JOB SUMMARY

We are recruiting for a new enforcement policy lead in the Consumer Policy team in DBT to help develop and deliver reforms to strengthen the enforcement of consumer law.
Strengthening consumer law enforcement is a priority for our Minister. You will be responsible for developing a new strategy to strengthen the public enforcement of consumer rights and improve consumers’ ability to enforce their own rights. Your work will contribute to the government’s key mission of driving economic growth and will require the ability to balance complex trade-offs to achieve a policy solution that achieves the government’s aims.
You will work closely with legal and analytical colleagues as well as with other government departments, business groups, consumer enforcement bodies including trading standards and the CMA, and consumer advocacy bodies.
This post sits within DBT’s Consumer and Competition Policy (CCP) Directorate. We develop policies that promote competitive, effective markets that lead to positive outcomes for businesses and consumers and support UK economic growth.
We are committed to making CCP a great place to work, where everyone is valued for the skills and experience they bring and develop, and has the support and opportunity to reach their goals. We have a wide programme of activity that everyone is encouraged to contribute to, including groups on Diversity & Inclusion, Hybrid Working, Mental Health & Wellbeing, and a Socials committee.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Key responsibilities will include:

• Developing a strategy (including bids for resources through the spending review) to address gaps and weaknesses in the consumer law enforcement landscape, working closely with other government departments, local government and consumer organisations.
• Fostering a close and collaborative ongoing relationship with the Competition and Markets Authority to ensure the successful operation of their expanded consumer remit, following the commencement of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act.
• Leading a project to consider how to strengthen consumers’ ability to secure redress when something goes wrong, including whether a right to bring opt-out collective redress proceedings (class actions) should be extended to breaches of consumer law. This will include working with competition policy colleagues who are reviewing class actions in the competition space.

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)
• 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

Key responsibilities will include:

• Developing a strategy (including bids for resources through the spending review) to address gaps and weaknesses in the consumer law enforcement landscape, working closely with other government departments, local government and consumer organisations.
• Fostering a close and collaborative ongoing relationship with the Competition and Markets Authority to ensure the successful operation of their expanded consumer remit, following the commencement of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act.
• Leading a project to consider how to strengthen consumers’ ability to secure redress when something goes wrong, including whether a right to bring opt-out collective redress proceedings (class actions) should be extended to breaches of consumer law. This will include working with competition policy colleagues who are reviewing class actions in the competition space

This role would generally suit someone who;

• Has an interest in complex systems and how they work.
• Enjoys working independently to develop their own solution to a proble