About the job

Job summary

We’re Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority – a non-ministerial government department responsible for regulating the water sector in England and Wales. 

As the economic regulator of water and wastewater companies in England and Wales, our role is to enable, incentivise and hold companies to account for providing the very best for customers, communities and the environment now and in the future. We also oversee the markets in the water sector to ensure they’re working for customers.   

We are seeking an experienced Business Analyst to join our Data Solutions team as part of our exciting plans to upgrade and modernise our data platform.The team is integral to Ofwat, shaping how we use data through the delivery of the data strategy, providing teams with practical solutions that result in efficiencies, enhanced visibility & access to data as well as effective decision making & insights.The team sits within the Sector Performance directorate which is responsible for driving transformation in water companies' performance using actionable insight derived from our operational and financial monitoring.

Job description

Joining us as a Business Analyst, you will play an important role in leading on the analysis of business requirements.You will work closely with colleagues within the directorate and across Ofwat, to lead on the analysis of business requirements and user needs contributing to our exciting Data platform modernisation programme (Programme Ocean). You will have experience in documenting current business process and in process redesign, you will also have experience in working on data projects, analysing, and documenting complex dataflows, possess good written and oral communication skills and well-developed stakeholder management skills.

In this role you will be expected to:

• Work closely with colleagues across teams to manage and facilitate business analysis activities with internal stakeholders.
• Work with the Programme Ocean team to scope the breadth and depth of the new architectural landscape.
• Generate process maps and document current data flows, identifying areas for improvement and make recommendations for changes to business processes.
• Work with users to evaluate and prioritise requirements.
• Work with users to understand the technical capabilities and limitations of the existing solution.
• Understand concepts from a business perspective and technical perspective and facilitate conversations between staff, through group discussions and workshops.
• Engage with technical teams to resolve technical issues and support the development of the new solution.
• Have excellent communication skills and be able to inform and influence You will be capable of interpreting and communicating complex information for a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide support to colleagues, proactively sharing skills and
• Develop your skills through continued learning and

Key deliverables:

• Support the project teamin developing the business requirements for our new data platform. Reviewing and analysing requirements to ensure that are clear and compatible with our aims in our strategy.
• Lead the delivery of workshops to identify and prioritise business requirements to feed into the new data platform.
• Document current dataflows and process maps which contribute to the continuous improvement of data and insights within the
• Creation of a data catalogue for the organisation.
• Seek out opportunities to improve Ofwat's use of data through identifying opportunities for standardisation.
• Creation of documentation to support both the existing solution and new solution and contributing to testing and guidance.
• Ensure new products meet business needs and are aligned with Ofwat's strategy.

Person specification

To be successful in this role you will need the below essential attributes, experience, skills and knowledge:

Experience, skills and knowledge 

• A minimum of 3 years' experience leading and defining requirements on implementing large-scale data platforms that involve the migration, collection, transformation, and analysis of data. [Lead Criteria 1]
• Experience leading workshops with senior staff to define requirements for new data platforms. [Lead Criteria 2]
• A minimum of 5 years' working as a Business Analyst or similar role across all stages of the software development lifecycle.
• Experience defining data modelling practices and standards.
• Experience providing robust documentation and using systems analysis to support a deeper understanding of how processes and systems work, and to identify gaps.
• Experience developing data standards and defining data governance requirements.
• Proven experience working independently.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to communicate to a wide range of audiences.

Attributes 

Attributes as per Ofwat’s Framework for Success for Senior Associate Grade. You can read more about attributes here. Whilst we aim for Ofwat employees to adopt all attributes, the ones below are essential for this post:  

• Promotes Collaboration
• Creates Clarity

Benefits

Why You Should Join Us: 

We are forward-thinking, creative, innovative and ambitious. We actively encourage autonomy, collaboration and innovation and we have a unique culture fostered by trust, flexibility and respect.

With us, your work matters, your voice is heard, and your impact is felt. Ours is a culture of trust, flexibility, autonomy, collaboration, and innovation. We all want positive change for water customers, the environment, and the future of water. 

But for us, change is more than what happens on the outside – we’ve always pushed boundaries internally, too. From becoming the first Civil Service organisation to achieve ‘Smarter Working’ status, to gaining our prestigious ‘Smarter Working Maturity’ award, we’ve consistently demonstrated our commitment to embracing innovative ways of working. We know our people do their best work when given freedom over where, when, and how they work. Which is why we trust them to do exactly that.  

You will also benefit from:

• Excellent employer pension contributions, for this role ranging from £10,000 to £15,240. 
• 27.5 days leave (25 days annual leave + 2.5 days privilege leave) increasing to max 32.5 days with each year of service), plus bank holidays
• Access to exclusive discounts on a variety of goods and services, including retail 
  outlets, theatre tickets, holidays, insurance, and a gym membership.
• Flexible working arrangements that suit your lifestyle.
• Fees paid for membership of relevant professional bodies.
• Up to 3 volunteering days per year.
• Generous shared parental leave and pay.
• Enhanced sick pay.
• Regular development opportunities.
• Health and wellbeing initiatives.
• Season ticket loan for home-to-office travel.
• Cycle-to-work scheme.

You can find out more about why you should join Ofwat, our strategy, values and our framework for success in the attached Information for Candidates Pack. 

Things you need to know

Selection process details

How to apply

Apply through the Civil Service Jobs website where you’ll be asked to create an account and complete an application form (CV and personal statement). If you’re unable to make an electronic application, please contact recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk and we will support you in completing your application.

Please ensure you have submitted your application in full ahead of the deadline listed below. Unfortunately, we won't be able to consider late applications.

Selection timetable

• Closing date: 22 Feb 24
• Sifting: 26 Feb 24
• Interview date(s): 4 Mar 24

Assessment process

Sift Stage

At sift stage we assess your application against key essential skills, experience, and knowledge, listed in the professional requirements section above. 

In your application, please state clearly how your skills, experience, and knowledge meet the essential criteria.

In the event of receiving a large number of applications, a pre-sift may take place on just the following lead criteria: 

• A minimum of 3 years' experience leading and defining requirements on implementing large-scale data platforms that involve the migration, collection, transformation, and analysis of data. [Lead Criteria 1] 
• Experience leading workshops with senior staff to define requirements for new data platforms. [Lead Criteria 2] 

In your personal statement, please tell us how your skills and experience meet the lead criteria, with examples if appropriate. 

Interview Stage

We will assess your Experience, Skills and Knowledge as well as Attributes (set out in the professional requirements section) at Interview Stage.

You can read more about Attributes in Ofwat’s Framework for Success.

As part of the interview process, will require a short presentation. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates upon invitation to interview.

Please note that the interviews will be conducted via video conferencing software such as Microsoft Teams.

If you have any queries about any aspect of this role, selection process, or you require any reasonable adjustments please email recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk.

Please read the attached "Candidate Information Pack" for details on terms and conditions.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.