Vacancies

Our Team

OPSS International Delivery is dedicated to providing technical assistance and capacity-building support to overseas governments. Our mission is to promote good regulatory practices and assist in designing new regulatory frameworks, shaping progressive, international regulatory environments.

OPSS 4-year Regulatory Reform programme across several countries within the ASEAN bloc. This initiative aims to enhance regulatory standards, foster collaboration, and support sustainable development in the region.

Our regulatory reform programme is a key pillar of the wider UK-ASEAN Economic Integration Programme. It provides technical assistance across four areas:

1. Better regulation
2. NQI and standards
3. Product safety and e-commerce
4. Intellectual property

This programme operates across the ASEAN region, working at a country level in seven ASEAN Member States (AMS) and at a regional level with ASEAN institutions.

Are you interested in international development? Would you like to work on an international development programme that further the UK Government’s development and trade objectives in Southeast Asia?  Would you like to learn more about new cultures and gain experience of working with international stakeholders?

We are looking for a dynamic and experienced professional to take on the role of International Delivery Lead, responsible for delivering our ambitious programmes in 1-2 countries. This role involves close collaboration and matrix management with in-country attaches, as well as coordinating broader interventions that align with our programme’s theory of change and budgetary requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and Lead Missions: Design and lead in-country missions with agreed areas of focus and delivery.
• Recruitment: Lead the recruitment of attaches as needed.
• Alignment: Ensure in-country delivery aligns with the programme’s theory of change and budgetary requirements.
• Relationship Building: Build and maintain successful relationships with international stakeholders, including senior officials, ministers, other donors, and HMG staff at Post.
• Support Attachés: Support our in-country attaché(s) in fulfilling their duties to deliver the programme.
• Reporting and Planning: Draft mission reports and develop work plans and budgets for individual country programmes.
• Wider Programme Responsibilities: Take on wider programme responsibilities, such as our policy and approach to flexible interventions, agreed on a quarterly basis and aligned with DBT’s goal-setting and review process.
• Lead Workstreams: Act as the UK-OPSS lead on the Good Regulatory Practice workstream across the region.
• Additional Responsibilities: Take on other responsibilities as needed for the successful delivery of the programme.

What We Offer:

• Exciting Opportunities: Operate in a senior capacity in an international context, enabling both personal and professional development.
• Dynamic Environment: Thrive in a fast-paced and challenging role that requires independence and adaptability.
• International Travel: Engage in international travel as part of a new and innovative programme that supports the UK Government’s development and trade priorities.

About the Team

We are the OPSS Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) team, and we build digital services focused on product safety and regulation. Our digital services are ultimately responsible for protecting people and places from product related harm.

We have an exciting portfolio of services that have internal and external users with further services in our pipeline for future development.

OPSS DDaT develop digital services and tools in line with Government standards. We are a mixed team of civil servants and contractors building services that use user-centred designs. This means that we put users at the centre of what we do by talking to our users and listening to what they say. Their feedback helps us to design services that they need and will want to use.

About the Role 

Are you curious about how digital services are designed and developed? We need a Junior User Centred Design (UCD) Officer to help us build great digital services.

This role is about supporting these three UCD areas and developing the skills to become capable in them. You will work alongside and have the support of experienced digital UCD specialists.

Together you will work on building digital services that help OPSS keep people safe. Our digital service portfolio is growing all the time and at different stages of maturity from live to emerging services. You could be working on an existing live service or one that is in the development pipeline.

Along with the rest of the team, you will be helping lead OPSS colleagues through the service development lifecycle.

User Centred Design (UCD) is at the core of our digital work, encompassing three main areas:

1. User Research
2. User Experience (UX) Design
3. Content Design

User Research involves understanding our users: who they are, what they aim to achieve, why they need to do it, and how they currently go about it. This research informs our designs and functionalities, ensuring they support user needs. It also helps us test these designs with users, and their feedback allows us to refine and improve them.

UX Design includes both service and interaction design. Service design shapes the user journeys based on insights from user research, outlining the steps needed to complete a task from start to finish. Interaction design focuses on the individual steps or screens that users navigate through the service.

Content Design is about creating clear and understandable content for each step of the user journey. This content can be informational or instructional, ensuring users know what is required of them. We write content from the user’s perspective, making it easy to understand and follow.

In this role, you will develop your skills and have the opportunity to earn various certifications that can propel your digital career. These include highly sought-after qualifications such as:

• Certified Scrum Master
• Agile Project Manager (APM)
• Certified Practitioner in UX – Foundation
• Quantitative User Research Methods

You will work alongside and receive support from experienced digital UCD specialists. Together, you will build digital services that help OPSS keep people safe. Our digital service portfolio is continuously expanding and includes services at various stages of maturity, from live to emerging. You could be working on an existing live service or one in the development pipeline. Along with the rest of the team, you will help guide OPSS colleagues through the service development lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities:

As a Junior User Centred Design Officer, we will provide you with the support, training, and experience needed to:

• Support our service teams by helping them focus on delivering business priorities and user needs.
• Assist in user research by identifying users, arranging interviews/workshops, and conducting the research.
• Conduct usability testing of our services.
• Analyse research to identify priorities for your service team.
• Develop service designs to ensure our services are easy to use and meet user needs.
• Create wireframes and prototypes to test design ideas with users and incorporate their feedback for improvements.
• Develop roadmaps to outline the future direction of services.
• Represent us across stakeholder groups, championing UCD in digital delivery.

This role is designed to help you develop a broad range of UCD skills while retaining the flexibility to specialise in any of the three main areas over time. Further information can be found here: https://ddat-capability-framework.service.gov.uk/

Our flexible working policy ensures a healthy work-life balance. We nurture talent and offer a wide range of learning and development opportunities to help you flourish in your role.

We strive to maintain a positive working culture and are committed to helping you reach your full potential. We value diversity and provide an open, inclusive, and supportive environment to help you do your best work.

Join Our Enforcement Teams: Make a Real Difference in Protecting People, Places, and the Planet.

Are you passionate about making a positive impact? Join a dynamic team at the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) and play a critical role in safeguarding consumers and the environment.

What We Do:

The OPSS enforcement teams are dedicated to ensuring businesses comply with product safety and standards regulations. We prioritise risk-based, proportionate, and consistent enforcement while fostering transparency and accountability. Our primary goal is to:

• Protect people and the environment: We address non-compliance issues and take action to minimise harm.
• Empower businesses: We create a regulatory landscape that promotes responsible practices ad promote consumer confidence.

Choose Your Path:

We have a number of opportunities available across two wider business areas :

• Products and Sectors Regulation: Build a safer, more sustainable future by enforcing regulations across diverse industries, from energy efficiency to consumer product safety.
• Online and Supply Chain Enforcement: Be at the forefront of online consumer protection, ensuring online shopping is held held to the same rigorous standards as traditional retail.

Make a Tangible Impact:

As an Enforcement Officer, you’ll:

• Lead complex investigations: Collaborate with colleagues to tackle challenging cases.
• Become a regulatory expert: Develop deep knowledge to provide guidance to businesses and stakeholders.
• Foster collaboration: Build strong relationships with industry partners and regulatory agencies.
• Analyse data: Identify risks and inform enforcement strategies.
• Drive positive change: Continuously improve regulatory practices for maximum impact.

Qualifications:

• A Level 4 Regulatory Compliance Officer Apprenticeship or equivalent qualification (or reasonable expectation of achieving it within 2 months).
• Experience in investigations, regulatory enforcement, or compliance.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Willingness to travel (overnight stays possible).
• Full UK driving license (exceptions can be discussed).

Ready to Make a Difference?

Are you a passionate and experienced professional ready to make a significant impact on the energy landscape?  

The Office for Product Safety and Standards, part of The Department for Business and Trade; is seeking a talented Enforcement Manager to join our Heat Networks team. 

As an Enforcement Manager, you will play a pivotal role in driving the transition to net zero by ensuring compliance within the heat networks sector. Your work will directly contribute to reducing carbon emissions, protecting consumers, and promoting a more sustainable energy future. 

Key responsibilities include: 

• Developing and implementing robust technical standards and regulations to ensure accurate heat metering and protect consumers from unfair practices. 

• Leading enforcement activities to guarantee industry compliance with legal requirements and prevent harm to the environment. 

• Providing expert guidance to support industry improvement and optimise the regulatory strategy. 

• Collaborating with key stakeholders to shape the future of heat networks and drive innovation. 

Ideal candidates will possess: 

• A degree or equivalent in engineering or a related field. 

• Strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret complex data. 

• A strategic mindset and the ability to deliver results under pressure. 

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. 

• Experience in delivering technical regulations, operational projects, or similar in the utilities sector. 

If you’re passionate about sustainable energy, have a proven track record in enforcement, and are ready to make a positive impact, we encourage you to apply and join us in shaping the future of heat networks and contributing to a more sustainable energy landscape. 

We value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are under-represented in our workforce. We promote equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment and a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation. 

Interested in our Graduate Scheme? Register now to receive more information and get reminders when applications open!

We are looking for a senior compliance testing engineer to co-ordinate the delivery of compliance testing activities across our laboratories.  If you are currently working in a commercial test laboratory or working as a test engineer in a similar role, have excellent interpersonal and project management skills, and strive for excitement, challenge, and variety then this could be the role for you. The ideal person will apply your technical and operational expertise to manage the delivery and continuous improvement of compliance testing workstreams, acting as lead reviewer to ensure laboratory policies and outputs provide effective outcomes and impact for the organisation. You will be familiar with the UK regulatory framework and have a good working knowledge of product safety test standards. It is important that you collaborate closely with other laboratory staff members and OPSS evidence and operational teams to ensure the laboratories continue to deliver a high-quality and robust technical service. It is crucial you can communicate clearly to colleagues at all levels and can translate technical findings so they can be readily understood by non-technical audiences.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a team working to ensure the OPSS Strategic Research Programme delivers for OPSS and continues to support policy development, product safety regulation delivery, and enforcement. The role will be pivotal to communicating OPSS research and ensure it can inform His Majesty’s Government’s policy development and operational work.

The role will require regular communication with internal colleagues throughout government and with external stakeholders (such as academics) to build awareness and buy-in of OPSS’s Strategic Research Programme.

You will also help to build and maintain a network of relevant stakeholders, joining them up at the right times and levels to bring about impactful engagement. This will include liaising with internal and external stakeholders to help us better understand how to boost the impact of OPSS research