Head of Stakeholder Engagement

Head of Stakeholder Engagement

Office for Students

Bristol or London

£63,386 - £69,444 Plus generous Civil Service defined benefit pension and London weighting if applicable

REF: R

The Office for Students is the independent regulator of higher education in England. We aim to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers. We're looking for skilled, committed people who care about students and their experience of higher education.

We're proud of our people, our culture and the benefits we offer. We care about supporting and developing our staff, working together to achieve more than each of us can do alone, and we want to create a welcoming and engaging working environment which is free from discrimination.

Join us and you'll be part of an energetic, forward-looking organisation with high ambitions and big opportunities for our people.

About the job

The OfS is at a pivotal time in its evolution as a regulator, and good communications and engagement is critical to its success. The Head of Stakeholder Engagement will be responsible for driving a range of stakeholder engagement work, and ensuring the OfS has the right relationships in place to help it achieve its strategic goals in the interests of students.

About you

You will be responsible for driving forward the OfS's stakeholder engagement strategy and managing key stakeholder relationships, notably key sector groups, parliamentarians and policymakers.

You will maintain and further develop our relationships with sector groups and representatives, lead our parliamentary and political engagement and increase visibility of OfS work and expertise across higher education, parliament and government.

You will have political acumen, excellent networking and influencing skills, and the ability to exercise good judgement under pressure.

Working for us

The OfS regulates the higher education sector on behalf of all students. We value diversity and the wealth of perspectives, experience and ideas that it brings to our work, and we strive to embed equality of opportunity in everything we do.

We recruit based on fair and open competition and welcome applications from candidates regardless of age, disability, race and ethnicity, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and socio-economic background.

Flexibility is important to the OfS, as we recognise that it can enable people to work more effectively. A set of organisation-wide principles shape our approach to flexible and hybrid working, which our teams then use as guidance on how they deliver their business goals. This would usually mean working from the office for two days in a typical week.

To attract the widest possible field of qualified applicants, flexible working, for example job share and part time working, apply to this role.

In addition, our Total Reward Framework offers a range of benefits to suit your way of life. These include comprehensive learning and development, annual leave starting at 25 days' per year (plus public holidays), access to the highly regarded Civil Service pension scheme and a variety of health benefits.

Closing date for applications: Sunday 27 October 2025 at 23:55.

To apply, please visit our website via the button below.