Principal Technology Advisor

Please note this role will close at 00.01 on the 29th January so we advise making your application by midnight on the 28th January.

About Ofcom

Ofcom is the regulator for the communications services that we use and rely on each day. We make sure people get the best from their broadband, home phone and mobile services, as well as keeping an eye on TV and radio.

Our culture is clear – we live by our values: Empowerment; Excellence; Collaboration; Agility and Respect. These define how we work to deliver our purpose, now and in the future. The behaviours which support these values set the path for a fully inclusive and innovative culture at Ofcom.

We focus not only on what we do, but how we do it. We pride ourselves on being an organisation of people who genuinely care about helping others.

Purpose and Scope of the Role

The N&C Technology Team (a key part of N&C Group) is where technologists and engineers experienced in telecoms, networking, broadcast, media and related areas can make a real impact on the lives of consumers in the UK.

Our responsibilities in N&C Technology include: 1. undertaking our duties related to monitoring and enforcing industry compliance to the Telecoms Security Act; 2. undertaking our duties related to monitoring and enforcing industry compliance to the UK Network Information Systems Regulations; and 3. developing Ofcom’s approach to understanding emerging and disruptive technologies across all the sectors we regulate - including mobile, fixed, satellite, broadcast, media and gaming. We monitor emerging technologies and analyse their potential impact on our sectors, engage with technologies in pilots and trials, and provide technical input to ensure Ofcom policies and strategies are robust against technological change.

Working closely with other members of the N&C technology team, you will be responsible for supporting and providing strategic technical insights and guidance on internet infrastructure domains so that Ofcom’s policy positions and approach to the security and resilience oversight of such infrastructure is effective and appropriate to end user needs and expectations, ensuring that they can benefit from new technological innovation in communications networks and services delivering a wide range of consumer and business services.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Work with other colleagues, provide strategic technical insights and guidance on internet infrastructure domains, in relation to security and resilience issues.
• Deliver technical outputs to a consistently high level and ability to demonstrate the impact this work has had on the organisation’s activities, consumers or wider society;
• Monitor development of technical standards.
• Maintain an ongoing awareness and understanding of current and emerging telecoms technologies, including via: collaborating with technologists in N&C Tech and Ofcom more widely, standards interaction and monitoring, ongoing training, industry liaison and identifying, commissioning and managing specific external technical research projects.
• Work with other members of the team in responding to and assessing telecoms and digital infrastructure company responses to security and resilience incidents that occur in their infrastructure which are reported to Ofcom.
• Understand fraud and scams from a technical perspective and ensure Ofcom can adapt to changing circumstance in this area
• Work with colleagues in Ofcom enforcement teams to provide technical support in relation to any enforcement activity.
• Work with industry stakeholders, Government and other relevant agencies to ensure policy goals are aligned and effectively coordinated.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience

• A comprehensive understanding and direct experience of the network systems and technologies that enable the functioning of the internet, including how the technical architecture and operation of networks affects their delivery.
• Experience and understanding of developing network deployment plans including architectural choices and how to address resilience.
• A sound understanding of non technical factors affecting security and resilience e.g. power, physical security, environmental factors.
• Extensive experience of undertaking forward-looking reviews and assessments of future technologies
• Experience across all network resilience management domains in a telecommunications or related context (business continuity and emergency management, strategy; governance and risk management; response, recovery and resumption of services; situational awareness; testing).
• Articulating Ideas : Communicating technical concepts, both written and orally, across organisational and technical boundaries, including to senior management and non-technical audiences.
• Forming Relationships: Strong interpersonal skills and evidence of ability to interact effectively with, and influence, a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Executing Plans: Experience of project management including developing and delivering against plans, managing risks and issues along the way.

Qualifications

• Preferably educated to degree level (or equivalent) or significant experience in lieu..
• Relevant professional qualifications.
• The successful candidate will be required to obtain security clearance to “DV” level following appointment.

Although not required to be considered for the role, it is helpful if you have any of the below:

• Experience with evaluating technical issues and identifying reasonable and appropriate control measures.
• Understanding of the internet suite of protocols, networking, routing including BGP/RPKI and DNS.
• Knowledge of the regulatory environment. Experience working with the security and resilience structures e.g. NPSA, NCSC, National Infrastructure Commission, EC-RRG.
• Significant experience working in communications provider, vendor, or related technology-based consultancy environments.

At Ofcom we prioritise inclusive and diverse recruitment in order to truly reflect the society we represent.

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 of employment. We warmly welcome applications from candidate returning to work after a break – for whatever reason.

As a disability confident employer, we offer interviews to any disabled applicant who meet essential criteria for advertised roles. Learn more about the scheme here.

If you need information in an alternative format or have specific preferences, please contact our recruitment team.