Financial Sustainability Advisory Panel expert member

The Office for Students (OfS) regulates higher education in England, protecting the interests of over 2.5 million students across a diverse and rapidly evolving sector. As part of our strategy for 2025 to 2030, we are continuing to maintain a strong focus on the financial sustainability of the sector to ensure students continue to benefit from high quality, resilient provision.

We are establishing a new Financial Sustainability Advisory Panel (FSAP) to provide expert insight and assurance on our approach to the financial viability and sustainability of higher education providers. The panel will be a committee of the OfS board. We are seeking up to three new independent members to join this important new group for an initial period of two years.

The purpose of the Financial Sustainability Advisory Panel (FSAP) is to provide expert advice and assurance to OfS in relation to our regulation of the financial viability and sustainability of higher education providers in England.

The panel will:

• Review and provide views on information and sector level data (and where appropriate individual provider level data) relating to the financial health of higher education providers.
• Provide input on approaches to the categorisation of risk and setting of standards for financial performance, with the aim of drawing on experience across regulated sectors.
• Provide assurance on the robustness of the OfS’s approach to provider risk.
• Advise on policy options for increasing resilience of higher education providers.
• Contribute to the further development of frameworks and principles for managing provider market exit.

The panel will meet at least twice a year and may also be convened at other times to address issues. Items would relate to technical questions in relation to the monitoring, assessment and mitigation of risk. The panel is advisory and therefore will not determine regulatory policy on any matters or take regulatory decisions in relation to providers.

We offer an attendance fee of £300 per meeting, in addition to reimbursing travel and subsistence expenses.

Senior strategic and financial leadership You will have experience or skill sets which will include at least one of:

• Advising at a senior level on insolvency and/or turnaround.
• Leading large, complex organisations through transformation.
• Leading finance functions in large, complex organisations in a regulated sector.
• Serving in a senior leadership position within a financial institution, driving robust risk assessment and monitoring processes.

To minimise the potential for conflicts of interest, you will not be employed by UK higher education providers or representative bodies, nor will you have significant current engagement with UK higher education providers or representatives.

You will have the ability to absorb and interpret both quantitative and qualitative data at an aggregated level, and to form rigorous, evidence-based judgements about financial risk and sustainability.

You will:

• Have experience working effectively in senior multi-disciplinary groups, boards, or non-executive roles.
• Be able to contribute constructively to discussion, providing clear and insightful advice.

You will:

• Demonstrate a strong commitment to ethical standards, confidentiality, and the public interest. You will be expected to uphold the integrity of the committee’s work and maintain discretion in all aspects of its business.
• Be able to perform the role impartially, dispassionately and without bias.

Also desirable is an understanding of one or more of:

• The current and future issues and risks facing higher education in England.
• The role of the OfS and the policy and regulatory context in which it operates.
• Economic expertise (e.g. market analysis, cost-benefit evaluation, public value assessment).

Please provide a copy of your CV. Please also respond to the application question, which asks you to address how you will meet the requirements for senior strategic and financial leadership expertise outlined above, and the value this will bring to the panel, in the light of challenges facing the English higher education sector (maximum 1,000 words). You can upload your answer where you are invited to upload your CV/Resume. Other essential and desirable criteria will be tested at interview.

The closing date for applications is Monday 23 February 2026 at noon.

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. Our strategy for 2025-2030 sets out our four attitudes that shape how we regulate: ambitious, collaborative, vigilant and vocal.

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 or sexual orientation.