Head of Governance at Office for Students in Filton, Bristol

Job summary

The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in England. It exists to ensure that English higher education offers the best experience and the best value: for students, for taxpayers, for the economy and for the public good.

Our vision is that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers. Please do have a look at our new strategy on our website.

The governance team covers the operation of the Board and its committees, as well as the Executive Committee. It also manages the OfS’s risk management function, oversees internal audit, and coordinates organisational performance assessment. Its aim is to gather and present the right information, to support the right discussions, to enable the right decisions at the right time by the right people.

The OfS is currently undertaking a review of its organisational design. The exact shape of the role may evolve, but strong governance and risk management will remain at its core.

The Head of Governance will lead the governance function at the heart of the OfS’s work. They will play a strategic role in ensuring the organisation operates with integrity, transparency, and effectiveness. As a trusted adviser to the Chair, Chief Executives, Executive Team, and the Board, they will provide strategic insight and professional expertise, bringing confidence, authority and conviction to their contribution. The successful candidate will see themselves as a current or future influential figure in the world of governance.

Job description

The role will include:

• Acting as senior governance adviser to the Chair, Executive Committee, and the Board on all aspects of governance with the OfS, including the review and operationalisation of policies such as the scheme of delegation and conflicts of interest which are especially pertinent to a regulatory body.
• Possessing the credibility and confidence to challenge proposed or established ways of conducting business where necessary.
• Ensuring the Board, Committees, Panels and Executive Committee receive excellent service to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities.
• Overseeing the passage of business through these fora in ways that enable the most value to be derived from the expertise and experience they contain.
• Ensuring risk is considered across the organisation, supporting effective decision making at all levels on risk identification, management and mitigation.
• Ensuring the internal audit function provides robust assurance and actionable insight.
• Supporting the organisation to understand its performance and to focus on continuous improvement.
• Managing a team of governance and risk professionals, supporting their continuous improvement.

Person specification

Overall, this role requires someone who can offer sound advice and solid administration, combined with an ability to collaborate with seasoned non-executive and executive Board members to draw together the strands of a complex governance setting into considered and authoritative decision-making. Our approach to governance should be setting the standard, not least as we regulate the governance of over 400 registered providers of higher education in England.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £82,082, Office for Students contributes

£23,779 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• 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

For your application, you will need to upload a copy of your CV (no more than 2 pages) which should set out your relevant qualifications and experience, with information about how these relate to the requirements of this role.

You will also be required to provide a personal statement (no more than 1,000 words) setting out how your skills and experience meet the essential and any desirable criteria for the role.

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.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a standard (or equivalent) 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

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 the

Civil 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

• Email : recruitmentteam@officeforstudents.org.uk

Further information

• officeforstudents.org.uk
• Apply at advertiser's site
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