About the job

Job summary

Ofgem exists to ensure a safe and sustainable energy supply to the households of Great Britain. As the industry regulator we promote the highest standards of customer care and work with industry partners to ensure that our energy system and supporting infrastructure is safe, resilient and sustainable. 

In this role, you’ll join our Communications Directorate, leading work across Ofgem to ensure that all our stakeholders, from domestic and business energy consumers to large energy generators and suppliers, have a voice inside Ofgem and that our relationships with them are managed effectively right across the scope of Ofgem’s work.  

You’ll take on a varied and challenging workload, covering everything from developing and delivering Ofgem’s stakeholder strategy, overseeing stakeholder engagement mapping and relationship management approach, organising conferences, visits and other events, planning communications and stakeholder engagement activities, advising senior colleagues right up to board level, and leading a high-performing team.   

To join us, you’ll need to have experience of writing and implementing strategic engagement strategies and an ability to develop and nurture excellent external contacts. You will also have an ability to lead/ work within a multi-disciplinary team on fast paced projects and be able to communicate complex information quickly to non-expert audiences.  

We are serious about offering you professional development, training and support. You can also expect an excellent benefits package, a great working environment with scope for hybrid working, and a shared sense of purpose.  

We welcome candidates from all backgrounds, and especially welcome individuals from underrepresented groups. While this is a full-time role, flexible working patterns and job shares are welcome.

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’ll 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
➢ The Head of Stakeholder Communications will lead a network of teams to develop and delivery Ofgem’s stakeholder strategy and drive work that will meet Ofgem’s long term goals across a broad stakeholder landscape, from consumers to energy generators. Seeking opportunities to positively position the organisation and its priorities, the role will draw on creative communications skills to help develop and deliver Ofgem’s narrative.
➢ They will provide inclusive team leadership by supporting and developing team members and demonstrating commitment to Ofgem values.

Person specification

Key Outputs and Deliverables

• Oversee and manage the senior corporate engagement and reputation with Ofgem’s stakeholders. Including the coordination of Ofgem’s corporate events, working groups and senior engagement programme.
• Managing the stakeholder research and feeding back insight to
• coach, support and manage the team to provide top-class strategic engagement that delivers the wider communications strategy, while providing expert advice to Ofgem leadership on high profile or contentious topics. ​
• Head the deployable, flexible resource of stakeholder engagement professionals that work across Ofgem. Ensure consistency and continuity of stakeholder engagement plans across the business. 
• Ensure that professional standards and development is maintained and a consistent approach to engagement is pursued to avoid duplication within SCP Stakeholder Engagement plans. Work with policy team areas to design, develop and deliver all engagement activity within the project area
• Set up and lead high-performing team based on effective resource management, ongoing support and professional development
• experience of managing, developing and coaching multiple direct reports. Experience of advising and briefing senior leaders on stakeholder engagement ​
• Help team members deliver by building supportive, inclusive team environment based on trust-based relationships, transparency and inclusivity.
• Take ownership for own and team members’ professional development by:

-        Providing ongoing coaching and identification of development opportunities in regular performance conversations.

-         Ensuring work objectives are in line with the relevant GCS standards, and team members have the opportunity to participate in GCS development activities relevant to the stakeholder and external affairs profession.

-         Supporting team member’s performance evaluation through honest, fair, high quality 360 degree feedback to PDLs.

Professional Development Lead (PDL) – (Generic)

For those with the additional responsibility of Personal Development Lead, the remit will include but not be limited to:

• Mentoring and coaching staff on personal and professional development in line with the professional standards and behavioural framework for their profession.
• Undertaking their PDL responsibilities in line with Ofgem's Diversity and Inclusion commitments, championing inclusivity in their approach.
• Collating 360 degree feedback from staff’s colleagues in a thorough and timely manner holding colleagues to account for providing high quality feedback.
• Assessing feedback against the behavioural framework and recommends overall performance rating to the Head of Profession based on sound, constructive and inclusive evidence.
• Delivering high impact and empathetic performance conversations with staff for effective performance management including poor performers.
• Acting as first point of contact in the event of deployment disputes prior to escalation to the Head of Profession.
• Advising staff on deployment opportunities as needed.
• Supporting deployment choices, as part of flexible resourcing.
• Performance management and assessment.

Essential Criteria

• Proven ability to develop creative approaches to delivering communications and policy objectives through stakeholder engagement, including experience in identifying and creating speaking, events and partnership opportunities for senior figures, and managing those events from end to end (LEAD)
• Experience in designing and develop a proactive programme of strategic stakeholder engagement including insight and gap analysis, development of messaging and narratives and wide-ranging relationship management.
• Proven aptitude for leadership, with the ability to lead and motivate people both within a team and beyond their authority.
• Strong skills in developing constructive relationships with key stakeholders, both internally and externally, at every level, with excellent diplomacy skills, with experience of shifting entrenched views and reconciling conflicting priorities.
• Experience in delivering targeted communications  and engagement, aimed at identified priority groups, drawing support as necessary, including planning, preparation, managing and evaluation.
• Ability to manage and deliver budget and resource requirements.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,000, OFGEM contributes £15,120 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 skills and capabilities listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your supporting statement, how you meet each of the essential  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.