Enforcement Officer

Join our dynamic team and make a difference.
The enforcement teams at the Office for Product Safety and Standards address non-compliance of product safety and standards, to protect people and place from harm. We are committed to delivering regulation in a manner that is risk-based, proportionate and consistent and we aim to be transparent and accountable about our regulatory approach and activities.
Our primary concerns when non-compliance or product safety risk has been identified are to ensure protection for people and the environment; and to ensure adequate steps are taken to address the issue and to minimise the likelihood of recurrence. We use the statutory powers available to us to ensure businesses adhere to their legal obligations and will undertake sustained and escalating interventions where necessary.
When you join our team, you’ll be the driving force behind a safer, greener world. We're seeking passionate individuals to join our dynamic teams in Products and Sectors Regulation and Online and Supply Chain Enforcement.
Products and Sectors Regulation: We're building a regulatory landscape that prioritises consumer and environmental protection and empowers businesses through smarter regulation. By enforcing product, environmental, and energy efficiency standards across various sectors and in accordance with the Regulators Code, you'll help protect families and drive sustainable growth.
Online and Supply Chain Enforcement: The digital age demands a new approach to consumer protection. We're at the forefront of ensuring online shopping is held to the same rigorous standards as traditional retail. By regulating the entire supply chain, from ports to online marketplaces, you'll help protect consumers and ensure confidence in the marketplace.
What impact will you have?
+ Drive positive change: Contribute to a regulatory landscape that empowers businesses, safeguards consumers, and protects our planet.
+ Tackle complex challenges: Enforce a wide range of product, environmental, and energy efficiency regulations across diverse industries and supply chains.
+ Be at the forefront of innovation: Work on cutting-edge issues, from sustainable manufacturing to the evolving digital marketplace.
Diverse Roles, Endless Possibilities: Both departments have a number of roles across teams handling diverse workstreams. From ensuring compliance with Heat Network regulations or ensuring the security of the connectable devises we all use daily; to preventing unsafe products crossing our borders and conducting test purchases and identifying unsafe products on sale in the UK and removing them from the marketplace; there’s a role for you. A role where your skills can make a real-world impact. Joining our enforcement teams, you'll have the opportunity to

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+ Lead and Conduct Investigations: Take ownership of complex enforcement investigations, collaborating with cross-functional teams as needed.
+ Regulatory Expertise: Develop in-depth knowledge of relevant product regulations to provide expert guidance to businesses and stakeholders.
+ Stakeholder Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with industry, trade bodies, and other regulatory agencies to foster collaboration and compliance.
+ Data Analysis: Analyse market trends, product information, and technical data to identify potential compliance risks and inform enforcement strategies.
+ Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all enforcement activities adhere to legal and regulatory frameworks, including the Regulators’ Code.
+ Continuous Improvement: Drive innovation and efficiency within the team, seeking opportunities to enhance regulatory practices and impact.
+ Effective Communication: Clearly articulate complex regulatory information to a variety of audiences, both internally and externally.

• Please note: The above is an overview of what can be expected as an Enforcement Officer. Individual teams may have varying specific responsibilities. Please refer to the attached information pack for details of the teams and what they do.

We will consider preferences to work within a specific team, however, offers will be made on the basis of fair and open competition, and successful candidates will be posted into teams as determined by business requirement.
This role is available from either our Birmingham or Teddington location, when applying and asked to specify preference; please duly note that the London should be chosen to indicate Teddington., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Changing and Improving
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Managing a Quality Service
+ Communicating and Influencing, 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 750 words, explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the personal attributes & skills criteria.
In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
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.
Should you attend interview, but not quite meet the minimum criteria, we may offer you a post at a lower grade.
Interview
We will test your behaviours and strengths at interview.
Behaviours:
+ Changing & Improving
+ Managing a Quality Service
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Communicating and Influencing
Strength based questions - These questions are designed to assess your strengths as relevant to the role. The panel will be looking for your initial and unrehearsed response.
Reasonable Adjustments
We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.
Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Candidate Support
You may want to join a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview.
Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.
Further Information
+ 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.
+ This role may be considered as a secondment opportunity. Please reach out to the hiring manager listed at the bottom of this advert to discuss.
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 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
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.

This is an exciting opportunity for a flexible and determined individual with the energy to make positive change happen.
We are seeking candidates with:
+ A Level 4-Regulatory Compliance Officer Apprenticeship qualification or an equivalent regulatory or compliance level qualification or have reasonable expectation of achieving that qualification within the next two months
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  + Experience in an investigatory role within regulation, enforcement, or compliance.
  + Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
  + Flexibility and adaptability to changing workloads and priorities.
  + The ability to contribute to and support the delivery of multi-faceted work plans.
  + Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
  + Ability to research, understand, and assess technical information, filtering and prioritising data for effective investigation.
  + A willingness to travel and possible overnight stays in various locations as determined by business need
  + A full valid driving licence (exceptions due to protected characteristics can be discussed with the recruitment manager and will be taken into consideration).,
• Please contact OPSS.Recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk should you wish to discuss the relevance and eligibility of your qualification. Candidates that have reasonable expectation of achieving their qualification within two months are eligible to apply., a Level 4 Regulatory Compliance Officer Apprenticeship qualification or equivalent regulatory or compliance level qualification or have reasonable expectation of achieving that qualification within the next two months.

Any Offer is subject to providing formal evidence of holding or expectation of attainment within the specified time frame

Do you care about the safety of products and want to protect people and places? Can your skills, knowledge, and experience enable UK business to thrive? If the answer is yes, then OPSS is the place for you to thrive!
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.
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
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.
We embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.
There is a guaranteed interview scheme (DCS) for people with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria., Alongside your salary of £32,858, Department for Business and Trade contributes £9,518 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Thrive in and out of the office: We prioritise your well-being and offer a robust benefits package to support your work-life balance. Here's what you can expect:
+ Flexible Working: Craft your workday with flexible working arrangements and flexi-time options (subject to role requirements).
+ Generous Leave: Enjoy a healthy leave allowance with 25 days of annual leave, increasing to 30 after 5 years. Plus, 8 public holidays and a privilege day for additional time off.
+ Family-Friendly Policies: Access competitive maternity, paternity, and parental leave.
+ Reward and Recognition: See your hard work acknowledged with our in-year reward and recognition scheme, celebrating achievements and contributions.
+ Learn & Grow: Invest in yourself with 5 paid days dedicated to your learning and development.
+ Give Back: Contribute to your community with 5 paid volunteer days.
+ Inclusive Community: Connect with colleagues from diverse backgrounds through our thriving staff networks, fostering a sense of belonging and support.
+ Healthy You: Stay active with our Cycle to Work scheme.
+ Wellbeing Support: Maintain your mental and emotional well-being through our confidential Employee Assistance Programme and Workplace Wellness services.
+ Exclusive Discounts: Enjoy savings on your everyday spending with our employee discount scheme, offering perks at high street shops, restaurants, and online retailers.
+ Secure Your Future: Build a secure future with a Civil Service Pension scheme boasting an average employer contribution of 27%.
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.
Please refer to the attached candidate pack for further information on our benefits.