The Role and Our Team

The Online and Supply Chain Enforcement Team regulates the full supply chain, from ports and borders through to online marketplaces, fulfilment houses and third-party sellers. We are responsible for ensuring that shopping online will be as safe as shopping on the high street.

We have Enforcement Manager Roles available in all three of our Enforcement Teams. Please state in your application which role, or roles, you wish to be considered for. Please be aware, all roles are potentially deployable to other teams dependent on organisational and risk priorities.

Ports and Borders Team 

No two days are the same, working in the Ports & Borders Team. We are committed to preventing unsafe and non-compliant products entering the UK supply chain. Our team delivers a programme of activity in which we look for innovative ways of finding the right intervention points to stop bad actors within the supply chain. This can include deployments at ports, proactively monitoring fulfilment centres and inland activity, and targeting resources to deal with prolific offenders. We work with a range of regulators including Local Authorities, Border Force, and HMRC. Our latest activity is preventing unsafe and non-compliant ebike’s, escooter’s, and conversion kits entering the UK supply chain.

Online Enforcement 

Online Enforcement is a fast-paced team; we select and test purchase high risk products which are being sold online. We get non-compliant products removed from sale and monitor how well Online Marketplaces are fulfilling their obligations, enabling OPSS to hold them to account. We also explore new approaches to regulation and enforcement in the Online space enforcing the removal of unsafe products.

Incidents and Investigations  

Incidents and Investigations Team takes the enforcement lead on high profile investigations in the Product Safety space. We also deal with nationally declared product safety Incidents.  We take immediate corrective action to protect people and places, and carrying out detailed investigation to determine the appropriate enforcement action and/or sanctions.

All Teams 

We want to hear from candidates that can contribute innovative regulatory approaches, to deliver our objectives. You will play an instrumental role in building our reputation as an exemplar national regulator, by improving transparency and accountability to the businesses we regulate and the citizens we serve.

The role requires balancing a varied workload, which can include leading on and having oversight of investigations; leading on reactive and proactive compliance activities that are nationally significant, novel or contentious; and managing a range of programme and project-based enforcement activities.

Successful candidates will combine their team management responsibilities with building and maintaining strong relationships internally and externally.

Strong communication skills are vital to the role as is adaptability when it comes to changes in legislation or a shift in our regulatory priorities.

These posts will report directly to an Assistant Director, who reports to the Deputy Director for Online and Supply Chain Enforcement.

​​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.

The Role and Our 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.

​This is an exciting opportunity for a flexible and results-oriented individual with the energy to make positive change happen within and beyond OPSS to join the expanding Business Compliance Team. In this purposeful, and multi-faceted role you will play a part in building our reputation as an exemplar regulator. Candidates will need to be flexible in approach and prepared to lead on a range of tasks.

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.

​This is an exciting opportunity for a flexible and results-oriented individual with the energy to make positive change happen within the construction product industry. In this purposeful, and multi-faceted role you will play a part in building our reputation as an exemplar regulator. Candidates will need to be flexible in approach and prepared to lead on a range of tasks. You will hold specific responsibilities for planning and developing our regulatory capacity and delivery.  The role will suit people who are confident, analytical, decisive and can develop relationships and networks quickly, with experience of operating within a regulatory compliance environment: for example, ensuring goods, services or systems meet regulatory standards.

The Role and Our 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 Sector Compliance Team support the establishment of OPSS as the national regulator for construction products by leading on the identification of problems in construction product industry sectors in complying with the law and the development of risk and evidence-based strategies to solve those problems.

​The Operational Policy Manager position in the Sector Compliance Team is a multifaceted role which requires a similarly wide-ranging suite of skills and competences. The successful candidate will play a meaningful role in shaping and delivering our regulatory activities and can expect to be involved in activities as diverse as engaging with industry, supporting the development of our evidence base, drafting industry guidance and working with colleagues across OPSS and elsewhere to promote, develop and explain our role and deliver our functions.

​These roles are based in Birmingham or Teddington only.​

​​The successful candidates responsibilities may include: 

• Developing, interpreting and applying for operational delivery the findings of a suite of market studies concerning the sector and sector practices.

• Developing – working with the industry, regulators, and others – priorities for our compliance activities and the regulatory practices required to deliver these effectively.

• Working with industry to lead and/or support initiatives to improve compliance in the sector.

• Leading and/or supporting the development and drafting of operational guidance.

• Explaining to industry and others the OPSS role in construction product regulation and our regulatory approach.

• Supporting policy and communications colleagues by providing expert input to Parliamentary correspondence, speech writing and campaigns etc.

• Attending and presenting at industry sector events etc.

​​Exciting Leadership Opportunity: Head of Research Delivery at OPSS 

​Are you a visionary leader ready to shape the future of consumer product safety? The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) invites you to join us as our Head of Research Development, where you’ll spearhead the development, coordination, and delivery of our research programme.

​In this dynamic role, you will play a pivotal part in crafting a comprehensive evidence base, addressing issues ranging from direct harms associated with existing consumer products to cutting-edge technologies. As the leader responsible for delivering our Strategic Research Programme, you will oversee research governance, ensuring that our endeavours answer priority questions for OPSS.

​Success in this role hinges on your ability to envision the broader context, articulate the alignment of OPSS research with our diverse responsibilities, and seamlessly collaborate with internal and external teams. Beyond routine research, you’ll provide guidance on methodologies, conduct critical assessments of legislative and policy issues, and lay the groundwork for innovative governance structures that amplify the impact of our research.

​But that’s not all – this role brings even more excitement! As our Head of Research Delivery, you will actively create and manage the OPSS sponsorship of PhD and Masters student programme, cultivating the next generation of experts in the field. Additionally, you’ll lead the charge in developing a Research Advisory Panel, bringing together diverse perspectives to enhance the quality and impact of our work. Your strategic expertise will also be crucial in identifying effective ways to procure resources, ensuring that our research endeavours are not only groundbreaking but also resource-efficient. To further enrich our capabilities, you will develop and maintain a comprehensive register of specialists, fostering collaboration and expertise within OPSS.

This role is for a functional team leader for the Borders Delivery Team within the Targeting  branch of the Evidence Impact Area. The role provides leadership of OPSS’ delivery at the border, to support HM Government in delivering the 2025 Border Strategy by deterring, detecting and disrupting the flow of unsafe and non-compliant goods, while reducing or removing friction, at the border.

The role includes the management of the Borders Programme, overseeing OPSS’ activity at the border, and oversight of the OPSS Border Profiling Unit which profiles and administers referrals to OPSS enforcement teams and local authorities for intelligence-led inspections at the border

​Our role is to promote learning and development opportunities across the office and empower colleagues to own their development. We support teams and colleagues across the office to develop and access the development and training opportunities they need, alongside supporting the delivery and facilitation of a variety of training programmes which includes a comprehensive induction package for new starters, including a one-day welcome event.

The Incident Management Team (IMT) is a busy, friendly and highly supportive team, comprised of two closely related functions.

A readiness and resilience arm prepares OPSS to respond to national-scale incidents, emergencies and disruptive events. We develop and exercise a range of incident response plans and related procedures and ensure processes are continuously improved considering lessons arising from exercises or incidents.

An operational arm carries out initial assessments of product safety and noncompliance notifications, publishing product safety alerts, reports and recalls on publicly available websites and working internationally to report product safety issues and to monitor for product safety issues that might impact the UK.

IMT also lead on the coordination of incident activity, liaising with a range of OPSS and wider functions to ensure an effective incident response is delivered.

The Consumer Policy and Delivery team within the Policy and Partnerships department of the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). The Team champions the needs of consumers and ensures keeping people safe is at the heart of everything OPSS does. The Team has developed a Consumer Plan which identifies consumer-focussed priorities and explains how we will meet them. We are particularly focussed on ensuring our product safety activities reach a diverse audience.

Key to helping us achieve these aims are the relationships we have built with a range of organisations across the UK. Each quarter, we host a meeting of our Consumer Reference Panel. We hear insight into the consumer perspective of OPSS activity and discuss emerging issues that affect consumers.

The Resource Management team within OPSS is responsible for procurement and contract management, along with financial planning, monitoring and processing. As a team, we are focused on helping the organisation to deliver effectively, while also ensuring that the correct processes are followed.

​Responsibilities

​We are looking for an enthusiastic individual to join our busy Resource Management team working on data analysis and management information. You will be responsible for maintaining systems and processes to improve data analysis and provide high quality information to enable good decision making and financial management by senior leaders.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain tools and systems to support financial data analysis for OPSS and look at ways in which these can be continuously improved.
• Analyse and manipulate large amounts of data to identify trends.
• Support budget holders in managing their budgets, including monthly forecasting and reporting.
• Engage with team leaders across OPSS to understand their information needs, as well as address queries.
• Work effectively with other parts of the Resource Management Team to ensure the successful delivery of all aspects of its work, including financial reporting, procurement, commercial and risk management.

Our work has real world impact, protecting people from unsafe goods by ensuring product safety regulation works and is fit for purpose. This is a great opportunity to be part of developing policy, delivering evidence-based solutions and robust advice for Ministers, whilst supporting business to meet their obligations and ultimately protecting consumers and ensuring they have confidence in the products they buy. We deliver our policy through legislative and non-legislative means, and through engagement and collaboration across Whitehall and wider.

​The work of the policy teams are areas of high public, media and Parliamentary interest. We have an ambitious work programme in place which includes delivering our obligations for Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework, supporting product sector specific legislation such as fireworks policy and in re-shaping the product safety framework now we have left the EU.​