Head of Regulatory Function
Posted by: Office For Students
Employed By: Office For Students
Job Title: Head of Regulatory Function
Salary: £96,282 - £100,884
Contract: Full time
Location: Bristol
Application Deadline: Monday 26 August at noon
The OfS is the independent regulator for higher education in England. Our aim is to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers. We do so by regulating the higher education providers on our register to make sure they are delivering high quality courses and positive outcomes for their students; where they are not, we take action.
The higher education sector in England is complex and diverse and the OfS’s approach to regulation recognises this. Our new strategy signals a shift from an organisation in a start-up phase to an established regulator that understands its regulatory tools and how best to use them to shape incentives across the sector we regulate. We work to ensure that students in England enjoy higher education provision that is high quality; that their access to opportunity, success and progression is not limited by background, location or characteristics; and that providers are well and sustainably led.
We are looking to fill a vital ‘Head of’ role within our Regulation directorate as part of our senior team.
This is one of a number of roles leading our frontline regulation with a broad remit. They have responsibility for a significant portfolio of work across equality, diversity and inclusion, skills and pathways, funding, student information and engagement and conditions of registration.
The role we are recruiting to now has a particular focus on:
• Leading major policy development and reform of our approach to regulating consumer protection. This will involve leading a consultation on a revised condition of registration and then implementing its outcomes, as well as overseeing our wider work on consumer protection including preparation for potential new powers.
• Leading the coordination of work on the development of future approaches to regulation. Liaising with the Department for Education on taking forward recommendations from the Public Bodies Review on revised regulatory tools.
You will be people focused, committed to our mission of driving positive outcomes for students, and able to work at pace within complex and ambiguous environments. Regardless of the focus of your portfolio, you will be an experienced leader of people and able to demonstrate an ability to motivate, develop and deliver exceptional results through people across an organisation.
You will be comfortable making complex risk-based decisions, often in novel circumstances, and will be able to quickly grasp the regulatory and legal frameworks under which the OfS carries out its duties. You will understand the role and value of a regulator and, regardless of your professional background, show an understanding of how effective regulation works in practice. How we do things is as important to us as what we do, and your approach will be underpinned by our values of Ambition, Openness and Learning.
Person specification – essential criteria
• Experience of significant evidence-based policy development and implementation.
• Demonstrable ability to develop, lead and provide strategic direction to a team of multi-disciplinary experts in a complex and ambiguous environment
• Demonstrable ability to quickly understand and interpret complex regulatory and/or legal frameworks to develop strategic and operational approaches
• Experience of working with, and commanding the confidence of, a diverse set of external stakeholders through complex and contentious issues
• Demonstrable experience of shaping and delivering organisational change to processes, culture and delivery
• Demonstrable ability to reach and convey impartial, risk-based, reliable and legally-robust judgements on the basis of complex and imperfect information, and in novel and ambiguous circumstances
• Demonstrable intellectual credibility, analytical capability with the ability to think strategically and take a broad view of issues, events and activities and understand their likely impact or wider implications
• Demonstrable ability to develop quickly a comprehensive and sophisticated technical knowledge and understanding of the areas in which the OfS regulates individual providers
Desirable criteria
Experience in consumer protection policy would be desirable but not essential.
Application process
To apply for this position, please submit your CV along with a personal statement, setting out in no more than 1500 words how your skills and experience demonstrate your suitability for this role.
Working for us
The OfS regulates the higher education sector on behalf of all students. We value diversity and the wealth of perspectives, experience and ideas that it brings to our work, and we strive to embed equality of opportunity in everything we do.
We recruit based on fair and open competition and welcome applications from candidates regardless of age, disability, race and ethnicity, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
Flexibility is important to the OfS, as we recognise that it can enable people to work more effectively. A set of organisation-wide principles shape our approach to flexible and hybrid working, which our teams then use as guidance on how they deliver their business goals. This would usually mean working from the office for two days in a typical week.
To attract the widest possible field of qualified applicants, flexible working, for example job share and part time working, apply to this role.
In addition, our Total Reward Framework offers a range of benefits to suit your way of life. These include comprehensive learning and development, annual leave starting at 25 days’ per year (plus public holidays), access to the highly regarded Civil Service pension scheme and a variety of health benefits.
This is an exciting time to join a rapidly transforming organisation that works to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers. To find more about the OfS and our work, visit: Home - Office for Students.
Closing date for applications: Tuesday 26 August at noon
Interviews: week commencing Monday 8 September