Search Engine Policy Lead - London, United Kingdom - Ofcom

Ofcom

Verified Company

London, United Kingdom

3 weeks ago

Posted by:

Tom O´Connor

beBee Recruiter

Description

Closing Date:
06/03/2024

Group:
Online Safety Group

Management Level:
Principal

Job Type:

Permanent

Job Description:

Team Overview

Almost all of us use online services every day of our lives, enjoying the wide array of benefits that the internet has to offer from the free flow of news and information, opportunities for selfexpression and global community, to commercial opportunities for businesses. However, online services also have the power to lead to significant harm to users from hate speech to bullying and harassment to child sexual abuse and almost all of us have also experienced harmful content or behaviour online.
The Online Safety Act was passed in October, bringing Ofcom new powers to protect UK citizens from harm online. We have also recently published our first of four major consultations on how to protect users from illegal content. There has never been a more meaningful and exciting time to join Ofcom and help deliver one of the most rewarding programmes in the history of our organisation.
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.
This role sits in the Policy Development team within the Online Safety Group.

Purpose of the Role

This role sits in the Policy Development team in our Online Safety Group. A key focus of the team's work will be developing policy on the steps search services need to take in order to fulfil their new duties under the Online Safety Act. The successful applicant will lead our work developing policy in relation to search services and provide colleagues with expert advice and guidance on how search services operate and the online safety risks associated with them.
You will need to intelligently harness individual strengths and support the coordination of a diverse set of colleagues from within the Policy Development team and other cross functional areas, facilitating cross team working, encouraging practical delivery schedules, unblocking issues, and reporting an honest assessment of progress.
Please note that this role may involve some research or policy development into areas such as preventing hate and terrorism, online child sexual abuse, material promoting suicide or selfharm, or other potentially sensitive and/or distressing topics._

Key responsibilities Developing and delivering policy related to search engine platforms, including those relating to illegal harms, protection of children, transparency and fraudulent advertising- Solving complex policy problems by gathering information, completing analysis, and distilling findings to identify options for improving online safety.- Working with a multi-disciplinary team, lead the day-to-day management, delivery, and development of our policy on search engine services, working closely with the Principal or Director leading the work and other policy experts.- Contribute to drafting and review of chapters of Ofcom's upcoming policy documents on online safety which relate to search, ensuring that our proposals are sound and evidence based.- Lead and build out the team of Search policy experts and contribute to the policy development management team.

Skills, Knowledge and experience- Experience of working with or for search engine platforms' search-related trust and safety or integrity functions, including in content policy, operations and process, investigations, and/or incident management, product function, and/or engineering. Strong understanding of how search engines work to keep their users safe from harmful content. Basic understanding of generative AI models, the safety issues they present, and ways of mitigating them. Policy development skills - A proven background in managing successful policy projects. Excellent written communication skills - demonstrable ability to communicate complex concepts in simple and accessible terms for the regulatory documents you will be leading. Strong project management experience to ensure smooth delivery of the regulatory products. Analytical skills - has skills in analysing large amounts of feedback and data and drawing sensible conclusions based on them. Able to manage and handle competing demands within a varied and changing workload, using own initiative to plan, organise, prioritise, and recognise when to escalate risks. Able to work independently, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability and supporting a culture of collaboration and trust. Have strong interpersonal and communication skills, and the ability to build and maintain relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders and colleagues. Appreciation of and desire to promote Ofcom's values of excellence, agility, empowerment, collaboration, and respect. Experience building and managing teams.
How to Apply

We champion flexible working patterns including job shares where we can. Discover more about working at Ofcom at

or by telepho