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.

Our role is to enable, incentivise and hold water 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 looking for a Programme Management Specialist to support a wide range of environmental projects. The role sits within two key functions at Ofwat; the Environment team and Portfolio Management Office (PMO). The Environment team work with a wide range of stakeholders to deliver Ofwat's environmental policy objectives and PMO play a key role in optimising our resources.

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, values and our framework for success in the attached Information for Candidates Pack.

Job description

You will support a wide range of environmental projects, with the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) and National Environment Programme (NEP) being the priority focus. 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. 

You will help co-ordinate and drive action across Ofwat, Defra, Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, and Welsh Government. You will lead change in a fast-paced environment and support teams to deliver against clear objectives and milestones. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to play a key role in shaping Ofwat's approach to regulating the water sector, improving collaboration across regulators, and holding water companies to account on their performance. 

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: 

• Apply expert knowledge to design high quality project documentation and control measures.
• Ensure effective oversight and management of project milestones, critical path and risks to deliver successful outcomes.
• Manage interactions and planning between Ofwat, Defra, Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales and the Welsh Government.
• Keep track of decisions and actions across the different projects/workstreams, supporting the prioritisation of work in an agile and flexible manner.
• Implement proportionate and robust governance to support delivery of project outcomes.
• Championing effective risk management, ensuring key risks are mitigated and enabling informed decision-making. Identify areas of alignment and/or interdependencies with other programmes or initiatives and agree strategies to optimise resources.
• Maintain the Environment Team's overall workplan.
• Contribute to the further development of an effective PMO function within Ofwat, sharing knowledge and best practices.

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: Programme Management or PMO related experience and qualifications.
• Good understanding of environmental or regulatory policy related to the water sector.
• Excellent organisation skills with the ability to effectively track project progress and motivate colleagues to meet key milestones.
• Experience of working flexibly and collaboratively with multidisciplinary and multi-organisational teams in different forums.
• Analytical and decision-making skills, including understanding strategic implications of decisions and making connections between different work areas.
• Ability to build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.

Attributes 

• Delivers outcomes
• Makes relationships count
• Creates clarity

Attributes as per Ofwat's Framework for Success for Senior Associate 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 £10,690 to £13,000 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 08 July 24
• Sifting: 09-12 July 24
• Interview date(s): WC 22 July

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: 

• Programme Management or PMO related experience and qualifications

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

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 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.