*Closes 09th December*
About the Role
Members are intended to act in an advisory capacity designed to contribute to a strong set of governance arrangements for OPSS. Members will not be involved in specific technical regulatory decisions, but we are looking for a diverse range of people with experience of operating at a senior level. The roles will give you the opportunity to impact on a range of important policy, regulatory and operational issues impacting businesses and consumers daily.
Potential topics for discussion include:
• The EU and UK regulatory divergence
• The development of novel regulatory functions or expansion into the online space
• The UK internal market
• How OPSS gathers and uses science and evidence
• Stakeholder engagement
• Policy development
• International engagement with regulators and industry
• Business planning, control mechanisms and delegation in a growing organisation

Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) Advisory Board Members

Number of vacancies x 4

Time commitment Adhoc

Remuneration £350 per meeting

Length of term 3 years

 

Introduction from the Minister

Dear Candidate

Thank you for your interest in the Advisory Board roles for the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS).

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the department for economic growth, supporting businesses to invest, grow and export, and creating jobs and opportunities across the country. Supporting growth means ensuring that consumers have confidence in the products they are purchasing, businesses have the confidence to invest and bring products to market, and exporters can trade on the quality of UK goods. That means having the right standards and regulations in place to be effective and proportionate. At the heart of this is the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), the UK’s national product regulator, which is responsible for the policy and delivery of regulations across the product life cycle in multiple sectors.

Protecting citizens is at the forefront of OPSS activity, and recent activity includes issuing safety notices for dangerous self-feeding products for babies, issuing notices to stop the supply and sale of unsafe gas hobs following an explosion at a caravan park and working with partners to make e-bikes and scooters safe for consumers.

We are now recruiting for four members to join the Advisory Board as OPSS continues to mature as a regulator, to meet the evolving regulatory challenges of new products and technologies, to keep consumers safe and support businesses in realising the opportunities of innovation. You will have the opportunity to impact a range of important policy, regulatory and operational issues impacting businesses and consumers daily. The roles reflect the breadth of the work undertaken by OPSS, and we are seeking a diverse range of candidates with senior regulatory, public safety, policy, legal, consumer advocacy or business experience.

Justin Madders MP, Minister of State

Appointment description

Members are intended to act in an advisory capacity designed to contribute to a strong set of governance arrangements for OPSS. Members will not be involved in specific technical regulatory decisions, but we are looking for a diverse range of people with experience of operating at a senior level. The roles will give you the opportunity to impact on a range of important policy, regulatory and operational issues impacting businesses and consumers daily.
Potential topics for discussion include:
  • The EU and UK regulatory divergence
  • The development of novel regulatory functions or expansion into the online space
  • The UK internal market
  • How OPSS gathers and uses science and evidence
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Policy development
  • International engagement with regulators and industry
  • Business planning, control mechanisms and delegation in a growing organisation

Organisation description

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-for-product-safety-and-standards

Person specification

Essential criteria

The successful candidates may be drawn from a wide range of backgrounds. Prior non-executive experience is not required. To be considered you must be able to demonstrate that you have the qualities, skills, knowledge and experience to meet the essential criteria for appointment:
  • A demonstrable track record and experience of operating at a senior leadership level
  • An ability to question, challenge constructively and support the decision-making as part of the organisation, bringing a diversity of opinions and views.
  • Excellent communication and committee membership skills with ability to collaborate and command respect and confidence from others.
  • Possess a clear understanding of the work of OPSS and demonstrate a strong interest in supporting OPSS to function effectively as a regulator.
  • Be able to commit to attend four meetings per year.
If there are a large number of applicants for the roles, we will assess each application against the main criteria 1 and 2 above.

Desirable criteria

We welcome applications from those with the following additional desirable skills and experience:
  • Previous experience at a senior level in either a delivery focused organisation, regulatory body or small or large business
  • Previous experience of managing complex operational delivery

How to apply

In order to apply you will need to create an account or sign in.

Once you are logged into your account, click on ‘apply for this role’ and follow the on-screen instructions. To apply, all candidates are required to provide:

  • a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • a supporting statement
  • equality information
  • information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues

We will ask you to check and confirm your personal details to ensure your application is accurate.

You will also have the opportunity to make a reasonable adjustment request or apply under the disability confident scheme before you submit your application.