Principal Price Review Policy

Join Ofwat’s cross-cutting Price Review team as a Principal Price Review Policy

We have a two year fixed term contract available

* Office

Location:

Birmingham (B5 4UA
) with hybrid working*

We are Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority, a non‑ministerial government department responsible for regulating the water sector in England and Wales. Following the Independent Water Commission’s final report, the UK government has set out a bold new direction - one that brings together expertise from across the sector to deliver better outcomes for customers and the environment.

This team will play a critical role in implementing the previous price review and developing the next one. The team works closely with the other teams in the Price Review Design and Delivery function and draws on the experience of other policy specialists as well as economists, lawyers and engineers when developing policy.

Within the price review function, we take ownership of issues that don’t naturally fit elsewhere and develop cross‑cutting policy. We also bring together work from across the directorate – spotting connections early, reducing duplication, and ensuring policy moves in a coherent, consistent direction. By creating clarity, offering constructive challenge, and helping teams align their thinking, we make it easier for the whole directorate to deliver high quality, joined up policy.

This Principal role is full of influence and exciting challenges. You will have a real opportunity to shape the next price review and develop policies that will have a genuine impact on customers and the environment.

In this role you will be expected to:

• Lead or contribute to cross‑cutting analysis or policy work relevant to either implementation of the previous price review or designing the next price review.
• Identify issues, develop options and make recommendations that will be used to inform decision‑making.
• Quickly gain an understanding of all elements of the price review process and how they fit together. You will need to be able to take inputs from multiple teams across the directorate and efficiently and robustly bring them together to present cross‑cutting or strategic recommendations.
• Contribute to policy work led by other policy teams in the directorate. Your role could include ensuring alignment with our strategic direction, providing subject‑matter expertise or peer review.
• Draft reports and publications for both internal governance and publication.
• Present complex ideas clearly and set out the reasoning for our decisions to ensure robust and transparent decision‑making. This may involve pulling together inputs from across the directorate and presenting them in a coherent way.
• Build and maintain excellent working relationships with internal and external stakeholders. This could include engaging with economists, engineers, lawyers, policy specialists internally and at water companies, other regulators and government departments.
• Provide visible leadership and guidance to members of the price review directorate. You will be expected to support, empower and be a role model for junior members of the team, to help them develop skills and experience. As a leader in Ofwat, you will also role model our values and ways of working and be an active contributor to the corporate activities that make Ofwat a great place to work.
• If appropriate, act as a People Leader and/or Project Manager, taking on budget management responsibilities and, where appropriate, people management responsibilities in line with Ofwat’s Governance Framework. You may also need to manage external consultants.

Below are some of the key essential experience, skills & knowledge required for this post: