Communications Consumer Panel and ACOD - Member vacancy

About the Role

The Communications Consumer Panel ensures the citizen and consumer voice is represented in communications policy development, highlighting the interests of those who may not always be heard by the industry. Our job is to ensure that the sector works for consumers, citizens and micro businesses - and in particular people who may be in a more vulnerable position in society.

The Panel is a statutory body, established under the Communications Act 2003. It is a group of eight experts, appointed by Ofcom with the approval of the Secretary of State, who have substantial knowledge and experience of consumer issues in the electronic communications sector and beyond. The Panel’s remit covers the UK and, by statute, it has members who represent the interests of consumers in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England.

The Panel’s main role is to challenge and advise Ofcom to ensure that the interests of consumers, including micro businesses, are central to regulatory decisions. We act as a “critical friend” to Ofcom, rather than a campaigning organisation. We proactively influence decisions by making early, robust, high quality interventions to ensure that consumer and citizen interests are at the heart of Ofcom’s thinking throughout. The Panel also provides advice to Governments and champions consumers’ interests with industry.

We are looking to appoint a new member to the Panel, subject to the approval of the Secretary of State, who will also act as a member of the Advisory Committee on Older and Disabled People (ACOD).  ACOD advises Ofcom about the interests and opinions of older and disabled people living in the UK.

Essential Skills / Experience

To join the Consumer Panel and ACOD you will need:

• A good understanding of issues affecting the communications sector – preferably with a particular focus on mobile;
• The ability to understand complex consumer, citizen, micro-business, regulatory, economic and wider business issues;
• A keen interest in and understanding of consumers’ experiences, with particular reference to older and disabled people;
• Strong communication skills to make an effective contribution to the discussions of a high level public body;
• Personal integrity of a high order; and
• No conflicts arising from any commercial or political interests.
• Appreciation of and desire to promote Ofcom's values of excellence, agility, empowerment and collaboration

Further Information

Ofcom is an equal opportunities employer. It wishes to reflect the diversity of contemporary UK Society and is therefore actively seeking to recruit members from all age groups and cultural and ethnic backgrounds as well as those with a disability. 

Potential conflicts of interest from a financial or business perspective must be declared and discussed at interview.

The time commitment is three days a month.

No member of the Panel may be directly employed by an Ofcom licensee or a company which Ofcom regulates, or those who earn the majority of their employment income from such a company. No Member of the Panel/ACOD may sit as a Member of either House of Parliament or as a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Welsh Assembly or the Scottish Government; sitting as Local Councillors is, however, acceptable. Working full time for any central Government Civil Service department is also not acceptable although working full time for local government is acceptable.

The role of Chair of the Panel will become vacant in Spring 2019. The successful applicant for the role of non-executive member, together with existing Panel members, will be eligible to apply for the role of Chair when the role becomes vacant.

To apply, please visit https://jobs-ofcom.icims.com/jobs/1753/communications-consumer-panel-and-acod-%e2%80%93-member/job and click the 'apply for this job online' icon. You will be required to submit a CV, covering letter and responses to four key competencies for the role which should be presented in an objective, consistent, focussed manner. 

The sifting process will be based on a consideration of the totality of the evidence provided. Failure to demonstrate how a candidate successfully meets each of the competencies will have a direct bearing on whether an individual will be shortlisted to interview stage. If you are unable to submit your application by email or need any further assistance, including information in other formats, please contact Adrian Ball on 020 7981 3862.

Anonymised, aggregated diversity information will be shared with DCMS in relation to all candidates. For those candidates who are interviewed, please note that evidence relating to your application will be shared with DCMS.

The deadline for applications is 23:59 on Sunday 12 August 2018. Interviews will take place in London on 21 August 2018. For further information please contact contact@communicationsconsumerpanel.org.uk