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 at the source of everyday life. Our work is high-profile and fast-moving, within a dynamic and agile environment. The work that you’ll be involved in every day will help us to deliver our strategy, to make us the regulator we want to be and help the sector to deliver for customers and society. 

You can find out more about why you should join Ofwat, our strategy, our values and our Framework for Success in the attached Candidate Pack.

Job description

We're looking for a Principal Environmental Performance and Evidence Lead to join the Environment Team. The sector is facing unprecedented challenges, and we want someone who relishes the opportunity to apply their skills and experience to improve our water environment. Whilst there are specific policy areas you will lead on, including our water quality and monitoring work, you will also play an important role in delivering the wider environmental policy objectives of Ofwat’s strategy.

We are growing the Environment Team in response to the need for more environmental improvement in the sector and we are seeking someone who can build our evidence base, liaise with colleagues across the sector and enable us to make the best decisions using our regulatory powers.

As a Principal, you will lead a multi-disciplinary team and will be expected to take responsibility for its outputs and manage the people within it. You will be comfortable representing Ofwat and communicating Ofwat policy to environmental stakeholders including government officials, water companies and others. You will provide advice and make recommendations, ensuring Ofwat understands and can incorporate environment policy into its work, proactively sharing skills and knowledge. Ofwat is a learning organisation, and you will have opportunities to develop your knowledge and experience, and to consolidate your skills set.  We have a well-supported, agile working environment, and have a trust-based culture intended to help empower you and enable and support you to succeed within Ofwat.

Key deliverables 

In this role you will be expected to:

• Lead on Ofwat’s work to improve our knowledge and understanding of the sector's environmental performance across a range of areas, including water quality, climate change mitigation and biodiversity.
• Build the evidence approach to enable understanding on the water environment for Ofwat's decisions.
• Lead the Environmental Performance and Evidence work within the Environment Team and managing the team members.
• Engage with the wider sector on environmental work, developing, and communicating Ofwat’s position.
• Provide expert advice on water sector environmental issues and water quality including biochemical and physical and monitoring across the organisation as is required.
• Forge excellent links across the water sector in relation to environmental performance and evidence, including with water companies, environmental groups, government, and other regulators (working closely with the Environmental Agency (EA) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW)).
• Influence and manage strategic policy relationships with water companies, environmental groups, government, and other regulators on environmental issues relevant to Ofwat’s work.
• Work collaboratively flexibly, and at pace with colleagues across different workstreams and clusters to ensure joined up and consistent representation on environmental and climate change issues and priorities across all areas of Ofwat’s work.
• Look beyond the water and wastewater sector, and where necessary other utility sectors, for creative and novel ways to meet the environmental challenges the sector faces.

Person specification

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

Experience, skills and knowledge 

• Lead Criterion: Significant experience of leading and/or being part of an evidence team, particularly focussed on the environment and managing qualitative and quantitative data.
• Degree level qualification and/or equivalent experience in Environmental Science or similar fields (including, but not limited to environmental issues, water ecology and pollution).
• Strong data analytical background with proven experience in the data analysis, design and monitoring environment for both qualitative and quantitative data, including the ability to interrogate a range of applicable systems and manage evidence with the aim to develop insights for policy decisions.
• Experience of working flexibly and collaboratively with/in multi-disciplinary teams to bring policy expertise and solutions to problems and deliver consolidated strategic thinking.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to formulate, present, and write clear and concise evidence-based advice to inform policy making, decision building and recommendations, for a range of audiences and to encourage and respond to constructive challenge to build confidence in decision-making.
• Experience of building and maintaining constructive working relationships with a diverse set of internal and external stakeholders to understand their needs, expectations, and priorities, and to influence and collaborate effectively to deliver desired outcomes.

Attributes 

• Delivers Outcomes
• Builds the Team
• Promotes Collaboration

Attributes as per Ofwat's Framework for Success for Band 4 - Principal. You can read more about Attributes here.

Benefits

Why You Should Join Us: 

We are forward-thinking, creative, innovative and ambitious. We constantly push the boundaries and embrace new 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. 

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. 

You will also benefit from:

• Excellent employer pension contributions, for this role ranging from £15,353 to £21,726. 
• 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 18 February 2024
• Sifting: week commencing 19 February 2024
• Interview date(s): week commencing 26 February 2024

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:

• Significant experience of leading and/or being part of an evidence team, particularly focussed on the environment and managing qualitative and quantitative data.

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

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.

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 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.