• Job Description

  Req#: R0001410
  People Committee - Independent Member
  Closing date: Noon Monday 8 December 2025
  Interviews: Monday 12 January 2026 (online)
  We are seeking to appoint up to two independent member s to join the OfS People Committee .
  The P eopl e C ommittee gives advice and makes recommendations on staff matters , including performance and renumeration . It also provides advice and assurance on p eople, culture and reward matters at the OfS.
  About the OfS
  The OfS is the independent regulator for higher educat ion in England. The OfS was established by the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 . As a non-departmental public body, we are accountable to Parliament through the Department for Education. We receive statutory guidance from the DfE, but our operations are independent of government.
  We protect the interests of students by regulating a diverse higher education sector. The higher education sector comprises multi-faculty universities, small specialist institutions, further education colleges and private companies, and has m ajor ec onomic impact and social importance. Over 4 30 providers are registered with the OfS , and the se providers teach or supervise over 2.5 million students.
  The OfS employ s around 500 staff. We are funded primarily through registration fees paid by the higher education sector. Fees for a cademic year 2025-26 will total around £32 million. The OfS also distributes around £1.6 billion of government funding annually. This supports teaching and students in higher education, including for expensive to deliver subjects, students at risk of discontinuing their studies, and funding to world-leading specialist providers.
  We have recently published our strategy for 2025 to 2030 which sets a vision for how we’ll protect the interest s of past, present and future students . It introduces four core attitudes that will guide our work:
  • Ambitious for all students from all backgrounds
  • Collaborative in pursuit of our objectives and stewardship of the sector
  • Vigilant about safeguarding public money and student fees
  • Vocal that higher education is a force for good, for individuals, communities and for the country.
  And sets out that our priorities will be :
  • Quality
  • Student experience and support
  • Sector resilienc e.
  About t he People Committee
  The b oard of the O fS has establi shed the People Commit tee as one of its advisory committees . Its role is to :
  a ) P rovide advice an d assurance to the OfS board and executive by considering p eople, culture and reward matters at the OfS . This includes:
  • Pay and reward.
  • Health and wellbeing provision.
  • Performance management.
  • Learning and development.
  • Equality.
  • Retention and exit interviews.
  • Talent and succession planning.
  • Strategic workforce planning.
  b) Support the board and the OfS chief executive by advising on the pay and performance management of senior managers, and the pay remit relating to OfS staff.
  In undertaking its work , the committee takes account of re mun eration and appointments policy and advice provided by HM Treasury, the Cabinet Office and DfE.
  In addition to up to three board members, the committee has up to two independent members who bring experience of people-related matters or remuneration committees to inform its work.
  Your expertise
  You will have p roven experience at a senior level in overseeing strategic people and culture related issues . Y ou will be able to provide an appropriate level of scrutiny , support and challenge to the executive , and assurance and advice to the board. Please see the person specification below for a full list of criteria.
  Terms of a ppointment
  We normally appoint for terms of three years. An independent m ember may serve a maximum of two terms. Members are appointed as individuals and, if they are unable to attend a meeting , representatives may not stand in.
  Members are expected to conform to the standards set out in the OfS code of conduct . Members must also declare any relevant interests, and these will be published on the OfS website.
  Meeting arrangements
  The committee is expected to meet four time s a year, with a mix of online and in person meetings in Bristol and London. Meetings last approximately two hours. Time will also be needed before each meeting for reading and preparation .
  An attendance fee of £30 0 i s paid for meetings . Travel and subsistence expenses may be claimed in accordance with OfS policies.
  Papers are circulated to members electronically via a browser-based portal one week before each meeting . Members can provide comments on the papers via the secretariat if they are unable to attend.
  Recruitment process
  We recruit by merit based on fair and open competition. Applications are managed thro ugh our online applicant tracking system . The equal opportunities monitoring form enables us to monitor the diversity of applicant pools. We intend that i nterviews will take place online on Monday 12 January 2026. If you require any reasonable adjustments , please detail what these are if you are invited to interview.
  Your application should include a statement of suitability address ing all the essential and desirable criteria listed in the person specification, and outlin ing your current role and relevant experience, as we will assess your suitability for the role against the criteria. You will also be invited to upload a CV.
  Those selecting candidates may also take account of the balance of the background and skills of the wider membership of the committee in their decision making .
  Please note that we would not normally appoint candidates employed by , or with governance responsibility for, O fS registered higher education providers or with other material interests relating to higher education providers . Please contact us if you would like to discuss your circu m stances before making an application .
  Timeline
  The deadline for applications is n oon on Monday 8 December 2025 . We anticipate conducting interviews online on Monday 12 January 202 6 .
  Successful candidates will attend an induction (online) in early February and will attend their first committee meeting on the morning of 10 February 2026 .
  Person specification
  Skills and experience
  Essential c riteria
  1. Previous experience of people committees
  • Experien ce serving on, or advisi ng, remune ration , nomination and/or people committ ees , demonstrating an understanding of the role of the committee to support and challenge the executive team , and provide assurance and advice to the board .
  2. Strategic l eadership in p eople m atter
  • Proven experience at a senior level in ove rseeing strategic people-related issues such as senior pay and performance frameworks, workforce planning, leadership development and equality within large or high-profile organisations in the public or customer-facing charity or private sectors.
  3. Change l eadership
  • A strong track record of leading organisational change in people-related areas to address strategic workforce challenges , particularly in unionised environments .
  • A sound background in e mployment relations .
  4. L egal understanding , and experience of governance frameworks
  • Sound un derstanding of employment law, and experience of operating within governance and assurance frameworks to ensure accountability and compliance.
  5. Equality
  • An accurate understanding of the Equ ality Act 20 10.
  • A demonstrable understanding of appropriate approa ches to eq uality matters for a regulator with obligations in relation to impartiality.
  6. Independence and i ntegrity
  • Ability to act impartially, dispassionately and without bias, providing independent advice and constructive challenge.
  Desirable criteria
  • A strong understanding of pay and reward frameworks and awareness of public expectation s around remu neration.
  • Knowledge of the h igher e ducation sector in England .
  Time commitment
  • Able to prepare for, attend and participate in up to four meetings a year, with a mix of online and in-person meetings .
  • Able to take an active part in the work of the committee, both in meetings and by electronic means and able to attend other relevant events on an ad hoc basis.

• About the company

  The Office for Students is a non-departmental public body of the Department for Education, acting as the regulator and competition authority for the higher education sector in England.

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