Group Director, Enforcement

Ofcom; Greater London; On-site; GBP 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Ofcom seeks a Group Director, Enforcement to lead the Enforcement Group, guiding strategy across online safety, telecoms and postal sectors. You will report to the Chief Executive and sit on the Senior Management Team, ensuring coherence and timely decision-making in a complex regulatory landscape.

You will drive collaboration with policy teams, engage senior stakeholders, and provide leadership during transformation, maintaining focus under pressure while upholding Ofcom's regulatory objectives.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership of large enforcement teams and regulatory strategy.
• Experience managing cross-functional policy and enforcement activities.
• Strong stakeholder engagement with senior external partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead Ofcom's overall strategy and approach to enforcement, in close collaboration with other Group Directors.
• Inspire and motivate the Enforcement Group (around 110 colleagues) and ensure agility and effectiveness.
• Oversee work, delegate responsibly, manage risk across strategy and portfolio of cases.
• Build strong relationships with policy partners in online safety, infrastructure and connectivity.
• Maintain links between Enforcement Group and Ofcom's Legal Group and other groups.
• As SMT member, contribute to transformation programmes and organisational leadership.
• Act as an independent, authoritative voice on key strategic areas and external engagement.

Job description

Closing Date: 25/10/2026

Group: Legal Group

Management Level: Group Director

Job Type: Permanent

Purpose and scope of the role

This is a newly created role, reflecting the growing importance of Ofcom's enforcement work, especially as we implement the Online Safety Act. The Group Director, Enforcement will be a member of Ofcom's Senior Management Team and report directly to the Chief Executive. They will lead the Enforcement Group, a team of around 110 colleagues, which until now has been part of our wider Legal and Enforcement Group. The Group Director will ensure focus and coherence at a time of growing regulatory responsibilities and increasing complexity in Ofcom's work.

The Enforcement Group identifies and responds to non-compliance affecting consumers and competition in the online safety, telecommunications and postal sectors, as well as competition matters in broadcasting. It routinely monitors complaints, analyses evidence and takes swift action where we see harm, including opening formal investigations, issuing penalties and seeking redress where appropriate. Its work covers enforcement of both Ofcom's ex ante regulatory rules, and our ex post competition powers and powers under consumer protection legislation, which we hold concurrently with the Competition and Markets Authority. The group also leads Ofcom's dispute resolution processes in telecoms, postal services and broadcasting. It works closely on cross-cutting issues with the separate content standards enforcement team in Ofcom's Broadcasting & Media Group and the criminal licence enforcement function in our Spectrum Group.

The Enforcement Group works extremely closely with policy teams across Ofcom, especially those responsible for online safety, infrastructure and connectivity where the Group is exercising enforcement activity on their behalf. Especially close working is needed to ensure that Ofcom makes coherent choices about where to use enforcement tools, and where supervision or other mechanisms would achieve a better and/or faster outcome for consumers.

As Group Director, you will lead and ultimately be accountable for the work of teams investigating high profile, contentious cases. You will be comfortable making decisions, articulating the rationale behind them, and leading engagement with senior external stakeholders.

We are looking for a strong leader with experience in enforcement who can energise, motivate and provide direction for a highly capable and diverse group, leading with clarity and confidence through ambiguity and change, supporting transformation where required and providing stability during periods of sustained pressure or scrutiny.

A collaborative leadership style is essential, as Ofcom works to a highly matrixed structure across multiple locations. This is particularly important as member of the Senior Management Team, where the Group Director, Enforcement will need to forge strong and constructive relationships to ensure their group works closely in partnership with others.

Key responsibilities

• Lead Ofcom's overall strategy and approach to enforcement, in close collaboration with other Group Directors, and as part of Ofcom's wider corporate strategy.
• Lead the Enforcement Group (around 110 colleagues), inspiring and motivating the team, working in close collaboration across Ofcom, including with our Board and professional functions. Ensure the agility, pace and effectiveness of the Enforcement Group for the future, ensuring it attracts, retains and develops diverse talent with the broad range of experience and skills required.
• Oversee the work of the Enforcement Group, delegating responsibility and accountability effectively whilst managing risk across overall strategy, the workplan and portfolio of cases and projects, ensuring they are delivered to time, quality and cost.
• Build very strong working relationships between the Enforcement Group and its policy partners in online safety, infrastructure and connectivity, ensuring that the overall strategy is clear for each area. This includes how decisions are made about whether enforcement or other compliance tools are most appropriate in individual cases.
• Maintain existing strong links between the Enforcement Group and Ofcom's Legal Group led by our General Counsel, and Ofcom's other groups.
• As a member of Ofcom's Senior Management Team, play a full role in leading the whole organization alongside the CEO and other members of SMT, including our transformation programme.
• Act as an independent, authoritative voice internally and externally on all of Ofcom's key strategic areas / themes, challenging internally and acting as an ambassador externally. Be able to discern the key issues, explain, engage and communicate Ofcom