Public Policy Manager

Closing Date: 22/04/2025

Group: Corporate Group

Management Level: Senior Associate

Job Type: Permanent

Job Description:

Please note that this role will close at 00:01 on Tuesday 22 April, and therefore we advise getting your application in by no later than midnight on Monday 21 April.

About Ofcom

As the UK’s communications regulator, we’re delivering vital work that helps keep the UK connected and shapes the future of how we’ll stay connected with each other. Our work covers everything from phones and broadband, through to TV, radio, the postal service, and wireless devices. We’re also taking on the challenge of making the online world a safer place. And we need people of all backgrounds, skill sets, and experiences to help us achieve our goal of making communications work for everyone.

Team overview

The Public Policy team sits at the centre of Ofcom. We act as the bridge between Ofcom – and its work as an independent body – and the wider public policy and political developments that affect the sectors we regulate. Our London-based team leads and coordinates Ofcom’s engagement with UK Government, ensures Ofcom is accountable to Parliament, and leads Ofcom’s work as part of the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (the ‘DRCF’) on a range of digital matters. We work with teams across Ofcom to ensure that the wider public policy context is properly considered.

Working closely with the Chair & Chief Executive’s Office, the team’s role is to support the Board, senior management and the wider organisation to ensure Ofcom acts as an effective regulator which fully understands and participates in public debates about making communications work for everyone. The work of the team is fast-paced, rewarding and collaborative – blending both internal and external stakeholder engagement.

We are a team which embraces flexible working. We welcome applications from job sharers, part-time workers and other flexible patterns.

Purpose of the Role

We are looking for an experienced policy or public affairs professional to join our team. You will help lead and shape our work under one of our key sector portfolios, working closely and collaboratively with colleagues across Ofcom to deliver on our objectives effectively. You will have experience of working in or closely with Government, have an understanding of shaping and communicating policy, and be accomplished at quickly building strong and collaborative relationships.

You will be working on our Networks and Communication and Spectrum portfolios which may include managing our work with Parliament and Government on all telecoms issues, including Gigabit roll out, mobile coverage, PSTN switch off and consumer issues encompassing social tariffs and in-contract prices rises. The team also oversees Ofcom's public policy work on all spectrum issues, including the space and satellite sector, spectrum auctions and sectoral spectrum needs. Additionally, we manage the relationship with DSIT on network security and resilience issues; assist colleagues working on Postal issues and lead the relationship with DBT; and lead on the sponsorship relationship between DSIT and Ofcom.

Requirements of the Role

• Engage directly and confidently with officials in Government, leading engagement with Government and Parliamentarians on work related to your portfolio.
• Take a leading role in Ofcom’s policy-making by providing expert advice on the external context for our work.
• Use excellent judgment and knowledge of the wider policy and political context to identify any risks to Ofcom’s work programme and to resolve or escalate these as appropriate.
• Help coordinate Ofcom’s wider external relationships, including seeking alignment with Government’s external engagement plans and set direction for parliamentary engagement related to your portfolio.
• Keep up to date on Ofcom’s work within your portfolio, including monitoring external developments closely and via internal decision-making processes.
• Provide accurate and plain English written materials and briefings – and manage correspondence with MPs ensuring that it is of a consistently high standard.
• Contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of the Public Policy team supporting cross-cutting projects and other work, where relevant and appropriate.
• Work with colleagues in Ofcom’s offices in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and with colleagues in our communications team, to ensure a joined-up approach, including development of joint handling plans for major projects and publications and engagement with parliamentarians across the Nations.

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Excellent political/governmental understanding and aptitude.
• Experience working in, or with, Government / Parliament preferable.
• Comfortable with ambiguity, confident taking the lead and driving work independently.
• Demonstrable ability to master a broad and complex policy brief.
• Forming Relationships: Proven ability to demonstrate good judgement to gain the respect and trust of senior colleagues and stakeholders; ability to manage upwards/sideways.
• Harmonising Work: The ability to be able to work effectively with others, creating an honest team environment and sharing valuable information and resources. You are able to deliver work with multiple contributors with an eye for detail and quality.
• Scanning Horizons: Experience of thinking creatively and proactively to identify risks and opportunities early.
• Articulating Ideas: Confident and adaptive communicator, both spoken and written, with strong presentation skills and proven ability to represent and persuade at senior levels inside and outside an organisation.
• Executing Plans: Takes an agile approach – willingness to respond to changing timescales and priorities with strong organisational skills; being able to demonstrate a track record of managing priorities across a complex workload.

Ofcom has a clear mission: to make communications work for everyone. To be able to deliver on this, we want our organisation to reflect the diversity of background, experience, upbringing and thought that exists across the UK. We aim to recruit from the widest pool of candidates possible – no matter your social background, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender or disability.

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, we champion flexible work arrangements to accommodate individual needs.

We also warmly welcome applicants who are returning to the workforce after a break – for whatever reason. If you have taken time away and are ready to rejoin, we look forward to reviewing your application.

Our recruitment processes prioritise accessibility and inclusivity. If you need information in an alternative format or have specific preferences, please contact our recruitment team at resourcing@ofcom.org.uk or call 0330 912 1378.

As a Disability Confident employer, we offer interviews to disabled applicants who meet essential criteria for advertised roles. Learn more about this scheme here.