Salary: £63,386 to £69,444 (plus London allowance of £3566 if applicable)

Location: Bristol or London

Plus generous Civil Service defined benefit pension

The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in England – we regulate higher education on behalf of all students. Our mission is to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers.

The Resources and Finance Directorate provides critical services to the OfS to enable the organisation to deliver its strategy. The Directorate ensures that the OfS complies with statutory and other public sector requirements, identifies and manages risks and opportunities and co-ordinates efforts across the organisation to be efficient and effective.

About the role:

The purpose of the role ‘Head of Knowledge and Information Management’ is to lead on knowledge management and information governance (which includes acting as the OfS’s Data Protection Officer, as well as leading on matters relating to the Freedom of Information Act 2000, Environmental Information Regulations 2004, and the retention, deletion & management of information or records held by the OfS).

The role requires a sophisticated approach to engaging with internal and external stakeholders on knowledge management and information governance matters.

The postholder will:

• provide leadership and management to the Knowledge and Information Management team;
• act as a trusted adviser to senior members of the OfS, including the Chief Executive, Director of Resources and Finance (and other key directors), as well as senior members of the legal team;
• promote robust knowledge management and information governance throughout the OfS;
• ensure that OfS business is best conducted in compliance with all relevant information governance legislation in an efficient and effective way;
• ensure that all appropriate knowledge and information policies, procedures and assurances are in place in a way that duly balances legislative requirements and organisational need; and
• promote a privacy culture and understanding of data protection compliance throughout the organisation.

Key areas of responsibility:

Oversight of the delivery of the Knowledge and Information Management team’s functions, including by acting as the OfS’s Data Protection Officer

• Provide timely response to information access and subject rights requests under Freedom of Information, Environmental Information Regulations, Data Protection and other relevant legislation. This will include responding to requests for internal reviews and complaints raised with the Information Commissioner’s Office and other relevant bodies.
• Ensure a strategic and solutions focused approach to compliance with information law is fostered within the team and wider OfS, including by reference to supporting the production of Data Protection Impact Assessments where relevant, and leading on information security requirements.
• Ensure the due retention, deletion and management of any information or records held, including but not limited to by reference to the Public Records Act 1958, and with regard to the OfS’s broader objectives
• Lead on and support the wider OfS on knowledge management arrangements, in line with organisational objectives.

External and internal stakeholder management

• Ensure an understanding of senior leadership team objectives, concerns and aspirations is developed
• Lead on engagement with internal and external stakeholders, including through contribution to cross-organisational projects where knowledge management and information governance input would be beneficial.

Knowledge development

• Continuously remain up to speed with relevant legislation and best practice in knowledge management and information governance.
• Ensure knowledge and understanding of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 is developed
• Establish a thorough knowledge and understanding of the work and operations of the OfS

Delivering and working in a team

• In the areas for which the post holder is responsible, ensure the outcomes and objectives in the OfS’s business plan are delivered efficiently and effectively
• Act as a role model for staff within the Knowledge and Information Management team

• Ensure the following are delivered: the OfS’s behaviours and values; flexible, agile and collaborative working, including with staff and teams in other directorates
• Ensure any risk to delivery is identified and actively managed, with robust mitigation implemented where necessary
• Ensure resources are aligned with priorities, and workload pressures are accommodated and managed, by working with and advising other leaders in the directorate (in particular more senior members of the Legal team)

About you:

The successful candidate will have the following skills:

- Significant experience in a senior information governance role, dealing with many knowledge management and information governance matters, including as to:

• data protection matters, including but not limited to the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR, as well as specifically the role of a Data Protection Officer, handling of and reporting on security incidents, and support the organisation with Data Protection Impact Assessments.
• the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004
• the retention, deletion and management of any information or records held, including but not limited to by reference to the Public Records Act 1958.

- Demonstration of leadership and relationship skills to foster excellent working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and experience of acting as an adviser to boards and senior executives

- An understanding of the role of the OfS and the particular characteristics and challenges of managing information governance in a regulator or similar public body

- Demonstration of a broad-based view of issues, events and activities and a perception of their longer term impact or wider implications for the OfS in respect of knowledge management and information governance matters

- The capability to work in complex situations, adopting a creative, risk-based and innovative approach to knowledge management and information governance matters

- Excellent verbal, written communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence and negotiate

- Appropriate certification in the knowledge and information governance matters to which this role relates, or with equivalent experience and a commitment to gain certification

Application process

The OfS currently uses a set of ‘enablers’ to evaluate candidate strengths. This is your opportunity to expand on what you have achieved in your career by describing what you’ve done and how you’ve done it. It is here you should use detailed examples to explain how you meet all the requirements of the job description.

We are looking for how you made your own contribution to a scenario, why you made that contribution and what was the outcome. Assertions without evidence will, in contrast, make it difficult to evaluate your skills and how you apply them.

The enablers for this role are:

Knowledge and Learning

• Significant knowledge of information law and governance matters relevant to a regulatory body.
• Leads the team to ensure learning, reflection, understanding and addressing root causes of problems as well as surface issues
• Values others’ contributions and builds their confidence
• Takes responsibility to obtain develop, organise and share knowledge and information that may be of use to others, ensuring that it is accurate and up to date.
• Contributes time, knowledge and expertise to corporate activities responsibly, willingly and actively.

Planning

• Ability to balance competing and tight timescales, remaining calm under pressure whilst maintaining attention to detail
• A proactive working style, thinking strategically to anticipate and manage issues effectively
• Foresight in identifying competing priorities from potential future demands
• Organises activities and resources effectively, monitoring timescales and plans
• Demonstrates a readiness to make decisions, take the initiative and originate action
• Evidence of developing new approaches to tackling issues that demonstrates an innovative approach to problem solving and shows a willingness to question traditional assumptions and practices.
• Successfully adapts to changing demands and conditions

Communications

• A highly effective communicator, with the ability to present complex issues clearly both verbally and in writing
• Speaks clearly, fluently and in a highly compelling manner to both individuals and groups, in both formal and informal settings. Uses appropriate style and language, which is tailored to the audience
• Is approachable to others, listens well and takes account of their perspective
• Communicates authoritatively, clearly, fluently and in a compelling manner to individuals and large audiences, using appropriate style and language. Chairs meetings, events, leads and facilitates discussions effectively and with outstanding presentation skills
• Influences, convinces or impresses others in a way that results in acceptance, agreement or behaviour change, using evidenced arguments and clear rationale

Relationships

• Demonstrates a confident, assertive and co-operative style and deals effectively with people at all levels to build positive working relationships, including experience of successfully leading, managing and motivating a team of specialists.
• Gain and maintain credibility with members of the OfS Board, Directors and other senior members of OfS, including senior members of the Legal team.
• Maintains effective work behaviour in the face of setbacks or pressure and remains calm and professional in such circumstances
• Actively contributes to the leadership of the directorate
• Pro-actively seeks to build relationships, enabling others to work well.
• Leads and contributes to relationships in ways which create a positive impression of the Knowledge and Information Management team, as well as the OfS more generally.
• Uses a partnership approach where appropriate.

Working for us

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, sexual orientation and socio-economic background.

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 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.

Closing date for applications: Sunday 4 February