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.
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 here.
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. There is a guaranteed interview scheme (DCS) for people with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
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. Please contact us to request accommodation.
About the Team
Regulatory Design and Governance is a small team reporting to the Deputy Director for Policy and Regulatory Partnerships. Our team shapes regulation that protects the environment and safety of people and places, supporting OPSS’ growth as a national regulator of products.
The scope of our work covers a wide breadth of products, from construction to common household goods, and regulations from product design and manufacture to disposal. We develop regulation in partnership with other government departments, adapting policy objectives to on-the-ground enforcement. Collaborative working across departments and with OPSS colleagues is an essential part of approach, drawing on the expertise of colleagues in enforcement, science and technical, analytical and legal teams.
Day to day, we scrutinise and advise on new regulatory functions, and underpinning legislation, so it is effective and proportionate; ensuring suitable governance for adoption of roles, including advising Ministers for the Department of Business and Trade on the suitability, risks and opportunities of new enforcement roles. Our work is often fast-paced and must adapt to new or changing priorities.
The ideal candidate for this role will be keen to grow their knowledge of regulation and bring a structured approach to problem-solving, with strong interest in tackling new and complex issues in a way that offers pragmatic solutions to regulatory problems. Further information on the team is available on their blog:
This role is open to candidates working in either our Birmingham, Teddington and London office. When you are required to give a preference, Twickenham will appear rather than Teddington, so please be aware that you should choose this option if you wish to be based in Teddington.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident .