Enforcement Manager

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. 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.

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.

Job description

We are recruiting for an Enforcement Manager within the Regulatory Impact Area at OPSS. The Regulation Impact Area’s work has real world impact, protecting people and places from product related harm.

We regulate products across a broad range of sectors across the UK economy. As the national product regulator, we enforce a range of product-related regulations, deliver evidence-based solutions, and support business to meet their legal obligations. We enforce and deliver regulation with proportionality, through enforcement, engagement, and collaboration across-Government, and with local, national, and international regulators. We are a risk-based regulator, sharing our expertise and knowledge to lead and influence on both the domestic and global stage.

This is an exciting opportunity for dynamic and motivated individuals to make positive change happen within and beyond OPSS, and who are keen to build a stimulating career as a regulatory professional. We offer a wide-ranging development package, which includes both internal and external learning and development opportunities. Our Regulation Impact Area is growing to meet the challenges of the future, and there are plenty of opportunities for people committed to their professional development, who are adaptable and flexible in their outlook, and can embrace the opportunities presented by an evolving team.

The Regulation Impact Area encompasses the following creative and impactful enforcement teams:

Construction Products - This team is responsible for regulating the construction products sector on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), to help the UK build better, safer buildings, ensuring that construction products meet their performance requirements and are safe. Where construction products do not meet these requirements, we take the necessary enforcement action.

Products and Sectors Regulation - This team is responsible for regulating sectors that have obligations relating to products safety, security, environmental, accuracy and energy efficiency. Our work spans most industry sectors, supporting Government priorities, by working closely with and on behalf of other Departments to deliver shared outcomes. This includes supporting growth, through providing a robust and fair regulatory environment in which businesses have confidence to invest and grow, whilst continually ensuring that consumers, places, and the environment are protected from product related harm. Our work also includes regulating products in new and emerging sectors, supporting business growth through innovation.

Online and Supply Chain Enforcement - This team is responsible for regulating the supply chain used to distribute products, ensuring consumers across the UK can feel as confident shopping online as they do on the UK’s High Streets; we are committed to preventing unsafe and non-compliant products entering the UK supply chain. This team delivers an innovative programme of regulatory interventions, finding the right mechanisms to stop bad actors within the supply chain, including at ports and fulfilment centres. The work is risk-based, proactively monitoring online marketplaces and other platforms who make products available to UK consumers.

Candidates in the Regulation Impact Area can be assigned to work areas based on a combination of indicated preference, existing skills and experience, and business need. We are currently looking to fill a vacancy within Online and Supply Chain Enforcement.

Key Responsibilities:

• Leadership and line management responsibilities, in accordance with OPSS and Civil Service requirements; you will ensure staff performance levels remain high and develop your team.
  
  
• Lead on high-profile cases that are nationally significant, novel or contentious.
  
  
• Manage your team's casework alongside your own, ensuring that investigations are progressed appropriately, whether through civil or criminal sanctions, to achieve proportionate regulatory outcomes.
  
  
• Manage the resources in your team to deliver a broad range of proactive and reactive work, investigations, and broader enforcement activities, flexibly reallocating resources and re-prioritising as needed, which can include supporting cross-team enforcement priorities.
  
  
• Develop and deliver a work programme that supports strategic organisational objectives and priorities; work with your team and others across OPSS to identify important issues and develop innovative ways to fix them.
  
  
• Develop and implement our regulatory approaches and processes. Plan, review, and deliver your team's operational plan, alongside supporting other functional teams where enforcement support is required.
  
  
• Provide advice and support, as a subject matter expert, to OPSS Leadership, policy sponsors (where applicable), Ministers, and others.

Person specification

Skills & Experience

We are keen to hear from people from varying backgrounds.

The below criteria are essential and will be assessed at application stage;

• Significant experience in an investigation management role, using a variety of regulatory tools to achieve impact, in any of the following fields: regulation, enforcement, or compliance.
  
  
• Experience of conducting investigations of suspected non-compliance and in managing and overseeing case files; a proven track record of delivering investigations from inception to an appropriate resolution.
  
  
• Excellent knowledge of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996, and relevant Codes of Practice, and experience of monitoring and managing their implementation in an enforcement context.
  
  
• Awareness of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.
  
  
• Strong leadership skills, confidence to challenge, and eager to take ownership.
  
  
• Excellent communication, influencing and interpersonal skills with the ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships at all levels, applying your knowledge to suit wider business considerations and support those we regulate.
  
  
• Experience of operating in a fast-paced environment where there are gaps, ambiguity or uncertainty.
  
  
• A full valid driving licence. If you do not hold a driving licence because of a protected characteristic, please speak to the recruitment manager to let them know, and this will be taken into account.

Desirable criteria:

The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates;

• Product Safety knowledge. However, relevant training will be available.

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions within OPSS which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.​

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,511, Department for Business and Trade contributes £16,660 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 employer contribution of 28.97%

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.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

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.

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 you suitability for the role in reference to the essential criteria.

Your application will be sifted against the Experience criteria of the Civil Service Success Profiles.

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.

We aim to sift both the CV and the Personal Statement but, in the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift may be conducted on the Personal Statement only. Candidates who pass the initial sift of the Personal Statement will either progressed to a full sift where the CV is then assessed, or progressed straight to further assessment/interview.

Candidates who pass the sift will be invited to interview, where we will assess you on the Success Profiles elements of Behaviours and Strengths.

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.
• Candidates that do not quite meet the standard for this role may be offered a position at a lower grade.

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

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

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 : opss.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk
• Email : opss.recruitment@businessandtrade.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: Resourcing@businessandtrade.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: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.

Attachments

DBT candidate pack July 2024 (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 943kB)DBT T&Cs 2025-08-18 Opens in new window (doc, 46kB)