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. To apply and be considered for the 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.

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.

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.

We make communications work for everyone. 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 to TV, radio, the postal service, and wireless devices. And we need people of all backgrounds, skill sets, and experiences to help us achieve our goal of making communications work for everyone. At Ofcom, we are determined to do all we can to promote diversity and equality inside our organisation and in the wider sectors we regulate. Diversity and equality are fundamental to achieving our purpose to make communications work for everyone. We need to make the best decisions for all UK consumers and citizens. To do this, it is essential that all levels of our organisation are diverse and foster an inclusive culture.