About the job

Job summary

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

We are at the source of everyday life. We help the sector build trust and confidence with customers, the environment and wider society: keeping water flowing, bills affordable and helping ensure the health of our rivers and waterways. 

We are looking for a Director of Business Retail Market to join our Major Projects and markets directorate to oversee our regulation of the non-household (known as the business retail) market.  

The Major Projects and Markets Directorate seeks to promote and develop effective markets and competition to deliver benefits to customers, society and the environment, developing new and innovative ways of delivering best value including through charging and major infrastructure delivery.

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.

Job description

Leading a team of economists, analysts and policy professionals, and working closely with key internal and external stakeholders, you will play an instrumental part in evaluating, shaping and implementing the regulatory architecture that underpins the market, with a particular emphasis on ensuring that the market develops in the best interests of customers and the environment. 

As a member of the Major Projects and Markets leadership team, the post holder will also take a role in the wider development and efficient running of the Directorate.  While the focus for this role is business retail, the Director will need the flexibility to be able to support other functions within the Directorate, should the balance of our work change.   

Key Deliverables

In this role you will be expected to: 

• Reporting into the Senior Director for Markets and Charging, oversee Ofwat's programme of work in relation to the effective regulation of the business retail market, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of current market arrangements, and developing new policy that is robust and evidence based.
• Successfully deliver complex projects involving in-depth quantitative and qualitative analysis, drawing on a range of specialist expertise.  This will include leadership of Ofwat's business retail price review (the Retail Exit Code Review).
• Represent Ofwat externally at senior level, including at industry Strategic Panel meetings, and build strong relationships with key stakeholders within government and industry.
• Communicate clearly and persuasively to Senior Executives and Board members.
• Ensure the business retail team and stakeholders have a clear vision of what we are trying to achieve, and how our work links to Ofwat's wider strategic objectives.
• Enable a team culture that allows our people to thrive and be their best, and that champions our SAILOR values.
• Demonstrate strong programme and project management, regularly horizon scanning for new developments, identifying and managing risks, and managing resources and budgets effectively.
• Ensure a joined-up approach across projects within our Markets function, with other elements of Ofwat's work including for example enforcement and incumbent water company price reviews.
• As a member of the Directorate's wider leadership team alongside other Directors and Senior Directors, help to lead and develop the Directorate.
• Champion and enable Ofwat organisational improvement and change initiatives across a wide range of issues such as organisational structure, ways of working, and skills building.   

Person specification

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

Experience, skills and knowledge 

• Lead criterion 1: extensive experience in the regulation of competitive markets within the context of utilities or other essential services (e.g. water, energy, telecoms etc.).
• Lead criterion 2: Strong background in microeconomics, or a strong understanding of regulatory economics within a markets context, including a good understanding of competition economics and its practical application.
• Experience of providing strong intellectual leadership on market-related issues based on sound knowledge of relevant theory and techniques.
• Ability to think strategically, using your strong analytical skills to distil often complex and voluminous information into a big picture view, and to ensure action is taken in line with Ofwat's wider strategic goals.
• Broad familiarity with the legislative and governance arrangements within the water business retail market.
• Strong track record on leading interdisciplinary teams, and a commitment to Ofwat's SAILOR values.
• Experience in working effectively with a broad range of external stakeholders.
• Ability to work well with internal stakeholders, including experience of engaging effectively with Board members on subjects that are analytically complex.
• Proven ability to take an effective role in cross-directorate leadership.

Attributes 

• Adaptable Thinker
• Delivers Outcomes
• Makes Relationships Count
• Champion and Leader of Change

Attributes as per Ofwat's Framework for Success for Director Band. You can read more about Attributes here.

Benefits

Why You Should Join Us: 

We’re forward-thinking, creative, innovative, and ambitious. We constantly push the boundaries and embrace new ways of working.  

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. Our people do their best work when given freedom over where, when, and how they work. Which is why we trust our teams to balance meaningful collaboration in the office with the flexibility of working from home. 

You will also benefit from:

• Excellent employer pension contributions of 28.97% (around £24,385 to £28,100 per annum for this role). You can find further details about pension schemes under Terms and Conditions in the Candidate Pack.
• 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.

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: 23:55 on 07 August 24
• Sifting: 08 & 09 August 24
• Interview date(s): 14 & 20 August 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 criterion: 

1. Extensive experience in the regulation of competitive markets within the context of utilities or other essential services (e.g. water, energy, telecoms etc.).
2. Strong background in microeconomics, or a strong understanding of regulatory economics within a markets context, including a good understanding of competition economics and its practical application.

In your personal statement please tell us about how your experience, skills and knowledge meet the two lead criteria listed above, and about the context within which you have demonstrated these.

You may find the STAR method useful in structuring your personal statement. 

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, we may 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.

***Note that “near-miss” candidates (candidates who have performed well at interview stage but haven’t scored high enough for the advertised Principal band) may be considered, in merit order, for a Principal post (a band lower than the Director), within the same team. Further details will be provided to candidates as needed.

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.