Job summary
About OPSS
Do you care about the safety of products and want to protect people and places? Can we use your skills, knowledge and experience to enable UK business to thrive? If the answer is yes, then we would like to hear from you!
We are the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), part of the Department for Business & Trade. We are here for the purpose of making regulation work to deliver real world impact. Regulation is a powerful Government tool to address market failures, influence behaviour and promote positive action. Crafted and delivered well, regulation can be an enabler of growth, innovation and efficiency.
Since early 2018 we have been building a positive and creative team that enjoys a position of influence and respect within an organisation that continues to grow, most recently with the addition of construction products regulation planned.
Our primary purpose is to protect people and places from product-related harm, ensuring consumers and businesses can buy and sell products with confidence.
Further information can be found on our website�.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. We embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills.�
We are Inclusive
We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible and recognise how important inclusivity is to achieve the best outcomes. We hope to attract applications from all underrepresented groups.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation if required to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.�
Job description
Our Team
OPSS International Delivery�is dedicated to providing technical assistance and capacity-building support to overseas governments. Our mission is to promote good regulatory practices and assist in designing new regulatory frameworks, shaping progressive, international regulatory environments.
OPSS 4-year Regulatory Reform programme�across several countries within the�ASEAN bloc. This initiative aims to enhance regulatory standards, foster collaboration, and support sustainable development in the region.�
Our regulatory reform programme is a key pillar of the wider UK-ASEAN Economic Integration Programme. It provides technical assistance across four areas:
1. Better regulation
2. NQI and standards
3. Product safety and e-commerce
4. Intellectual property
This programme operates across the ASEAN region, working at a country level in seven ASEAN Member States (AMS) and at a regional level with ASEAN institutions.
Are you interested in international development? Would you like to work on an international development programme that further the UK Government�s development and trade objectives in Southeast Asia?� Would you like to learn more about new cultures and gain experience of working with international stakeholders?
We are looking for a dynamic and experienced professional to take on the role of International Delivery Lead, responsible for delivering our ambitious programmes in 1-2 countries. This role involves close collaboration and matrix management with in-country attaches, as well as coordinating broader interventions that align with our programme�s theory of change and budgetary requirements.
Key Responsibilities:
5. Design and Lead Missions:�Design and lead in-country missions with agreed areas of focus and delivery.
6. Recruitment:�Lead the recruitment of attaches as needed.
7. Alignment:�Ensure in-country delivery aligns with the programme�s theory of change and budgetary requirements.
8. Relationship Building:�Build and maintain successful relationships with international stakeholders, including senior officials, ministers, other donors, and HMG staff at Post.
9. Support Attach�s:�Support our in-country attach�(s) in fulfilling their duties to deliver the programme.
10. Reporting and Planning:�Draft mission reports and develop work plans and budgets for individual country programmes.
11. Wider Programme Responsibilities:�Take on wider programme responsibilities, such as our policy and approach to flexible interventions, agreed on a quarterly basis and aligned with DBT�s goal-setting and review process.
12. Lead Workstreams:�Act as the UK-OPSS lead on the Good Regulatory Practice workstream across the region.
13. Additional Responsibilities:�Take on other responsibilities as needed for the successful delivery of the programme.
What We Offer:
14. Exciting Opportunities:�Operate in a senior capacity in an international context, enabling both personal and professional development.
15. Dynamic Environment:�Thrive in a fast-paced and challenging role that requires independence and adaptability.
16. International Travel:�Engage in international travel as part of a new and innovative programme that supports the UK Government�s development and trade priorities.
Person specification
Skills and Experience
Essential criteria�
17. Excellent written and verbal communication skills
18. Experience of successfully managing relationships with international stakeholders
19. The ability to work independently, successfully delivering against competing priorities within a fast-paced environment
20. Experience of working on cross-cutting and complex projects/programmes
21. Strong organisation and prioritisation skills with ability to both see the strategic picture and focus on detail when appropriate
22. Problem solving skills and an ability to identify creative solutions that deliver impact
23. Can demonstrate a political awareness and an ability to see the bigger picture
24. This role requires international travel, therefore a willingness to travel is essential
Desirable criteria�
25. A background in or knowledge of UK regulatory or standards systems
26. Experience of working on international programmes
27. Knowledge or understanding of the UK�s development approach in Southeast Asia
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
28. Delivering at Pace
29. Communicating and Influencing
30. Seeing the Big Picture
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
31. Management of Internationally based stakeholders
Benefits
Alongside your salary of �53,560, Department for Business and Trade contributes �15,516 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
32. Learning and development tailored to your role
33. An environment with flexible working options
34. A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
35. A with an employer contribution of ��
We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.
Please refer to the attached candidate pack for further information on our benefits.