Senior Regulation Managers
Job summary
We are the independent regulator of higher education in England. We aim to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers.
The higher education sector in England is complex and diverse and the OfS’s approach to regulation recognises this. Our strategy signals a shift from an organisation in a start–up phase to an established regulator that understands its regulatory tools and how best to use them to shape incentives across the sector we regulate. We work to ensure that students in England enjoy higher education provision that is high quality; that their access to opportunity, success and progression is not limited by background, location or characteristics; and that providers are well and sustainably led.
We are looking for a number of Senior Regulation Managers to work across the Regulation directorate on a wide range of complex and high‑impact regulatory activity. This is an agile role that supports the OfS’s statutory functions and plays a critical part in protecting the interests of students and maintaining confidence in the higher education sector.
Senior Regulation Managers work across multiple projects over time, providing leadership, oversight, and expert judgement to support effective, proportionate, and evidence based regulation.
Job description
You may be involved in:
Leading, overseeing and assessing provider applications for registration, degree awarding powers, and university title
Monitoring and investigating provider compliance with registration conditions, using regulatory intelligence to assess risk and determine appropriate interventions
Overseeing and delivering quality and standards assessments and contributing to related policy and regulatory developments
Overseeing work on financial sustainability, market exit, and student protection
Leading the delivery of funded programmes and initiatives
Driving improvements to internal systems and services that support providers
Supporting and overseeing complaints‑handling work, including a future free speech complaints scheme.
You will provide leadership within and across teams, managing complex casework, supporting colleagues, and ensuring delivery against the OfS business plan. The role involves working closely with internal and external stakeholders, managing sensitive or high‑risk issues with professionalism and sound judgement. You will lead the development of clear, robust, and evidence‑based recommendations to support regulatory decision‑making and consistent delivery.
How we do things is as important to us as what we do, and your approach will be grounded in our strategic attitudes being ambitious, collaborative, vigilant, and vocal.
Person specification
While you may not have worked previously in a regulator, you will be interested in taking on a role where your judgement, leadership, and analytical skills help protect students and support confidence in the higher education sector.
Person specification (essential criteria)
Ability to:
1. lead and manage a flexible team of staff, their wellbeing, performance and development need
2. understand and interpret the OfS’s regulatory framework and to use this to undertake assessments, risk assessments, and interventions; to implement and communicate aspects of the regulatory framework and support teams to do this
3. reach and convey reliable and robust judgements on the basis of complex and, at times, imperfect information and articulate the OfS’s approach clearly to providers
4. work with high levels of complexity and ambiguity
5. think broadly about the theory and practice of regulation
6. adopt a systems approach to service design and delivery
7. work collaboratively and flexibly to deliver the team’s functions
8. undertake professional line management and activity management in a complex environment through a matrix structure
9. effectively communicate policies and requirements clearly when working in teams and teams that include external members
10. produce clear written documentation to comply with the OfS’s tone of voice guidance.
Senior Regulation Managers may work across different areas over time, but this role may be suited to candidates who have experience of, or a strong interest in, one or more of the following core areas:
Quality assessment
Quality assessment supports the OfS’s responsibilities for safeguarding academic quality and standards. This work involves leading structured assessment processes, working closely with external academic assessors, and producing clear, high‑quality, evidence‑based reports to inform regulatory decisions. It is well suited to those who are confident engaging with both academic and professional stakeholders, synthesising complex evidence, and exercising judgement in assessments that directly affect student outcomes. This work requires a willingness to undertake 4–6 site visits per year (typically over two consecutive days).
Complaints
Complaints work involves overseeing the assessment of concerns raised within a regulated framework and ensuring fair, balanced, and well‑reasoned outcomes. This area requires careful handling of detailed evidence, a strong understanding of regulatory or statutory frameworks, and the ability to manage challenging or sensitive cases with professionalism and impartiality. The work plays a key role in maintaining trust in regulatory processes and protecting students’ interests.
Across all areas, you will contribute senior‑level insight, support consistent and proportionate regulatory delivery, and help strengthen how regulation is designed and implemented across the OfS.
To find more about the OfS and our work, visit Home – Office for Student
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £56,209, Office for Students contributes £16,283 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%
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
To apply, please submit your CV and covering letter. Your covering letter should be no more than 1000 words and should clearly explain how you meet the essential criteria set out in the person specification.
Applications will be shortlisted using criteria 1, 3, 4 and 9 within the person specification. Applicants should ensure they address these points fully in their application.
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.
If shortlisted, you will be invited to an interview. As part of the interview process, you will be asked to complete a case study based task on the day.
During the interview, you will also be asked to present your findings from the case study and discuss your approach. The remaining essential criteria will be assessed through competency-based questions and discussion.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
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
Working for the Civil Service
Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.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
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 : The Recruitment Team
- Email : recruitmentteam@officeforstudents.org.uk
- Telephone : 0117 931 7444
Recruitment team
Further information
https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/Salary range
- £56,209 - £58,820 per year