About the job

Job summary

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 pillar areas of the Office for Product Safety and Standards (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 the OPSS.  

At the end of the programme, you will have a permanent role within the 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 the OPSS and on your way to becoming one of the very best regulatory leaders. 

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. The RLGS will enable you to be who you want to be in a growing, inclusive, and rewarding organisation that makes a difference and prevents product-related harm. 

About OPSS

View our YouTube video to see more about our work and who we are

Visit our Careers Site and blog links to learn more about what we do.

https://opss-careers.co.uk/

https://opss.blog.gov.uk/

Job description

Our Graduate Scheme 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 courses.  

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

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

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 If this sounds like you, apply for the programme now. 

• 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. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £31,443, Department for Business and Trade contributes £8,489 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted in person at the Assessment Centre Stage.

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. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.   

After the closing date 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. 

If you are successful at sift, you will be invited to an in-person assessment centre. This final stage will include the interview.

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.

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 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.