About the job

Job summary

The Director for Financial Resilience and Controls plays a pivotal role at the heart of Ofgem by providing clear leadership and direction for delivering key projects and business as well as usual regulatory matters to drive forward Ofgem’s strategic agenda. As the strategic lead, you will have the ability to inspire a diverse range of professionals to deliver against Ofgem’s strategy.

Working with and directly reporting to the Director General, Markets, as well as working closely with the CEO, you will lead the organisation in the achievement of its objectives by developing, executing and evolving our strategy and building a clear governance model through which we can thrive as an agile organisation.

Pro-actively developing and delivering Ofgem’s principal core duties in relation to an energy systems/consumer centric portfolio of regulatory responsibilities.

Provide professional expertise across the portfolio and be at the forefront of strengthening Ofgem’s decisions on behalf of consumers within a dynamic and agile environment.

As a confident, inclusive leader, motivated to navigate opportunities and challenges and solve complex problems in an environment where strategy and politics are highly relevant.

Job description

In this role you will further develop and implement retail and wholesale market financial regulation and oversight to work better for consumers and finalise delivery of Ofgem’s Financial Resilience and Controls programme.

Have oversight of developments in retail and wholesale energy markets and their impact on the financial strategy and health of energy suppliers, shippers and generators.

Deliver significant portfolios of work, managing multi-disciplinary functions and teams to progress Ofgem's strategic objectives

Ensure advice and recommendations to the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (GEMA – the Ofgem Board) maximise progress and deliver against the Board’s interests and strategic objectives

Lead on cross-sector engagement with policymakers, sector operators and representative groups by originating insightful strategic analysis

Take accountability for decisions on regulatory matters, ensuring robust decision-making and efficient delivery

Person specification

Contribute as a senior leader to the formulation of the business strategy and associated operating model and governance model, ensuring stakeholder interests relevant to area of responsibility are considered

Represent Ofgem on a number of regulatory matters on a range of important public forums and manage Ofgem’s relationship with relevant stakeholders

Make high-level organisational decisions within your specific areas of responsibility and delegate directly to teams as appropriate

Lead portfolio in line within Ofgem's operating model, supporting the organisation’s approach to strategic workforce planning and flexible and deployment decisions to meet the organisation’s strategic priorities

Support Ofgem’s Professions model, providing professional mentoring, development, leadership and thought across relevant professional disciplines

Operate with regularity and propriety in line with public sector duties and associated Civil Service codes of conduct, including duties in managing public finance

Essential Criteria

A strategic and inspirational leader – background and knowledge in strategic leadership and senior decision making. A dedicated, motivational and collaborative leader who builds strong, inclusive, high performing teams and cross-team working relationships.

Expertise in financial regulation – demonstrable experience and expertise in financial regulation and the steps necessary to create financially resilient and competitive markets with improved outcomes for consumers.

A senior advisor – experience of working with Boards and senior officials and making a positive impact with a range of senior stakeholders both internally and externally, adopting an open approach and unafraid to make decisions when necessary. 

A strong communicator – highly credible communication skills, both in writing and in person, with experience of building strong stakeholder relationships, high emotional intelligence and engendering trusted relationships that achieve buy-in and commitment.

Commercially minded – professional knowledge and experience that evidence an understanding of regulation and consumer priorities within a commercial and/or public body.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £110,000, OFGEM contributes £29,700 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in a leadership exercise and will have an opportunity to discuss the role informally prior to interview. 

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to attend a panel interview to have a more in-depth discussion of their previous experience and professional competence in relation to the essential criteria.

Please also note that you may be asked to deliver a short presentation during the interview, which will be either scenario-based or a topic we would like you to discuss in more detail.

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.