Staff Q&As: Esme Lea

In our first edition of 2026, we’re speaking with Leadership Development Officer (LDO) Esme Lea, who tells us about the OfS’s entry-level development scheme and the one career tip every student needs to know.

Tell us about your role – what do you do at the OfS?

I’m in the Leadership Development Scheme, which is a two-year programme designed to provide experience of different roles at the OfS. It’s open to people at any point in their career, but most of us are recent graduates taking a first step into the world of work.

LDOs rotate around a variety of roles at the OfS, contributing to different aspects of higher education regulation and policy development. One day you might be helping to co-ordinate a student event, another assessing the information universities and colleges share with us as part of our day-to-day regulation. It’s equal parts challenging and rewarding, with a real focus on helping you develop transferable skills and apply what you’ve learned in any context.

What does a typical day look like for you in your role?

In my current placement, a big part of my role involves researching the emerging risks and opportunities for students and the higher education sector – AI, for example. We call this ‘horizon scanning’ and it’s one of the ways we assess the issues we might look at more closely from a regulatory perspective.

There’s also a huge learning aspect to my role and the LDOs regularly get together as a group to focus on a skill or knowledge area we’d like to develop. For example, we recently gave ‘TED Talks’ to each other to help us build our confidence and communication skills.

Can you tell us about an important project you are working on and why it’s important?

One of my favourite projects I’ve worked on so far was looking at how institutions that have recently registered with us are delivering higher education and how that might differ to more traditional models.

From embedding technology into teaching and learning to boosting students’ employability with industry connections, my eyes were opened to how higher education can be innovative. This project also brought home how important it is that we have a good understanding of the diverse institutions we regulate.

What aspects of your work excite you the most?

Feeling my confidence grow as I learn is probably the best part of the job for me.

Being a recent student, I thought I had a good understanding of what the higher education sector is like, but there was so much I didn’t know. It’s been interesting to learn about the huge variety of universities and colleges, experiences, and courses on offer to students, and such a steep learning curve.

What are the challenges you’re coming up against in your area?

This might seem like a contradiction to my previous answer, but getting to grips with all things higher education can be a little overwhelming!

I’ve found people at the OfS are more than happy to spend thirty minutes explaining something you find tricky to get your head around. If I could give future LDOs a piece of advice, it would be to ask as many questions as you can – no one expects you to be an expert in every subject!

Why did you join the OfS? What did you do before you came here and how have your previous experiences informed the way you work now?

As someone from an underrepresented background in higher education, I’m grateful for the positive experience I had at university. The support I received from my institution and lecturers played a big part in that and enabled me to engage with new ideas and perspectives.

But I know that’s not the case for all students, which is why I wanted to join the OfS.

I also worked at my university’s career centre, where students would come in feeling quite stressed about what they were going to do after their studies. I think that role made me consider my own professional development and whether I could make a career out of improving students' experiences.

If you could give one piece of advice to students in 2026, what would it be?

Engage with your institution’s career centre as early as possible – they usually offer great opportunities you can take advantage of throughout your studies, and they’re a fantastic way to meet people and build confidence.