• Job Description

  Req#: R0001252
  Regulation Officer

  
  Salary: £44,102 – £45,231 plus generous Civil Service pension (defined benefit scheme)
  Location: Bristol (Hybrid)
  Contract: Permanent

  Make a Difference to Students – and Your Career

  At the Office for Students (OfS), we’re proud to be the independent regulator of higher education in England. Our mission is to ensure every student – whatever their background – has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their life and career. We’re currently recruiting to several exciting permanent roles within our Regulation directorate – the heart of our regulatory work.

  Whether you’re an experienced regulator or looking for a fresh challenge in public service, this could be the opportunity for you.

  Why Join Us?

  This is a particularly exciting time to come on board. Our ambitious new strategy focuses on improving quality and standards and advancing equality of opportunity across the higher education sector. You’ll be part of a dedicated and expert team, helping to deliver meaningful change that truly benefits students.

  You’ll also enjoy a supportive, flexible working culture, and a wealth of opportunities for professional development. In our most recent staff survey, 91% of colleagues said their manager is considerate of their life outside work. Whether it’s flexible working, job shares or part-time arrangements, we’re happy to explore what works best for you.

  About the Role

  As a Regulation Officer, you’ll work across the Regulation directorate on a variety of projects, gaining a broad range of experience. We’re a diverse, welcoming and values-driven organisation. Our team is passionate about what we do, and we work in an open environment where every voice matters.

  Your work will directly shape the future of higher education and may include:

  • Managing provider applications for registration, degree awarding powers, and university title

  • Monitoring and investigating provider compliance with registration conditions

  • Conducting quality and standards assessments and contributing to policy reforms

  • Leading work on financial sustainability, market exit, and student protection

  • Delivering funded programmes and initiatives

  • Improving internal systems that support provider services

  We’ll aim to match your interests and strengths to the right area of work, with opportunities to move across projects and develop new expertise over time.
  

  Key Responsibilities

  You’ll be delivering a variety of activities, including:

  • Undertaking assessments and monitoring of providers

  • Supporting investigations and enforcement actions

  • Contributing to the development and implementation of regulatory frameworks

  • Managing complex casework and regulatory intelligence

  • Leading or supporting service development and policy implementation

  • Engaging with stakeholders and conducting occasional site visits

  What We’re Looking For

  You don’t need to have worked in regulation before – full training and support will be provided. What matters most is your ability to think critically, communicate clearly, and collaborate effectively.

  We’re especially keen to hear from candidates with experience in:

  • Regulatory, legal, policy or quality assurance roles

  • Higher or further education

  • Audit, compliance or investigations

  • Consumer protection or counter-fraud

  • Data analysis or managing complex casework
    

  You’ll thrive in this role if you can:

  • Make sound, evidence-based decisions

  • Communicate complex issues with clarity – in writing and in person

  • Manage multiple projects and priorities with care and confidence

  • Build productive relationships with a wide range of colleagues and stakeholders

  • Champion inclusion and fairness in all that you do
    

  The Benefits

  • 25 days’ annual leave (plus bank holidays)

  • A generous Civil Service pension (employer contribution currently 28.9%)

  • Flexible and hybrid working – usually 2–3 days in the office per week

  • A range of health and wellbeing initiatives, including mental health support

  • Tailored learning and development opportunities

  Portfolios

  We are recruiting to three key portfolios within our regulatory work :

  1. Registration and degree awarding powers including quality assessment

  Ideal for those with experience in assessing compliance, managing assessments, quality and engaging with academic s .

  2. Investigations and Enforcement

  Suited to candidates with regulatory or investigative experience, strong analytical skills, and stakeholder management expertise .

  3. Consumer Protection

  We welcome applicants with experience in consumer protection policy or enforcement, particularly in a higher education context.

  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.

  When applying for the role, you will be asked for a CV and covering letter. Your covering letter should be no more than 500 words and describe what aspects of higher education regulation you find most interesting.

  There is no closing date for application. In the event of high volume response, we may close the role without notice. You are therefore recommended to make an early application.

  Learn more about our work in Regulation here

  If you like further information about working with the OfS ahead of submitting a formal application please contact the recruitment team, recruitmentteam@officeforstudents.org.uk

• 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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