Vacancies
We’re undergoing an exciting period of change and growth at OPSS, and there’s never been a better time to join us. Below you can find our current vacancies, which are updated regularly.
The role and our team
| The Operational Support Unit (OSU) is the ‘front door’ to the office, and we are a high-demand front-line team, working across 2 locations, Birmingham and Teddington. We deliver outstanding customer service to both our internal and external customer base, providing reassurance and building confidence through our response to enquiries and everyday engagement with colleagues.
We work diligently to support other functional teams across OPSS, undertaking administrative duties to support our regulatory obligations and delivering our purpose. We lead the process for sample handling and storage in Birmingham and Teddington, providing a robust audit trail for products purchased or seized to support enforcement projects. We are also responsible for developing, implementing and supporting processes to underpin multi-functional activities. |
Person specification
Key responsibilities
| You will provide senior support to the team across several workstreams, ensuring adherence to service level agreements, service standards and key performance indicators. You will work across 2 locations, Birmingham and Teddington, in conjunction with 2 SEO colleagues to:
• Supervise the Operational Management of OSU workstreams. • Lead and develop existing measures to provide complete visibility to all partners of key results and progress being made such as Monthly Statistics, Quality Assurance Model and Risks and Issues Register. • Handle all formal complaints received by OPSS, always adhering to the formal complaint’s procedure. • Engage with appropriate teams across the Office on new and existing workstreams, and processes undertaken by OSU. • Manage the audit trail for all samples that are purchased or seized to support Enforcement projects. • Provide advice on storage capacity and provide logistical support for samples at external testing facilities. • Measure and report to management on the progression of OSU colleagues in line with the Skills and Proficiency Matrix, • Ensure reports/data produced by the OSU are accurate and provided to the relevant audience in a timely manner, advancing any non-conformities as they arise, in addition to any issues or delay in production. • Reactively provide support to Major Incidents across OPSS. • Practice active attendance and contribution to all relevant meetings, to enable the effective management of the team’s work-strands. • Act as the team senior resolution point, problem solving and using initiative to guide and support colleagues, advancing issues as vital. • Work closely with colleagues to develop and refine existing IT platforms in place within the team. • Have direct responsibility for supervising Team Leaders (HEO). Skills and experience
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As part of our Science Team, you would be involved in providing access to robust and relevant scientific advice and novel research for the development of policy, and the delivery and enforcement of product safety regulations across the OPSS remit, including toys, cosmetics and potentially new responsibilities in construction products. We work closely with other evidence teams including those in engineering, research, analysis and testing. We are a multidisciplinary team including scientists covering specialisms including analytical chemistry, materials science and toxicology. The team is also responsible for chemical risk assessment advice and leads the Office’s access to independent scientific experts in the space of chemicals and materials.
| It was agreed in January 2021 that OPSS, an established national product regulator with relevant expertise, should be the national regulator for construction products, operating as a Joint Unit, accountable to DLUHC Ministers for its construction products function. OPSS was identified as the product regulator of choice in the Independent Hackitt Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
This high profile and crucial role mean that we are looking for new technical colleagues who will help us address the culture within the construction industry, work closely with the new Building Safety Regulator and local regulators to create a coherent system in which robust, effective regulatory action is taken against serious weaknesses and poor practice. If you are passionate about addressing the risks that non-compliant construction products pose to consumer safety, then this role could be for you! |
Working closely alongside the Science, Engineering & Technology, and Analysis Teams, the Research, Evidence & Dissemination (RED) Team ensures that OPSS has access to scientific evidence and advice for the development of policy, and the delivery and enforcement of product safety regulations. This is an exciting time to join the team as the office transitions to being part of the newly formed Department for Business and Trade (DBT).
The Research, Evidence and Dissemination team is responsible for the Office’s Strategic Research Programme, developing new and novel research, and ways of delivering research, to drive forward improvements in consumer product safety through changes in policy and delivering regulation. This is an exciting opportunity to apply for a role in the RED team that will lead on further developing our growing and cross-disciplinary Strategic Research Programme. This includes the development, coordination and maintenance of structures and capabilities that support the development of a robust, fit for purpose and value for money evidence base. The scope of this evidence base is wide-ranging from direct harms with existing consumer products; to understanding those in new technologies; understanding and using innovation to be a better regulator; understand consumer and business behaviour, and more. Our newly opened Teddington laboratories will offer a new avenue to developing internal research programmes alongside external research and testing.
Vacancies open to existing Civil Servants
We have some fantastic opportunities for the right candidate. Please note that the roles below are only open to existing Civil Servants.
Regulatory Design and Governance is a small team reporting to the Deputy Director for Operations and Governance.
We play a pivotal part shaping regulation that protects the safety of people and places across a huge range of products, from construction to common household goods, and that protects our environment through the life-cycle of goods from production to disposal. Collaborative working is an essential part of our approach, drawing on the expertise of colleagues in enforcement, science and technical, analytical and legislation roles. We scrutinise new regulatory functions to make sure they fit with OPSS’s strategic direction, purpose and objectives. We work with policy-holders to ensure that we have effective regulatory obligations and powers in place in order to support the policy objectives, and the team is responsible for the ongoing development of a governance framework to underpin these activities. Our work is often fast-paced and must adapt to new or changing priorities.
About the Team
We are the OPSS Digital and Technology team, and we build digital services focused on product safety and regulation. Our team is a mixed team of civil servants and contractors that collaborate in agile service teams working on user centred designs.
We have an exciting portfolio of services that have internal and external users and there are already further services in our pipeline for future development. This is an exciting time to be at OPSS Digital. As a fast-growing area of the Department for Business and Trade, we’re raising compliance standards across the board and making a real-world impact on millions of lives nationwide. We are currently looking for a Senior Product Manager who will lead agile service teams, delivering key OPSS priorities.
This is a role for experienced project professionals who will have further opportunity to develop and grow in the profession. OPSS has sites in Birmingham, London and Teddington. This role will be based in our Birmingham or office. There will be a need to travel to our other sites on occasions.
