checks

have been successfully completed and the relevant port Security ID Unit has approved your Identity Pass.

These passes are issued by third parties, and if an application is declined, you may be unable to take up employment with ONS in this role.

Please note that all campaigns may be subject to withdrawal at any stage if the internal resource position changes.

Applicant Support

Number of Stages: 2 stage process

Stage 1: Application

Stage 2: Interview

Stage 1 – Application

The assessment process at the application stage will be based on your personal statement. It is important that your application is tailored to highlight the skills, knowledge, and experience relevant to the role.

A personal statement is required at application stage, it states the maximum wordcount allowed, which should not be exceeded. Where it is a requirement to make a personal statement, you should provide evidence for each essential skill criterion listed in the person specification. As these criteria are scored, it is advisable to give clear examples for each one, including the impact of your actions, ideally utilising the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

Please note that Success Profiles Behaviour examples are not required at this stage of the application process.

In instances where a high number of applications are received, the sift pass mark may be adjusted, and candidates will be invited to interview based on merit order, i.e., those with the highest scores.

Stage 2 – Interview

If invited to interview, you will be assessed using techniques aligned with the Civil Service Success Profiles framework, covering all behaviours listed in the job advert and any required technical skills.

Interviews may be in person or via Microsoft Teams.

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made.

The Sift will be conducted from 21st September 2026

Interviews will be conducted from 05 October 2026

For the full terms and conditions of the post, please see attachment.

Training requirements -

Your first week of employment will be based at your designated base site or an associated residual site if required. You will then be required to complete an IPS Interviewer Training course in your second week. This is usually a five day residential course, held at the ONS office in Titchfield Hampshire, depending on the business requirement. Travel and accommodation costs for the residential training course are covered by ONS.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.