About the job

Job summary

Ofgem, an independent regulatory body and non-ministerial department, protects electricity and gas consumers by ensuring affordability, supply reliability, and sustainability. It oversees market evolution, competition, and government programme delivery, maintaining autonomy within UK and EU legal frameworks, despite close collaboration with the government and industry stakeholders.  

We are seeking an outstanding Electricity Transmission System Planning Expert (known internally as Senior Specialist Engineer) to serve join Ofgem's in-house Engineering team, offering specialised engineering advice throughout the organisation at all levels. This includes providing guidance to Executive Committees, the Board, internal Directorates, and other essential stakeholders. 

Responsibilities include providing specialist technical advice and support in areas such as electrical transmission system planning and strategic investment, leading detailed technical analysis and reviews of licensee performance, as well as overseeing Technical Quality Assurance for proposals submitted to Executive Committees and GEMA. 

A successful candidate will have extensive specialist engineering experience, including deep technical knowledge in electricity network planning, design or operation and have proven success in complex environments, providing expert advice to senior leaders on strategic and operational matters. The role would benefit from familiarity with the GB Gas & Electricity Industry's commercial and regulatory frameworks. 

In this key role, the successful candidate will manage the team's deliverables, leveraging their expertise to ensure successful outcomes among team members and collaborating teams. They will establish clear and transparent work objectives, milestones, and success metrics within their area of expertise to oversee and coordinate successful team outcomes.  

This role involves close collaboration with other teams to manage interdependencies, risks, and resources to support portfolio delivery. Where required, they will share responsibility with the PDL for the welfare and pastoral care of all colleagues. The successful candidate will also demonstrate effective diversity and inclusive team management within their team and the wider organisation.  

Job description

Ofgem works on behalf of energy consumers to ensure that every household and business in the UK can rely on a safe, affordable, and environmentally sustainable energy supply. We are playing a vital part in accelerating the transition to Net Zero and a carbon neutral energy system – a goal that everyone wants to achieve. Whatever your role, you will be playing your part in creating new energy solutions that are great for customers, and great for the environment. 

Ofgem has a culture of inclusion that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices and experiences of our colleagues. It fuels our innovation and helps ensure we can best represent the consumers and the communities we serve. Everyone is welcome - as an inclusive workplace, our employees are comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work.  

Purpose 

• Operate as Ofgem’s internal Engineering expert, providing advice on specialist engineering related matters across Ofgem at all levels, including Executive Committees, the Board, internal Directorates and other key stakeholders. 
• Be the focal point and expert in a multi-disciplinary team in a specific work area in the context of operating in a Professions and Flexible Resourcing model.  
• Plan, oversee and deliver a set of work deliverables on time and to a high standard through effective project management and support of multidisciplinary team members. 
• Provide inclusive corporate leadership, using your expertise to provide comprehensive knowledge sharing, support and development that demonstrate commitment to Ofgem values. 

Key Responsibilities: (Generic)  

To support the team deliverables, that utilise your expertise to ensure successful outcomes across team members and collaborating teams. 

• Provide clear and transparent work objectives, milestones and success metrics in your area of expertise to oversee and co-ordinate successful team outcomes. 
• Collaborate closely with other teams to manage interdependencies, risks and resourcing to support portfolio delivery. 
• Where required, be jointly responsible with the PDL on welfare and pastoral care of all colleagues. 
• Demonstrate effective diversity and inclusive team management within their team and the wider organisation. 

Key Outputs and Deliverables (Specific to the role)  

• Use your expertise in supporting strategy and policy teams across Ofgem working on projects with a technical dimension, including: 

• Providing expert/specialist technical advice and support in electrical transmission system planning/strategic investment 
• Leading on detailed technical analysis and audits of licensee performance  
• Leading on Technical Quality Assurance of proposals put to Executive Committees & GEMA 

• External Stakeholder management with relevant engineers and experts in: 

• Network Operators, System Operators, Suppliers and Generators  
• Innovation / Technology Companies & Engineering Supply Chain 
• Engineering Trade Bodies & Government including the Department of Energy Strategy and Net Zero and the Health and Safety Executive. 

• Leading on complex changes to Engineering Codes and Standards 
• Assessing company compliance with the technical requirements of codes, standards, licences and legislation and dealing with non-compliance issues 
• Leading investigations into energy system incidents 
• Writing technical reports & guidance documents to support policy development. 

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Extensive experience in a specialist engineering role relevant to Ofgem’s work – specialised technical knowledge associated with planning, designing, building and operating electricity networks (LEAD). 
• Experience of working in a complex and diverse environment, acting as an internal expert – advising and challenging senior leaders on strategic and operational performance related matters. 
• Working knowledge and experience of the commercial and regulatory framework of the GB Gas & Electricity Industry; All of which that can be demonstrated by proven record of high performance and substantial achievements in past positions. 
• Expertise/capability in a related professional engineering specialism, evidenced through an appropriate professional qualification – Chartered Status or Fellowship of the appropriate professional body.  

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,520, OFGEM contributes £15,800 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.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel), your career history and qualifications.  

You will then be asked to provide a 1250 word ‘personal statement’ evidencing how you meet the essential and desirable skills and capabilities listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your supporting statement, how you meet each of the essential and desirable skills and capabilities. 

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.