About the job

Job summary

We are Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority, a non-ministerial government department responsible for regulating the water sector in England and Wales.

We are at the source of everyday life. We help the sector build trust and confidence with customers, the environment and wider society: keeping water flowing, bills affordable and helping ensure the health of our rivers and waterways. 

We're looking for a Strategic Planning Specialist to join the RAPID (Regulator’s Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development) and EP (Environment Planning directorate). The directorate has two purposes:

• Ensure resilient water resources for England and Wales by developing a pipeline of major, new strategic infrastructure.
• Influence future infrastructure planning processes – both water resources and wider environment – to drive optimal outcomes with climate change (mitigation and adaption) as a uniting banner.

This is a unique and exciting opportunity for someone with experience of climate change and water resource modelling and/or experience of working on environmental strategy or policy within the water sector looking to gain experience whilst working within the regulatory sector.

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

The Role

This is an exciting new role in an expanding 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 resource and planning work, you will also play an important role in driving the collaborative work programme across Governments and with other regulators to improve future infrastructure planning in the water sector. You will have the opportunity to support with the development of specific areas of strategy and policy. These will include leading the Long-Term Delivery Strategies, to ensure water companies are planning ahead for emerging environmental and water resource pressures and help to shape the future Strategic Route Options. You will also have the opportunity to work across Governments and regulators and with a varied range of stakeholders to agree common approaches and scenarios in water resource planning.

The successful candidate may come from a variety of professional backgrounds and is likely to have experience in policy and strategy gained from working in, for example, Government, third sector regulators, utilities, or the contracting sector.

Key Deliverables

In this role you will be expected to: 

• Lead on the Long-Term Delivery Strategies from the water companies.
• Work collaboratively with the Environment Agency and other regulators and stakeholders to create common scenarios for water resource planning.
• Support and create policies and strategies to optimise infrastructure planning within the water sector.
• Support on the development of relationships within the current price review and drive the strategic aims of RAPID and Environmental Planning into PR29.
• Contribute to the RAPID and Environmental Planning Team's strategy and policy work more broadly as required.

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: Experience with climate change and/ or water resource modelling and/or experience working on Environmental Strategy or Policy within the water sector.
• Experience of developing policy and strategy products such as policy briefs, strategies, and designing and facilitating workshops.
• Academic or professional experience of wider environmental issues and good knowledge/understanding of those related to the water industry.
• 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.
• Experience of formulating, presenting, and writing 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.

Attributes 

• Creates Clarity
• Makes Relationships Count
• Adaptable Thinker
• Champion and Leader of Change

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 £10,695 to £12,746 per annum for this role). 
• 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 14 July 24
• Sifting: week commencing 15 July 24
• Interview date(s): week commencing 22 July 24

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: 

• Experience with climate change and/ or water resource modelling and/or experience working on Environmental Strategy or Policy within the water sector.

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.

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.