Member – Advisory Committee England

Please note that this role will close at 00.01 on Thursday 16th January and therefore we advise getting your application in no later than midnight on Wednesday 15th January.

FTC position - 3 years

To apply and be considered for interview stage, your application must include a CV and covering letter. Your covering letter must give evidence of how you successfully meet the key competencies. Your letter should be no more than four sides of A4 in length. Applications for the role will close at 00.01 on 16 January 2025 and final interviews will be held on Wednesday 26 and Friday 28 February 2025.

Should you require any adjustments to be made, please do contact us directly at resourcing@Ofcom.org.uk.

We are planning to appoint two Non-Executive Members to Ofcom’s Advisory Committee for England with a starting date of 1 June 2025.

In addition, the role of Chair of the Advisory Committee for England will become vacant in June 2025. The Chair is appointed from within the Committee by Ofcom. The successful applicants for this role, together with existing Committee Members, will be eligible to apply for the role of Chair. The Chair is expected to have a track record of performing a top leadership role and the ability to achieve consensus through balanced discussion. This role carries an additional time commitment and additional remuneration.

About Ofcom

Ofcom is the regulator for the communications services that we use and rely on each day. We make sure people get the best from their broadband, home phone and mobile services, as well as keeping an eye on TV and radio.

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.

Purpose of the role

Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, postal services, telecommunications and wireless communications services. We have recently taken on regulation of online safety to make online services safer for the people who use them.

The Advisory Committee for England provides advice to Ofcom colleagues about the interests and opinions of people living in England and its diverse communities across our regulatory responsibilities. The Committee strives to ensure that Ofcom’s work is informed by the widest possible understanding of the experience of consumers and citizens in England, capturing the distinctive needs of people living across different parts of the country.

Committee Members are part-time and drawn from a range of backgrounds. We want to attract a wide variety of applicants to provide a good balance of skills and relevant sector experience, so we have a diversity of perspective and background on the Committee. In addition, we want the Committee’s membership to reflect the range of England’s regions and communities to give as wide a geographical and social view as possible.

Essential Skills/Experience

To apply to join the Committee you will need to show in your covering letter how you meet the competencies below. No previous experience of being a non-executive member is necessary.

Applicants are expected to demonstrate:

• Up to date knowledge and/or experience in one or more of the communication sectors Ofcom regulates.
• An understanding of Ofcom’s role and responsibilities in a complex political landscape.
• An awareness of England’s and their local region’s economy, society and culture.
• The ability to appreciate and articulate the diverse needs and views of citizens and consumers in England.
• Effective communication skills and the ability to work as part of a committee.

We would be particularly interested in hearing from candidates with a background in broadcasting and media, online safety and/or telecoms.

The Chairperson of the Advisory Committee for England will:

• provide leadership to the ACE and manage the business of the ACE through setting the ACE agenda (with the assistance of the Nation Director and Committee Secretary)
• manage Committee meetings to ensure that sufficient time is allowed for discussion of complex or contentious issues. This includes arranging, via the Nations Director, informal meetings of the Members beforehand to facilitate participation and discussion at meetings.
• lead the ACE’s function of providing advice to the Ofcom Board
• exercise independent judgement
• abide by Ofcom’s Code of Conduct for Advisory Committees

Further Information

The Committee meets up to 5 times per year, in London and other locations around England. Some of the Committee’s work may be carried out through sub-groups and additional informal meetings throughout the year. There are also other stakeholder meetings, conference calls, and preparation of consultation responses.

For the Chair role, the time commitment is up to 24 days a year, primarily chairing all meetings of the ACE in London or other regional offices and attending meetings with Ofcom’s executive team in London, as necessary. The Chair is paid an annual fee of £8400.

For general Committee Members, the time commitment is a total of 12 days per year and the annual fee is £3000.

Potential or actual conflicts of interest must be declared and discussed at interview. Advisory Committee Members are required to act in accordance with the Code of Conduct for National Advisory Committees, which applicants are encouraged to read. No Member of the Committee may be directly employed by organisations that Ofcom regulates or licenses or derive the majority of their employment income from such a company even if not so employed. Applicants must have personal integrity of a high order and ensure that their conduct accords with the Seven Principles of Public Life.

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 at resourcing@ofcom.org.uk or call 0330 912 1378.