We are looking for a Head of Turnaround Policy and Performance to lead on Ofwat's oversight activities for companies in our Turnaround Oversight Regime. This is a high-profile role which will lead and drive necessary turnaround performance monitoring for poorly performing companies and will support our evolving approach to how we regulate the sector.
You will be managing a matrix team within Ofwat and leading on Ofwat's activities and relationship interface with advisors, water company(s) and government stakeholders. Your role will be instrumental in developing constructive outcomes to companies with deep operational and financial resilience challenges and setting a strategic course in an uncertain and complex landscape. You will be supported by a matrix of technical, legal, data and analytical expertise across Ofwat. We will shortly transition from the 2020-25 period to the 2025-30 period. With a new regulatory period comes the prospect of change, reset and opportunity to really shape the sustainable future of the water sector; particularly on how we as the economic regulator hold companies to account for performance. You will help create the conditions for delivering meaningful and transformational change for customers, stakeholders and the environment.
Experience of working within the water sector is desirable, however, we will consider applications from a variety of regulatory backgrounds (for example, water, energy, rail, telecoms etc. In fields such as; regulation, policy/strategy development, economics, operations, finance).
You will work closely with colleagues within the directorate, across Ofwat and the wider industry. This role will require you to adapt to different working styles, working collaboratively across different teams, organisations and disciplines. Building trusted and collaborative relationships, synthesising data and insight from a variety of teams and sources will be essential to success.
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
Key deliverables:
- Reporting to the Director of Financial Resilience, your key objectives in this role will be to manage Ofwat activities, policy and processes for companies in our Turnaround Oversight Regime ensuring we achieve our aim of overseeing and transforming company performance.
- Lead and project manage high profile activities across Ofwat and other stakeholders, for companies in Turnaround, against challenging timescales utilising data from multiple policy areas. This may involve leading the work of consultants or delivering key outputs and publications to challenging timetables for a variety of audiences.
- Lead and develop clear, well researched updates and insights on progress towards operational and financial resilience on company(s) in Turnaround for Directors, Senior Directors and Board based on the evaluation generated from yourself and the wider team.
- Provide policy expertise and thought leadership at a time of competing priorities and change as we transition from one period to the next.
- Provide coaching and support to colleagues, proactively sharing skills and knowledge and contributing to continuous improvement. Some people leadership and management experience will be required.
Ofwat is an agile working environment, so you can expect opportunities to support other directorates and to move around the organisation as work priorities shift.
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: Expert knowledge and proven experience leading on policy development and delivery in a regulatory environment (e.g. water, energy, rail, telecoms etc.) including appraising options, developing strategies, and formulating approaches.
- Excellent project management skills, experience of leading significant programmes of work fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment and providing constructive challenge to drive change.
- Degree level (or equivalent) qualification or equivalent knowledge/experience in a technical field including, but not limited to, regulation, economics, commercial and operational disciplines, finance.
- Excellent understanding of regulation including data led monitoring of performance, protecting customers and how to effectively prioritise risks and issues, ensuring our work is impactful and value is delivered.
- An understanding of company financing, how companies access the debt and equity and the risks around low levels of financial resilience and how that can impact on operational performance would be useful but not essential.
- Experience of leading others (including consultants and suppliers) and managing multiple priorities to meet deadlines - including an ability to work independently, and as part of a team using creativity and innovative approaches.
- Ability to work with senior internal and external stakeholders across multiple disciplines, communicating with credibility and clarity. This includes being skilled at communicating complex concepts and information clearly.
Attributes
- Champion and leader of change
- Delivers outcomes
- Adaptable thinker
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 £15,940 to £23,176 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.
