Associate Technologist – Online Safety

TN United Kingdom; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking an Associate Technologist to join their Online Safety Team in Cardiff. This role offers a unique opportunity to engage in critical work that shapes online safety regulations. You will be involved in advisory projects, collaborating with diverse teams to explore technological advancements in digital identity and age assurance. If you possess a strong technical aptitude and a passion for making a difference in online safety, this position is perfect for you. Join a mission-driven organization that values diversity and inclusivity, and help create a safer online environment for everyone.

Qualifications

• Understanding of age assurance and identity verification technologies.
• Ability to research and articulate technical concepts.

Responsibilities

• Support projects in Digital Identity and Age Assurance.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams on regulatory deliverables.

Skills

Digital Identity

Age Assurance

Identity and Access Management

Technical Research

Interpersonal Skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Technology or Related Field

Job description

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Associate Technologist – Online Safety, Cardiff

Client: Ofcom

Location: Cardiff, United Kingdom

Job Category: Other

EU work permit required: Yes

Job Reference: 9d83f3b5582a

Job Views: 7

Posted: 26.04.2025

Expiry Date: 10.06.2025

Job Description:

Closing Date: 20/09/2024

Group: Online Safety Group

Management Level: Associate

Job Type: Permanent

About Ofcom

As the UK’s communications regulator, we’re delivering vital work that helps keep the UK connected and shapes the future of how we’ll stay connected with each other.

Our work covers everything from phones and broadband, through to TV, radio, the postal service, and wireless devices. We’re also taking on the challenge of making the online world a safer place. And we need people of all backgrounds, skill sets, and experiences to help us achieve our goal of making communications work for everyone.

About the Online Safety Technology (OST) Team:

Almost every part of our lives is now online. As well as bringing many benefits, there are also real risks posed online by harmful or illegal activity – from hate speech to bullying and harassment to child sexual exploitation, and more. The UK Government has appointed Ofcom as the new regulator for online safety. There has never been a more meaningful time to join Ofcom on our mission to create a safer life online.

The Online Safety Technology team conducts research to build knowledge and understanding in subject areas fundamental to online safety. This includes, for example, AI and machine learning, digital identity, privacy enhancing technologies, decentralisation, user experience, gaming, network infrastructure, and digital forensics. The team provides technical expertise to policy, supervision and enforcement colleagues in the wider Online Safety Group, and others in Ofcom, during policy development processes and industry engagement activities.

About the Digital Identity and Age Assurance Team

Protection of Children is key to the Online Safety Act so the Digital Identity and Age Assurance team have the opportunity to engage with a wide range of teams across the Online Safety Group. Playing an advisory role across policy development, supervision and enforcement. As this is the first time regulation has been made in this space, the team has a unique opportunity to use technical knowledge and experience to impact the success of the Online Safety Act.

In addition, the team works with colleagues across the organisation and with external stakeholders to continually develop the skills and understanding required to ensure Ofcom keeps pace with the rapid rate of change and innovation in online and trust and safety technologies.

The purpose and scope of the role

The main function of this role will be to work in the Online Safety Technology, Digital Identity (DI), and Age Assurance (AA) Team. The team provides an advisory role supporting wider multi-disciplinary teams, comprising policy specialists, technologists, economists, lawyers, and others across Ofcom, working collaboratively on associated deliverables.

The role holder will have an opportunity to work alongside existing team members, carrying out desk research and more technical work to ensure that the OST Team has the most up-to-date technical knowledge of this fast-moving and exciting area. The team works alongside other OSG areas to support policy development.

This role is a great opportunity for someone with a strong technical aptitude and a background or interest in Digital Identity, Age Assurance, or Identity and Access Management, to work in this key area and build policy, advisory, regulatory, and communication skills as well as continuing to build technical knowledge.

Your Key Responsibilities

In this role, you will:

• Be focused on advisory and project work in Digital Identity and Age Assurance.
• Manage and support projects to explore in detail aspects of the systems, platforms, and standards relating to Digital Identity and Age Assurance which are of concern to Ofcom; to brief senior management and to build the knowledge and understanding for the Online Safety Technology team.
• Work with external stakeholders (such as government departments, industry bodies, regulated services, technology providers, and internal Ofcom colleagues) to ensure a ‘joined-up’ approach to the technological aspect of our online regulation regime.
• Identify and recommend practical work within Ofcom to explore technological capabilities relevant to the team’s work, and to develop new approaches and techniques to support our regulatory activity.
• Provide technical input and support for cross-departmental projects and initiatives relevant to Ofcom’s role regulating online safety.
• Develop relationships with relevant internal and external stakeholders.
• Promote and deliver specialist knowledge and training to colleagues and, more generally, to improve the capability of all colleagues in the organisation to understand online technologies.

Distressing Content Material

Applicants should be aware that an element of this role may involve assessing and investigating complaints about audio-visual content. This may include potentially distressing content and themes.

Ofcom is committed to safeguarding our colleagues who undertake this type of work. We endeavour to reduce exposure to distressing content, material, and themes wherever possible. Where this isn't possible, we control the risk by ensuring that colleagues who are exposed to DCM are appropriately protected and supported. We offer a range of tailored support options, psychological screening assessments, and access to specialist therapeutic support where required.

The skills, knowledge, and experience you’ll need for success

To be successful in this role, you will be able to demonstrate:

• Pre-existing understanding of the technology involved in age assurance and/or identity verification technologies, or wider Identity and Access Management (IAM) tools. Or a demonstrable ability to research and understand these technologies.
• An understanding of the systems and technologies employed by both large and small-scale online services; and an understanding of the harms that such platforms can present to consumers.
• An awareness of policy debates around online identity/age assurance and relevant technologies that will fall within Ofcom’s regulatory instruction.
• Articulating Ideas: The ability to demonstrate how technical concepts can result in tangible consequences for stakeholders, consumers, and policy areas.
• Harmonising work: The ability to work across organisational boundaries in multi-disciplinary project teams of policy professionals, technologists, data specialists, and lawyers to understand requirements and their mapping to technical specifications and delivering business outcomes.
• Forming relationships: Strong interpersonal skills and evidence of an ability to interact effectively with, and influence, a range of internal and external stakeholders.

Can pick up new concepts (which could be related to policy or technical issues) and proactively identify opportunities to influence policy work and develop ideas for how to approach new issues.

Have strong organisational skills, managing their own and others’ time.

Are motivated and able to take the initiative to drive their own work forward in ambiguous situations.

Are a great written and oral communicator, able to convey technical information in a clear and concise way to a range of audiences.

Applying for this role

If you are interested in the role, please submit your CV and a covering letter (up to 500 words) explaining your relevant skills, knowledge, and experience and why you want to join the Online Safety Group at Ofcom as an Associate Technologist.

Ofcom has a clear mission: to make communications work for everyone. To be able to deliver on this, we want our organisation to reflect the diversity of background, experience, upbringing, and thought that exists across the UK. We aim to recruit from the widest pool of candidates possible – no matter your social background, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or disability.

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, we champion flexible work arrangements to accommodate individual needs.

We also warmly welcome applicants who are returning to the workforce after a break – for whatever reason. If you have taken time away and are ready to rejoin, we look forward to reviewing your application.

Our recruitment processes prioritise accessibility and inclusivity. If you need information in an alternative format or have specific preferences, please contact our recruitment team at [emailprotected] or call 0330 912 1378.

As a Disability Confident employer, we offer interviews to disabled applicants who meet essential criteria for advertised roles. Learn more about this scheme here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/jobs/disability-confident-scheme