Regulatory Leaders Graduate Scheme

Do you care about the safety of products and want to protect people and places? Can we use your skills, knowledge and experience to enable UK business to thrive? If the answer is yes, then we would like to hear from you!
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.
Since early 2018 we have been building a positive and creative team that enjoys a position of influence and respect within an organisation that continues to grow, most recently with the addition of construction products regulation planned.
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.
We are Inclusive
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 recognise how important inclusivity is to achieve the best outcomes. We hope to attract applications from all underrepresented groups.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation if required to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.
Visit our Careers Site and blog links to learn more about what we do.
https://opss-careers.co.uk/
https://opss.blog.gov.uk/
Online Open Session
OPSS‘ Graduate Hub will host a free online session Regulatory Leaders Graduate Scheme- Unlocking Your Path to Success, providing an overview of the scheme and the assessment process. Please sign up to this MS Teams session on Wednesday 13th November 2024 15:00 - 16:00. Please register your interest here: Home Page - Department.Events, The Regulatory Leaders Graduate Scheme (RLGS) offers real world experience across a range of teams.
Over 30 months you will have 4 rotations within the impact areas of OPSS providing the opportunity for you to discover what roles really interest you and play to your strengths.
Alongside the practical experience you will participate in a learning and development programme designed to equip you with the skills and tools to be a future leader within OPSS.
At the end of the programme, you will have a permanent role within OPSS and the opportunity to further develop and progress your career.
Here, your personality and passion for effective regulation matters more to us than your employment or academic history. That’s why, even if you haven’t worked in regulation before, you could be the perfect fit for our exciting Regulatory Leaders Graduate Scheme, and you’ll be poised to embark on an exciting career pathway within OPSS and on your way to becoming one of the very best regulatory leader.
We’re looking for people who are passionate about making a difference, helping to tackle market failures, promoting positive action and enabling growth and productivity to join us on this exciting journey. RLGS will enable you to be who you want to be in a growing, inclusive, and rewarding organisation which make a difference to prevent product related harm., We want people who are keen to make a significant contribution to the government’s role in product safety regulation.
You’ll also show:
• Good judgement and ask questions to develop your understanding
• Resilience and the ability to adapt while working in a fast-paced and changing environment
• An ability to use data to put together evidence-based suggestions to questions or problems
• The ability to persuade and influence others, and work with others to find solutions that meet the priorities in OPSS
The RLGS will give you the opportunity to access a wide range of Learning and Development training, including bespoke training for the Regulatory Leaders Graduate Scheme and Civil Service Learning and Development., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Changing and Improving
+ Leadership
+ Communicating and Influencing, This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.
There will be a Civil Service Judgement test and full application to be completed before the vacancy closes.
To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:
+ A Civil Service Judgement test
+ A CV setting out your skills, knowledge and experience with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide any 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 explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential criteria.
In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement (750 words). Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment centre/interview.
It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and the assessment centre will take place in February and the interviews in March though this is subject to change.
At the assessment centre candidates will be scored and benchmarked. Only the candidates that meet the benchmark will be invited to the interview stage. Also candidates who are through to the interview stage will be invited to take a development tool assessment. The link to the assessment will be sent to candidate email addresses before the interviews take place.
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:
+ A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.
+ 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.
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
The Department cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign and successful candidates are required to meet eligibility requirements for the duration of the Graduate scheme and whilst employed by the department.
If candidates do not meet eligibility requirement offers will be withdrawn at either application stage or the point of offer, with any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.
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.

We would love to hear from you if you can show evidence of the below, we’ll exchange it for all the training and experience you need.
+ A strong interest in a career in OPSS and regulation
+ An ability to take a structured approach to developing policy
+ An ability to develop oral briefing, communication and forward-thinking skills
+ An interest in developing skills in programme and project management.
+ A strong desire to work collaboratively to make a difference and protect people and places from product related harm
Enthusiasm and commitment to learn and develop as an effective regulatory leader with OPSS., Degree classification 2:2 or above by September 2025 Applications are open to everyone who meets the nationality requirements and has or is expecting to have by September 2025 a 2:2 or higher in any degree subject, including degree apprenticeships. There are no specific degrees required.

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.
+ 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%
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.