Head of Sector Governance Frameworks

About Ofwat

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 have an excellent opportunity to join Ofwat's recently established Sector Governance team as a Head of Sector Governance Frameworks.

The overall aim of the Governance team is to ensure water companies are well run through having the right board leadership and governance arrangements in place. Furthermore, we seek to ensure governance arrangements are transparent, allowing Ofwat and other stakeholders to scrutinise (and challenge) and address issues of legitimacy. This work is at the cutting edge of what Ofwat does and is pivotal in light of the recently announced Water (Special Measures) Bill .

You'll be responsible for designing and implementing sector-critical governance frameworks as part of Ofwat's regulatory role and strategic objectives. You'll have primary responsibility for fundamental projects and will own key policy thinking, design and delivery.

Key responsibilities will also include day-to-day management of external advisors as relevant, coordinating across Ofwat on cross-directorate issues, policy design and drafting, management of and building consensus with both external and internal stakeholders.

The role will require visible and effective leadership for the delivery of the policies and measures, and an ability to seek and build consensus for practical regulatory tools. Effective horizon scanning and the ability to operate within a complex and multi-disciplinary context will be paramount for this exciting role.

Ofwat is dedicated to providing you with opportunities to further develop your knowledge and experience. We have a well-supported, agile working environment, and have a trust-based culture intended to help empower, enable, and support you to succeed.

About You

To be successful in this role you will need the below essential experience, skills, knowledge and attributes:

• Experience of and ability to design and implement new frameworks or codes within the context of corporate governance.
• Experience of developing policy in a government or regulatory organisation.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with experience effectively managing complex relationships both internally and externally.
• Experience in how regulatory and / or legal frameworks impact the way in which companies operate and their governance.
• Experience in UK corporate governance and an understanding how companies are organised and managed (e.g. comfortable with the concept of how boards function, how they report), and with common UK corporate structures.
• Analytical, adept at seeing complex interlinkages, and able to distil discussions from relevant workshops, government policy, internal and external stakeholder meetings, and materials into reports and policy design.
• Familiarity with performance issues in the water sector.

Why Join Us?

• 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.
• Fantastic employer pension contribution of nearly 30%.
• 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.

Follow the link to 'Apply' for full details about the role and process. Please ensure you have submitted your Applications in full before the below deadline.

Closing date: 23.55 on 27 October 2024.