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 are seeking a Wastewater Specialist (engineer, scientist, or asset manager) to join our Cost Assessment Team at Principal level. This is a unique and exciting opportunity for someone with a background in engineering, water/wastewater/environmental science, or operational/asset management, looking to work on the development and delivery of current and future price reviews. You will not only gain experience working within the regulatory environment, but also have the chance to work and engage with multiple key stakeholders within the water 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 cost assessment team is key to the delivery of PR24 and future price reviews. We are an enthusiastic mix of economists and technical water and wastewater sector specialists that lead on the assessment of expenditure for the price review process. As part of this we lead and work on the cross industry strategic planning frameworks such as drainage and wastewater management plans (DWMPs), water resources management plans (WRMPs), and environmental programmes such as the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) and the National Environment Programme (NEP).

We lead work on a large number of policy areas such as how we can maximise the delivery of best value, how to ensure that companies focus on the long term and adapt to and anticipate change, how we can move towards net zero efficiently, and how best to reduce sewer flooding and improve drought and wider resilience. These are big issues for the water sector and beyond and our contributions are vital.

You will have the opportunity to step into a role that is full of influence and exciting challenges. These could include but are not limited to: leading the way in developing approaches to future price reviews, offering meticulous engineering insights and advice across Ofwat that shapes our policies and helps us to achieve our objectives, and taking the lead on areas of engagement with water companies, regulators and wider stakeholders.

Key Deliverables

In this role you will be expected to: 

• Support the finalisation of the PR24 final determination and take a lead role in response to any subsequent representations.
• Lead on policy design and delivery of procedures and processes to ensure thorough and effective cost assessment at the next price review (PR29).
• Provide thought leadership by demonstrating expertise and acting as a subject-matter expert in cost assessment (focusing on wastewater) and related areas.
• Apply technical expertise to provide support and advice to areas of economic regulation across the organisation.
• Collaborate with and effectively influence internal and external stakeholders, including the Environment Agency (EA), Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Water Companies, and any other relevant bodies.
• Critically evaluate and challenge analysis or products of a professional peer.
• Produce high-quality documents, review the work of others, and contribute to external publications.
• Work closely with colleagues across Ofwat to align with other areas of work.
• Manage and plan resource of both internal staff, and consultant resource.

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: Relevant technical experience in wastewater treatment and/or WINEP within engineering, science, capital programmes, asset management and/or business planning, working at a senior level.
• Numerate with analytical skills, including experience of analysing and accurately interpreting a range of data and insights to inform evidence-based decisions and solutions for complex problems.
• Proven ability to solve complex analytical problems, and the ability to present the results to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, which you can use to persuade both internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience of thought leadership, including the ability to generate and disseminate innovative ideas and act as a subject-matter expert on wastewater and related areas.
• Experience of developing policy and/or designing and delivering procedures and processes.

Attributes 

• Creates Clarity
• Adaptable thinker
• Builds the Team
• Makes Relations Count

Attributes as per Ofwat's Framework for Success for Principal 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 £15,942 to £20,279 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 04 August 24
• Sifting: week commencing 05 August 24
• Interview date(s): week commencing 12 August 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: 

• Relevant technical experience in wastewater treatment and/or WINEP within engineering, science, capital programmes, asset management and/or business planning, working at a senior level.

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 will 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.