Salary: £45,536 – £ 46,701 plus generous Civil Service defined benefit pension
Fixed term contract: 18 months
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.
We are looking for a number Regulation Managers to work across the Regulation directorate on a wide range of projects, building breadth and depth of regulatory experience over time. This is one of a number of agile roles that supports the OfS’s statutory functions and plays a key part in protecting the interests of students through proportionate, evidence–based regulation.
You will work collaboratively within and across teams and portfolios to deliver the OfS business plan, respond to urgent work requests, and support shared objectives. The role involves clear communication with internal and external stakeholders, managing complex relationships with professionalism and sound judgement. You will produce robust, evidence–based assessments and recommendations to support effective decision–making and consistent regulatory delivery.
As part of this you may engage with providers to better understand their work and gather evidence, with some portfolios requiring a willingness to undertake 4–6 site visits per year (typically over two consecutive days).
How we do things is as important to us as what we do, and your approach will be grounded in our strategic attitudes – being ambitious, collaborative, vigilant, and vocal.
To find out more about the OfS and the type of work you may get involved in, visit Home – Office for Students
While you don't need previous experience of working in a regulator, you will bring strong transferable skills and be ready to apply them confidently in a role that helps protect students and supports confidence in the higher education sector.
Person specification (essential skills)
1. work as part of a flexible team and work closely with colleagues to support the delivery of the OfS’s regulatory functions
2. understand and interpret the OfS’s regulatory framework and to use this to undertake assessments, risk assessments, and interventions; to implement and communicate aspects of the regulatory framework and support teams to do this
3. reach and convey reliable and robust judgements on the basis of complex and, at times, imperfect information and articulate the OfS’s approach clearly to providers
4. work with high levels of complexity and ambiguity
5. think broadly about the theory and practice of regulation
6. adopt a systems approach to service design and delivery
7. work collaboratively and flexibly to deliver the team’s functions
8. effectively communicate policies and requirements clearly when working in teams and teams that include external members
9. produce clear written documentation to comply with the OfS’s tone of voice guidance.
To apply, please submit your CV and covering letter. Your covering letter should be no more than 1000 words and should clearly explain how you meet the essential criteria set out in the person specification.
Applications will be shortlisted against criteria 1, 4, 6 and 8, so please ensure you address these fully in your application.
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn.
If shortlisted, you will be invited to an interview. As part of the interview process, you will be asked to complete a case study based task on the day. During the interview, you will also be asked to present your findings from the case study, and discuss your approach. The remaining essential criteria will be assessed through competency-based questions and discussion.
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 to three 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.
