Policy Advisor

Please note that this role will close at 00:01 on Tuesday 7th May and therefore we advise getting your application in no later than midnight on Monday 6th May.

How to Apply

Please supply a cover letter of no more than a page along with your application outlining your experience and suitability for the role. Please note, you are able to upload multiple documents at the point where you are asked for your CV.

About Ofcom

Ofcom is the UK’s communications regulator, overseeing sectors including telecommunications, post, broadcast TV and radio, and online services.

Our culture is clear - we live by our values: Empowerment; Excellence; Collaboration; Agility and Respect. These define how we work to deliver our purpose, now and in the future. The behaviours which support these values set the path for a fully inclusive and innovative culture at Ofcom.

We focus not only on what we do, but how we do it. We pride ourselves on being an organisation of people who genuinely care about helping others.

About the team

We are recruiting for a number of Policy Advisors to join our Online Safety Policy Development team, which works at the centre of the Online Safety Group. The Policy Development team lead the development of Ofcom’s online safety policies which establish steps services should take to make users safer online. They are experts in online harms, mitigations and policy delivery.  

The Online Safety Act was passed in October 2023, bringing Ofcom new powers to protect UK citizens from harm online. Online services are used by almost all UK citizens every day, allowing us to enjoy a wide array of benefits – from the free flow of news and information, opportunities for self-expression and global community, to commercial opportunities for businesses. However, online services also have the power to lead to significant harm to users - from hate speech to bullying and harassment to child sexual abuse.

There has never been a more meaningful and exciting time to join Ofcom and help deliver such a rewarding programme to regulate online safety.

Purpose of the role

Our Policy Advisors support the development and delivery of our programme of policy work and are central to the success of the regime and delivering improved outcomes for users online. The role involves project co-ordination, evidence gathering and analysis, policy development, and supporting engagement with our stakeholders.

Policy Advisor roles are varied and will evolve over time in line with team priorities, allowing you to gain a broad range of opportunities and expertise to further your career at Ofcom. Work areas within the team will be allocated taking into account individual strengths, experience, and preferences.

Key responsibilities

You will develop and foster your online safety expertise across Ofcom’s online safety programme and keep across online trends and technological developments, whilst supporting policy leads in the Policy Development team to:

• develop and deliver one or more areas of online safety policy;
• solve complex policy problems by gathering information, completing analysis, and distilling findings to identify options for improving online safety;
• ensure we deliver against our priorities;
• ensure the delivery of clear, concise and focused documents, such as consultation documents, briefings and research reports, for internal use or external publication;
• engage with relevant external online stakeholders;

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Keen interest and/or practical knowledge of emerging online safety regulation in the UK and beyond – and Ofcom’s mission to create a safer life online for people in the UK;
• Experience of working within a project environment with multiple internal and external stakeholders, including assisting with the planning and project management of projects or policy areas;
• Analytical skills, including conducting research and analysis into complex issues to solve problems and find solutions;
• Interpersonal and communication skills, including experience in presenting ideas to different audiences;
• Drafting skills, with a focus on producing clear, concise documents for internal use or external publication;
• Relationship management skills, including ability to build and manage constructive relationships with colleagues;
• Ability to prioritise your own work in line with the broader priorities of the team;
• Agility to adapt to emerging priorities and shift focus as needed in a dynamic team.

At Ofcom we prioritise inclusive and diverse recruitment in order to truly reflect the society we represent.

Where positions are listed as full time, we remain open to reduced hours, part-time arrangements, job shares and other flexible working options from day one of employment.  We warmly welcome applications from candidate returning to work after a break – for whatever reason.

As a disability confident employer, we offer interviews to any disabled applicant who meet essential criteria for advertised roles.  Learn more about the scheme here.

If you need information in an alternative format or have specific preferences, please contact our recruitment team.