Operational Policy Manager

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is a vital tool in keeping people and places safe. As a regulatory body that works under the umbrella of the Department for Business & Trade, we are a multidisciplinary team who share a clear vision. Firstly, we are determined to protect the public from product-related harm. And secondly, we want to help consumers feel confident in the products that are being traded, which in turn leads to enhanced economic growth. Having recently had construction products regulation added to our remit, we are now at an exciting stage in our growth as we become fully operational under new legislation - and it is against this backdrop that you could find the most interesting opportunity of your career.

As a member of The Sector Compliance Team, you will help us establish the OPSS' role in regulating unsafe construction products. Identifying where the construction product industry sectors are struggling to comply with the law, you will determine the risk and evidenced-based strategies required to get to grips with these complex problems.

What this will mean for you is a highly diverse role in which you will both define and deliver our regulatory activities through a wide range of projects. For example, you will work closely with partners in the construction product sector to understand the challenges they are facing, and you will create operational guidance to help organisations understand how we can help them. Forming the priorities for our compliance activities, you will be instrumental in establishing the OPSS as a vital regulatory body that is valued by the wider industry. You will therefore work closely with partners in the sector plus other regulatory bodies to explain our responsibilities, and you will be willing to represent us at industry sector events and so forth. We also need you form an evidence base on sector practices from a broad array of market studies, and you will be keen to support Policy and Communications colleagues by sharing expertise that will inform their
activities (such as Parliamentary correspondence and speech-writing).

If you would like to join our highly collaborative and inclusive team, you will be a team-player who is happy to act as a professional ambassador for the OPSS. You will therefore need great verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to get key industry stakeholders to work in partnership with you - so you will need to be influential with the confidence to present in front of an audience. As a strategic problem-solver who enjoys analysing complex technical and legal information, you will be happy to translate your knowledge for people with varying levels of understanding. Ideally, you will have regulatory or business compliance experience, and it would be beneficial if you have some knowledge of construction products or the construction sector - though we're also keen to hear from individuals from a variety of backgrounds who feel they can contribute positively to our team.

Join us, and we are confident that you will find a deeply satisfying opportunity with the scope to raise standards in construction products that are being used in your own community. We are growing rapidly, so there is immense scope to get involved in a wide range of professional growth opportunities, and we will also provide you with a desirable benefits package including access to a Civil Service contributory pension scheme. So if you are looking for a varied role in which you will make a tangible difference to safety standards, we would be delighted to hear from you.