Environment Engagement & Delivery Principal

We’re Ofwat (The Water Services Regulation Authority) a non-ministerial government department, responsible for regulating water and wastewater services in England and Wales. Our role is to ensure reliable and safe water supplies, protect the environment, maintain affordable billing, and promote sustainable water usage. 

We are seeking an Environment Engagement & Delivery Principal to join our Environment team and lead our collaboration with other fellow regulators, including Environment Agency (EA) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW), on environmental policy and performance, including the WINEP and Advanced-WINEP programmes.

The team is focussed on delivering the environmental policy objectives of our strategy and engaging and collaborating with key environmental stakeholders. We are committed to working in partnership with Government, regulators, industry, and our environmental stakeholders on key environmental policy projects including: 

• strengthening the water sector’s approach to climate change and adaptation and its net zero 2030 ambition.
• exploring how we can use natural capital accounting methods.
• driving environmental improvements and holding companies to account.
• considering how to bring about change in how people use water.
• encouraging and facilitating nature-based solutions.

A critical part of the role will be working closely and managing our relationships with key stakeholders such as the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales as well as Defra and the Welsh Government. You will need to be confident in representing Ofwat and communicating Ofwat strategy and policy to a variety of external and internal stakeholders. You will be expected to build relationships across Ofwat to work across a range of areas, including the price review, to drive better environmental outcomes in the water sector. You will also support programme management for the environment team’s broader work.

You will have excellent communication skills, and an ability to work effectively across organisational boundaries and challenge the status quo are essential. You should be comfortable working in an agile environment and have a good understanding of a broad range of environmental issues.

Key deliverables: 

• Identify and develop opportunities to work more effectively with the EA and NRW to drive better environmental outcomes. This will require building relationships with key external stakeholders
• Project manage joint projects with the EA and NRW, putting in place the necessary tools to support planning, setting milestones and delivery.
• Manage processes within the Environment team, such as team meetings, governance, risk management, workload planning, programme management and financial management
• Operate as an account manager for external consultants where necessary
• Support engagement with the communications team on environmental messaging
• Undertake work to tight timeframes and to a high quality that stands up to external scrutiny

Essential experience, skills and knowledge required

• Proven experience of building effective relationships with external organisations and managing those relationships to deliver joint projects [Lead Criterion]
• Educated to degree or postgraduate level in a relevant discipline or significant equivalent previous experience.
• Experience and knowledge of environmental or regulatory policy related to the water sector.
• Experience of complex project management, tracking and reporting progress, strong project design and planning skills, including project risk assessment/management and the design of an appropriate governance framework
• Experience of working flexibly and collaboratively with multi-disciplinary and multi-organisational teams in different forums and proactively identifying and facilitating linkages between projects and work streams.
• Ability to manage and take responsibility for your own workload and manage multiple priorities to meet deadlines – including an ability to work independently, and as part of a team, using creativity and innovative approaches.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Exceptional analytical and decision-making skills, including understanding legal, financial, and economic implications of decisions

Attributes: 

• Builds trust
• Makes relationships count
• Promotes collaboration
• Delivers outcomes

You can read about our Framework for Success here

Why you should join Ofwat:

We are forward-thinking, creative, innovative and ambitious. We actively encourage autonomy, collaboration and innovation and we have a unique culture fostered by trust, flexibility and respect.

We strive to ensure our people feel connected and valued, where their voice matters. You will be provided with the space and support to shape your future while taking greater control of your own growth and development.

In 2023 we were awarded ‘Smarter Working Maturity’ recognition for the way that Ofwat has embraced new and modern ways of working, reflecting the spaces we provide, technology we have deployed and the culture and leadership we have embedded to empower choice and flexibility for our people.

Please read the attached “Candidate Information Pack” to find more about Ofwat and our Values.

You will also benefit from:

• Generous Civil Service pension with a minimum employer contribution of around 27% (£14,218 per annum at the bottom of the band and £21,748 at the top);
• 25 days annual leave (increasing to max 30 with each year of service) plus bank holidays and 2.5 privilege leave days;
• Access to exclusive discounts on a range of goods and services such as retail outlets, theatre tickets, holidays, insurance and gym membership;
• Cycle-to-work scheme;
• Season ticket loan for travel between home and office;
• Flexible working arrangements;
• Fees paid for membership of relevant professional bodies;
• Up to 3 volunteering days per year;
• Enhanced sick pay;
• Generous shared parental leave and pay;
• Regular professional development;
• Health and wellbeing initiatives 

Job contact :

• Name : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk
• Email : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk