Heads of Regulatory Portfolios

Location : Bristol We are the independent regulator of higher education in England. We aim to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers. The higher education sector in England is complex and diverse and the OfS's approach to regulation recognises this. Our 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. Key to success in these roles will be your ability to understand and interpret complex regulatory and legal frameworks, regardless of whether or not you have previous experience working in a regulator, in order to reach fair, evidence-based judgements on complex issues. You will be equally adept at quickly adapting to working within higher education and able to learn and understand the key issues and challenges facing the sector. 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 understand the role and value of a regulator and, regardless of your professional background, show an understanding of how effective regulation works in practice. We are interested in hearing from candidates with experience of working in relevant roles in the higher education sector, as well as those who have experience of other regulators or regulated environments. We are particularly interested in hearing from candidates with previous experience in regulatory investigations and in assessing quality and standards within higher education. If you would like an informal conversation about the role, please get in touch with our Recruitment team (1. Demonstrable ability to understand and interpret complex regulatory and/or legal frameworks to develop strategic and operational approaches.2. Demonstrable ability to develop case strategy and 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.3. Demonstrable ability to develop quickly a comprehensive technical knowledge and understanding of the areas in which the OfS regulates individual providers.4. Demonstrable intellectual credibility, analytical capability with the ability to take a broad view of issues, events and activities and understand their likely impact or wider implications.5. Demonstrable ability to lead a team of multi-disciplinary experts to work flexibly in a complex and ambiguous environment.6. Demonstrable ability to influence a diverse set of external stakeholders through complex and contentious issues.7. Demonstrable experience delivering organisational change to processes, culture and delivery.The OfSexperience and ideas that it brings to our work, and we strive to embed equality of opportunity in everything we do. regulates the higher education sector on behalf of all students. We value diversity and the wealth of perspectives, To attract the widest possible field of qualified applicants, flexible working, for example job share and part time working, apply to this role. term role, we 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. When applying for the role, you will be required to submit a CV and a covering letter. Your covering letter should be no more than 1,500 words and must demonstrate how your skills and experience align with the person specification criteria 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.