Assistant Director, Business Compliance Team

Department for Business and Trade

Apply before 11:55 pm on Friday 3rd May 2024

 

Details

Reference number

343815

Salary

£64,432 - £74,825
National: £64,432 - £73,014 London: £67,794 - £74,825
A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Job grade

Grade 6

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

Competition, Markets and Regulatory Reform Group

Type of role

Operational Delivery

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

Teddington & Birmingham

Job summary

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 (Previously the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy). 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, recently with the addition of construction products regulation.  

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. 

Job description

The Team 

The Government has announced that the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) will host the new national regulator for construction products, driving the improvement of safety and performance standards and ensuring compliance with construction product regulations.    

​OPSS has begun operating under existing regulations and is currently transitioning to become fully operational under new legislation.   The Business Compliance Team is the team responsible for setting and establishing OPSS’ approach to drive business compliance with the construction product industry. We lead on the delivery of high-quality regulation of construction products placed on the UK market.   

​The Construction Products Business Area is looking to appoint a Grade 6 Assistant Director of Business Compliance to work in partnership with the existing Assistant Director.   

​The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate strong leadership skills and efficiencies at developing and maintaining positive working relationships with a broad range of colleagues and external partners. 

​This role can be based either in Birmingham or Teddington only.   

Your role will consist of: 

  • Ensure processes reflect the Regulators Code, Regulatory Delivery Model, Business Impact Target, Growth Duty and any other governance policies, reporting requirements and agreed best practice.
  • Coordinate the prioritisation and allocation of resources to deliver maximum benefits and value for money.
  • Promote technical and legislative expertise, as well as an understanding of commercial compliance standards within the relevant business sectors.
  • Deliver strong governance, advocating progressive team, individual and performance management practices.
  • Promote staff development with a coherent programme of induction and continuous improvement, identifying and supporting excellence through mentoring/assessor relationships, opportunities across OPSS, and integration of the apprenticeship programme.
  • High level collaboration across the team and directorate to promote and deliver against the integration agenda.
  • Develop project interventions and review activities to identify effective outcome measures, align with reporting mechanisms and obligations.
  • Engage closely with the enforcement leadership team to develop coherent enforcement and engagement strategies, ensuring these are implemented effectively within the team.

Person specification

Essential Criteria 

  • Experience of successfully deploying tailored interventions to resolve challenges in a sophisticated regulatory environment. 
  • Understanding of the need for flexibility and navigating uncertainty with resilience through an aptitude towards problem solving. 
  • Ability to develop and lead strategic operational and project plans that deliver wider organisational priorities, and which align with those of other Departments. 
  • Confidence to report to, and update, the Deputy Director and other senior colleagues in a trusted advisor role, by having the ability to hold open, structured and productive discussions. 
  • Significant management, delegation and influencing skills to enable the successful delivery of results, with strong leadership skills, confidence to challenge, adept at influencing and eager to take ownership in leading teams through change. 
  • Ability to establish and maintain positive connections with external partners and represent DBT (possibly internationally) in formal or informal forums, where balancing conflicting priorities may feature. 

Desirable Criteria 

  • Excellent all-round communication and networking skills and able to express sophisticated concepts to engage and energise colleagues. 
  • Confidence to set clear expectations for performance, holding individuals to account and guide under performance, successfully delivering through others, empowering your people to innovate and deliver. 

We will be hosting a Virtual Open Evening you will be able to hear from various people within the team and department. This will take place on the afternoon of Tuesday 23rd April. Please register your interest for the Open Evening by emailing RegulationImpactArea@beis.gov.uk

Behaviours

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

  • Leadership
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Making Effective Decisions
Alongside your salary of £64,432, Department for Business and Trade contributes £17,396 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
  • 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.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception. 

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way. 

After the closing date It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date though this is subject to change.

To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:    

  • A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages. 
  • A Personal Statement of up to 1000 words, explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential criteria.   

In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.   

As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a short oral presentation, details will be provided prior to your interview.  

Reasonable Adjustments 

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:  

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.  

Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.   

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section. 

Candidate Support 

You may want to join a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview.   

Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.  

Further Information: 

  • A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.    
  • Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. 
  • The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.   
  • New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.   
  • Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty. Any applicant who has details held on the IFD will be refused employment.    
  • A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.   
  • Terms and Conditions are attached.  Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.   
  • Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role. 

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. 

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.



Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

  • UK nationals
  • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
  • Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

  • Name : Heva Ikram
  • Email : OPSS.Recruitment@beis.gov.uk

Recruitment team

  • Email : dbtrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email at Resourcing@trade.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Civil Service Commission Complaints

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