About Us
We are Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority, a non-ministerial government department responsible for regulating the water sector in England and Wales. Our work has genuine significance – no other organisation does the work we do. It’s unique and meaningful: keeping our water flowing; ensuring water bills don’t cost a penny more than needed; holding water companies to account. Come and work at the source of everyday life.
The Role
We are looking for a customer-centric leader to join our growing Casework team at Principal level.
The Casework team is the "front door" for many of the customers and stakeholders who contact Ofwat with enquiries or complaints about the sector or their water company. We investigate and resolve customer disputes or water company failures, to ensure that water and wastewater companies meet their legal obligations to their customers, society, and the environment. The team also assesses applications from companies wanting to be granted a licence to serve customers in the water sector.
As a Principal in the Casework team, you will provide expert management, support, and leadership of our customer enquiries and complaints functions. You will also be responsible for delivering our work to determine disputes between customers and their water company. You will work closely with peers to bolster our leadership capacity and resilience across our licensing and enforcement work, and you will build strong relationships with colleagues internally and externally to identify key issues, anticipate service demand and plan effectively.
More generally, our Principals play a key role in delivery through project and resource planning and line management. You will be expected to support, empower and be a role model for junior members of the team, and to involve yourself in corporate activities that make Ofwat a great place to work. There will also be opportunities to work with colleagues across Ofwat on other programmes and projects to raise understanding of our casework and enforcement work and role, share expertise and deliver joint projects.
About You
- Lead criterion: Experience of leadership and delivery in a high-volume, complex customer focussed or regulatory environment, ensuring work is effectively prioritised and progressed.
- Proven track record of applying legal and analytical frameworks to deliver successful outcomes on complex investigations and/or policy projects.
- Experience of designing, managing and improving operational procedures within a complex environment, including the identification, mitigation and management of risks.
- Experience of identifying, analysing and accurately interpreting a range of data and insights to inform and build confidence in evidence-based decisions on complex problems.
- Experience of communicating complex information and messages in writing and verbally, so that it is clear and persuasive to a range of audience types.
- Experience of building and maintaining constructive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to understand their needs and expectations, and to influence and collaborate effectively to deliver desired outcomes.
- Experience of developing and maintaining an understanding of how your work and priorities sit within wider corporate landscape and interdependencies.
- Experience of leading people, with experience of managing people and supporting growth, inclusion and well-being.
- Experience of encouraging and role-modelling a growth mind-set and a culture of continuous improvement.
Why join Ofwat:
Fantastic employer pension contribution of nearly 30%.
Meaningful Impact: You will be joining a team with a sense of mission at its core aiming to build a lasting legacy for future generations by securing our long-term water resilience.
Innovative Work Environment: We embrace agile and new ways of working and have a culture build on trust, flexibility, and collaboration.
Development Opportunities: Gain valuable experience and develop your skills in a supportive and dynamic setting.
Work-Life Balance: Enjoy the flexibility of working from home combined with the benefits of in person collaboration in our London or Birmingham offices.
25 days’ annual leave, increasing to 30 with each year of service, plus bank holidays and an extra 2.5 days of privilege leave.
Access to exclusive discounts on a variety of goods and services, including retail outlets, theatre tickets, holidays, insurance, and a gym membership.
Fees paid for membership of relevant professional bodies.
Up to 3 volunteering days per year.
Recognition vouchers scheme rewarding your hard work.
Generous shared parental leave and pay supporting your family life.
