Aberystwyth, Cardiff, Llandudno Junction, Merthyr Tydfil, Swansea
Job Summary
About Us
We are an arm’s length body of the Welsh Government, responsible for the strategy, funding and oversight of:
- further education
- higher education including research and innovation;
- apprenticeships
- adult community learning; and local authority maintained school sixth forms.
We work in close collaboration with our partners to enable a tertiary education and research system which is centred around the needs of learners; society; and economy with excellence, equality and engagement at its heart.
Our values really matter to us, they help shape the culture of our organisation:
- Dysgu (to learn; to teach; to educate) - learning is at the heart of everything we do. We believe curiosity fuels innovation and helps expand our horizons.
- Cydweithio (to work together; to collaborate; to co-operate) - we can achieve far more together than we ever could alone.
- Cynnwys Pawb (to include everyone; to involve everyone) - we are passionate about inclusion, seeking to create the right conditions for everyone to achieve their full potential.
- Rhagori (to exceed; to excel) - we have high aspirations for tertiary education and research in Wales and always set high standards for ourselves to be the best we can be.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and accredited as a Living Wage employer.
Location
Our headquarters is in Cardiff. This is where most colleagues will meet to collaborate, both with each other and with stakeholders.
As we operate across Wales, we also have limited office and collaboration space in Welsh Government offices in Llandudno Junction, Aberystwyth, Swansea and Merthyr Tydfil.
Main Purpose of the Role
As the lead on Medr’s regulatory system, you will build relationships with leadership and key stakeholders to enable the delivery and operation of the new system for the tertiary education sector in Wales.
Leading a small team of regulatory specialists, you will use your skills and experience to manage entry to the regulated system by providers and to monitor ongoing compliance. You will provide assurance to Medr’s Board that any issues arising will be identified and managed through intervention at an appropriately early stage.
You will lead on registration and regulatory compliance matters for Medr, including the operation of the current regulatory processes until they are superseded by new arrangements.
As a strategic leader and a key member of our leadership team you will embrace and lead change; live our values and develop others to be their best selves.
Job Description
What You'll Be Doing
- Providing oversight and strategic leadership to your team to ensure they deliver; managing the team’s focus to enable effective delivery of their activities.
- Leading on the implementation and ongoing management of the new Register of higher education providers.
- Leading on the finalisation and implementation of the conditions of registration, for registered higher education providers, and the conditions of funding for other non-registered tertiary education and training providers, working with colleagues from across Medr to develop and operationalise requirements .
- Leading the implementation and ongoing use of Medr’s intervention powers, including supporting processes, to address issues of non-compliance by registered and funded providers.
- Contributing to Medr’s wider processes, including providing input on provider risk and compliance.
Key Challenges
- Developing and implementing the new regulatory framework for the tertiary education sector, drawing on expertise from across Medr, whilst ensuring ongoing compliance with current regulatory requirements until they are superseded.
- Establishing and implementing appropriate reporting mechanisms in respect of compliance with Conditions of Registration and Funding that manage the risks posed to providers and learners and alert Medr’s leadership and Government to areas where intervention is required.
- Implementation of interventions as required to address issues of non-compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Developing and supporting the team to reach their potential.
- Securing credibility and trust with a range of partners including our senior leadership team, key stakeholders and contacts within the tertiary education sector.
About Your Team
You will lead a small team in the Regulation Directorate. The Directorate is responsible for the regulatory oversight of all tertiary education providers in Wales. Your team is responsible for the development and operation of the new regulatory system, including entry by providers to the system, the management of the register of higher education providers. You will also lead on Medr’s intervention functions, working with colleagues from across Medr to address non-compliance with registration and funding conditions.
About Your Line Manager
Ewen Brierley is the Director of Regulation of Medr.
Ewen leads on the development and operation of Medr’s regulatory system. Before joining Medr, Ewen worked as Director of Regulation and Analysis for the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) and, prior to that, as HEFCW’s Head of Sustainability and Assurance.
About Your Line Manager
Ewen Brierley is the Director of Regulation of Medr.
Ewen leads on the development and operation of Medr’s regulatory system. Before joining Medr, Ewen worked as Director of Regulation and Analysis for the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) and, prior to that, as HEFCW’s Head of Sustainability and Assurance.
Person specification
What You'll Bring
Attributes
- Role model our values - You embody the organisation's values, setting the standard for ethical behaviour and integrity across the organisation.
- Motivating - You inspire and empower others to achieve their full potential. Cultivating a culture of collaboration and excellence through effective communication, recognition of achievements, and providing opportunities for development.
- Drive - You drive strategic direction for the organisation and rally teams behind ambitious goals.
- Act with integrity - You role-model ethical behaviours, setting the tone for integrity throughout the organisation.
- Agile - You challenge the status quo and champion change initiatives, creating a culture where innovation and adaptation are valued and encouraged.
Experience
- Experience in a regulatory role in public sector or tertiary education.
- Experience of preparing and presenting regulatory information and reports to senior colleagues, committees/boards and key stakeholders.
Welsh Language
We have evaluated that the Welsh language requirements for this post are:
Desirable
Welsh desirable means that while having Welsh language skills is useful for the role, it is not an assessment criterion, so it won’t disadvantage you during recruitment if you don’t currently possess these skills.
- Reading
- Spoken
- Understanding
- Written
Alongside your salary of £58,918, Medr contributes £17,068 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Your Perks And Benefits
We recognise the importance of looking after ourselves in work and in life, so in recognition of this we provide:
- 33 days annual leave a year (pro rata)
- An environment that embraces work life balance.
- A culture that celebrates diversity and welcomes everyone.
- Dedicated well-being time to all our people each week.
- A Cycle to Work Scheme to make owning a bicycle more affordable.
Additional Support When You Need It
We know that sometimes you may face challenges or life events that mean you need additional support.
- We provide a comprehensive employee assistance programme with remote access to resources and in person support whenever required.
- We have a special leave policy ensuring everyone in the organisation receives the support they need during difficult times.
More than just a workplace
- You will be entitled to take 5 days paid leave per year to undertake voluntary work to support the communities we serve.
- We will encourage you to grow your networks across Wales, the UK and internationally.
- We have an active social committee who offer a range of activities for our people to come together outside the work setting. You can participate as much or as little as you want.
Personal and professional development
- Once you’re offered a post, we will get to know you and work with you to develop a personalised onboarding plan which considers your experience, skills, learning style and knowledge.
- We’ll help you shape your development plans with personalised career conversations and objectives, taking account of delivery goals alongside your career aspirations and helping you own your career.
- We support all our staff to learn or improve their Welsh language skills.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
We are really interested in you as an individual and what you will bring to our organisation.
Our assessment process is designed to help us get to know you better enabling us to appoint someone who will thrive in the role and who shares our organisational values.
If you are interested in working with us, please send us your application and personal statement through Civil Service Jobs.
Experience
The following attributes/experience will be assessed at sift stage:
- Experience in a regulatory role in public sector or tertiary education.
- Experience of preparing and presenting regulatory information and reports to senior colleagues, committees/boards and key stakeholders.
Attributes
- Act with integrity - You role-model ethical behaviours, setting the tone for integrity throughout the organisation.
- Motivating - You inspire and empower others to achieve their full potential. Cultivating a culture of collaboration and excellence through effective communication, recognition of achievements, and providing opportunities for development.
To be fair to everyone who applies, we won’t accept:
- Late applications
- Applications with missing or incomplete information
- Personal statements over 1,250 words
The deadline for application submission is
Monday 12 January.
Applications are welcome in Welsh and will not be treated less favourably than those submitted in English.
All applications will be notified of their outcomes via Civil Service Jobs at sift and interview stage.
Candidates who successfully navigate the sift stage will be required to complete an online exercise to enable us to determine their behavioural and personality preferences. Immediately on completion you will be given a report which highlights your strengths plus some development tips to help you prepare for interview. Candidates should note that the online exercise is not intended to eliminate anyone from consideration. Instead, it serves as a tool to aid in the decision-making process.
Following this, you will be required to participate in an interview and a presentation, both of which will be conducted on
Monday 2 February.
In addition to the attributes assessed at sift stage, the remaining attributes will also be assessed at interview:
- Role model our values - You embody the organisation's values, setting the standard for ethical behaviour and integrity across the organisation.
- Drive - You drive strategic direction for the organisation and rally teams behind ambitious goals.
- Agile - You challenge the status quo and champion change initiatives, creating a culture where innovation and adaptation are valued and encouraged.
We strive for a diverse and inclusive workplace and we want to help you demonstrate your full potential whatever type of assessment is used. We are happy to discuss any person-centred adjustments required to the recruitment process. Please contact swyddi@medr.cymru
We're looking forward to meeting everyone invited to interview at our headquarters in 2, Capital Quarter, Cardiff. We don’t usually pay travel expenses, but if this presents a real barrier to your attendance in person or if you require a reasonable adjustment, please let us know
in advance by emailing swyddi@medr.cymru so we can discuss and agree arrangements prior to your interview.
Following interview we are committed to offering constructive and actionable feedback to support you on your future career journey.
Next Steps
Interested…? Want to find out more?
We know how important it is for you to find out more about us so we will be holding a
virtual information session for candidates on
Thursday 18 December at
9:00 on Microsoft Teams. This session will not be recorded.
This will be an opportunity for you to hear more about our organisation; the role and how we invest in our people.
If you would like to attend, register by emailing swyddi@medr.cymru.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact :
- Name : People and Culture Team
- Email : swyddi@medr.cymru
Recruitment team
- Email : swyddi@medr.cymru
