Senior Officer, Freedom of Officer

Job Description

Senior Officer, Freedom of Officer Location : Coventry, UKSalary : £31,000 - £36,540Our Client is an independent qualifications regulator for England. They currently regulate 161 awarding organisations, and approx. 11,600 certified qualifications. These include GCSEs, AS and A levels, and a broad range of vocational and technical qualifications.Regulating on behalf of students of all ages and apprentices is central to how we fulfil their statutory objectives.The Freedom of Information team is a small central team who lead on providing effective responses to Freedom of Information requests and liaises with the ICO, ensuring statutory deadlines are met. The team drafts responses, gives advice and training andliaises with the executive team.They are looking for a Freedom of Information officer with experience of case handling in a busy environment where you will be able to work flexibly and meet priorities.You will have knowledge and experience of freedom of information legislation and will be keen to learn and develop. They are committed to providing training for all their staff, and would be willing to explore opportunities for you to gain the PractitionerCertificate in Freedom of Information.The post holder will be able to draft complex responses to requests they receive, understand the sensitivities of the information and data they hold and work across their company to produce accurate responses. This role is an integral part of the team, benefittingfrom support from senior and experienced colleagues and an excellent team ethos.To be successful in this role: You must be flexible and proactive Be approachable, adaptable and have excellent analytical skills Possess excellent written and oral communication skills to help achieve outcomes Your time management skills will enable you to prioritise your own workload, which at certain times will be pressured Comfortable with working with others to achieve the goals of the team along with working at pace on issues that are subject to significant public scrutiny.You will be an important member of a small central team handling requests for information and you will work as a valued business partner with colleagues across them in order to identify information they hold and deliver effective handling of the requeststhey receive. They will ensure youll have the opportunity to learn and develop your knowledge and application of information rights legislation, take responsibility for your own work load and make an important contribution to the work of the team.Overall, you will contribute to providing an excellent service to those who wish to exercise their information rights as their view this as an important way to show their commitment to transparency and accountability. In addition, there is the opportunityto work with an expert team of in-house lawyers who are responsible for a number of diverse areas, including enforcement, regulatory policy, information rights and data management.Duties and responsibilities to include, but is not limited to Support the FOI team by taking responsibility for the management and successful delivery of a caseload of FOI requests within the required deadline and in line with the FOI legislation and guidance Provide support and up to date advice to their colleagues on how FOI requests are handled, including advice on collating and assessing information requested under the FOI Act to see if it can be released in accordance with the legislation; taking legal adviceas necessary Handle novel, unique and complex requests where there is no set formula to rely on. Take ownership of high risk or high profile requests agreeing a strategy with the Senior Manager Liaise effectively within the team and, proactively, with the rest of the organisation to ensure that the service provided is consistent, identifies and addresses the needs of the customer, and minimises risk Proactively keep updated on developments to FOI case law and ICO decisions and guidance in order to provide advice to their colleages on responding to FOI requests and maintaining knowledge and expertise in the most appropriate forumThey are committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion throughout the organisation. They are proud of the action they are taking to support EDI and Wellbeing and welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds to support their ethosof creating a diverse culture that is reflective of both their employees and the learners they support.They are a rewarding, dynamic place to work. They offer employees the opportunity to develop within their role and progress through the organisation via a number of Learning and Development opportunities and activities.

Keyskills :
CollatingLegal AdviceOral CommunicationRegulatory PolicyTechnical Qualifications