Public Affairs Committee Expert Member

The OfS is the independent regulator of higher education in England.

Our strategy for 2025-30 seeks to ensure that students from all backgrounds benefit from high quality higher education, delivered by a diverse, sustainable sector that continues to improve.

Public Affairs Committee

We launched a new Public Affairs Committee in May 2026 to provide expert advice and assurance to the OfS in relation to the wider higher education public policy environment in which our regulation operates. The committee is currently in an initial phase, with appointments made for seven months. We are now recruiting for up to six members of the committee to be appointed for three years from December 2026.

The committee offers the opportunity for individuals with significant public affairs expertise to:

• inform implementation of our strategy and priorities;
• advise on effective engagement with stakeholders.

The committee will consist of expert members, OfS board members, and the chair of the OfS board. It will be attended by senior OfS staff.

The role

We expect the committee to meet five times each year. At least three of those meetings will take place in person in London with the others held online. Meetings will usually be scheduled for two hours and will be held within normal working hours.

Travel and subsistence expenses, if incurred, will be reimbursed for meetings. An attendance fee of £300 for each meeting will also be paid.

About you

Expert members of the OfS Public Affairs Committee will, collectively, have a broad range of experience including, but not limited to:

• An understanding of how regulators navigate political and wider external operating environments;
• An understanding of public sentiment towards higher education, public policy and regulation;
• Outstanding political awareness and strategic thinking with demonstrable experience of delivering sound judgements and strategic advice on public affairs, communications or stakeholder engagement;
• An exceptional track record in developing and delivering high-quality and impactful public affairs, communications and / or stakeholder engagement strategies;
• Firm grip and understanding of the current direction of public policy across education and wider government strategy;
• An excellent grasp of the current challenges, opportunities and threats facing the higher education sector, and an understanding of how regulatory intervention can protect the interests of students.

We are recruiting up to six expert members to the committee for an initial term of three years.

Members will have the expertise and experience to provide insight and contextual analysis to the board and executive of the current political, sector and operating landscape. They should be able to both stimulate and critically challenge the OfS’s approach to stakeholder engagement and communications.

Expert members will, collectively, have a broad range of experience.

Working for us

The OfS regulates the higher education sector on behalf of all students. We value diversity because of 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, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.