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.

The Role and Our Team

We are looking for an exceptional strategic engagement manager, with considerable experience of developing, managing and implementing a stakeholder engagement strategy with a complex range of stakeholders. The role has line management responsibilities and reports to the Head of Strategic Engagement.

You will be part of the team which develops and delivers OPSS engagement strategy designed to ensure maximum impact with its stakeholders to ensure OPSS delivers as a trusted regulator. 

The successful candidate will have excellent leadership skills with the ability to influence a range of internal and external stakeholders, and to motivate colleagues and direct reports. You will build trust and influence others, challenging where appropriate, bringing different perspectives and insight to inform our work.  

Were looking for someone who can think strategically and see the bigger picture, understanding the strategic drivers for our work. We are looking for someone who uses their initiative and enjoys working in a fast-paced environment.  

Key Responsibilities:

Utilising your experience in developing stakeholder engagement strategies and associated delivery plans, project management, relationship management skills and the ability to work with a wide range of stakeholders you will:   

• Lead on relationships with a range of stakeholders to help deliver organisations objectives using a range of stakeholder management tools. 
• Demonstrate excellent leadership skills that are aligned to OPSS culture and ways of working.
• Prepare briefings, reports, consultation documents and presentations that clearly articulate OPSS regulatory position in a way that is appropriate for the intended audience.
• Designing and developing internal systems for managing stakeholder engagement activity.
• Building engagement and communication tools to support effective engagement practice.
• Building and delivering action plans with colleagues to support key strategic engagement activities including arranging key meetings and ministerial/Senior Civil Service visits.

Person Specification 

We at OPSS, believe this is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious individual with the energy to make positive change happen. We are keen for you to apply for this role if you feel that you can demonstrate the following attributes: 

Essential

• You have significant experience of designing and implementing a stakeholder engagement strategy.
• You have a consistent track record in leading and managing stakeholder relationships in high profile, complex environments in order to deliver outcomes.
• Excellent people and team leadership and development skills - motivating, supporting and empowering others.
• You are highly organised and able to flourish in a dynamic environment.
• You are experienced in information and knowledge management.
• You have experience in Project Implementation and Management.
• Strong problem solving, analytical and time management skills.
• You have strong communication skills.
• You can build and support positive working relationships at all levels and are confident in dealing with a range of individuals.

Desirable

• Operating in regulatory environment.
• A formal qualification in stakeholder engagement, public affairs or communications. 

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

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.

Job contact :

• Name : Erin Kehoe
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]