Investigations and Enforcement Senior Associate

We’re Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority, 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. 

The successful applicant will join our Casework & Enforcement Team, which is part of  Ofwat’s Casework, Enforcement & Customers Directorate. The Casework & Enforcement team is responsible for exercising Ofwat’s enforcement powers, some of Ofwat’s strongest regulatory tools to transform water company performance. 

Our enforcement work is often high profile in terms of the findings and outcomes it delivers, including by imposing multi-million pound fines on a water company where it has failed, and influencing the behaviours and performance of other companies through its deterrence effects. Our enforcement activities link to a wide range of Ofwat’s regulatory tools and functions, with every enforcement investigation bringing new topics and issues to consider. Ofwat is also a concurrent regulator, working closely with the Competition and Markets Authority to enforce competition law. This provides a varied and stimulating work programme and opportunities to work closely with a range of subject matter specialists from across and outside the organisation.

This Senior Associate role will particularly focus on the delivery of the team’s enforcement activities. This will include supporting the effective and efficient delivery of enforcement investigations and action, to hold water companies to account. When needed you will also lead the delivery of small-scale investigations delivered by our team, where we have legal powers to determine a dispute between a customer and their water company.  

The successful candidate will have strong analytical skills, being able to collate and assess large volumes of complex information and data in order to identify what is relevant to our investigation and why. You will be able to quickly get to grips with new and varied subject areas, including their relevant legal obligations, policy expectations, data sources and the strategic context in which they sit. You will be naturally curious and proactive in asking questions of other team members, subject matter experts and the companies we investigate to build your and the case team’s understanding of what has happened and why; how that fits with the legal obligations water companies have; and the steps companies must take take to put things right.

You will have strong organisational skills that enable you to plan, prioritise and deliver your work effectively to enable the swift progress of complex investigations. Being able to collaborate effectively will be essential, as you will be working as part of a multi-disciplinary case team, bringing together a case lead, lawyers, technical and communications specialists and where appropriate external consultants. Your work will also involve working well with a range of internal and external stakeholders, including the companies we are investigating, to gain inputs and buy-in from them and/or to communicate our work.

It will be essential that you can clearly structure and present your analysis, in order to demonstrate evidence-based conclusions and recommendations. This will include preparing materials appropriate for senior management, board members, and non-technical and public audiences.

You will be proactive and expected to take strong ownership of the work you are responsible for, demonstrating Ofwat’s SAILOR values and ways of working. Ofwat is a learning organisation and you will have 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 you and enable and support you to succeed within Ofwat. 

Key deliverables

The successful candidate for this role will be expected to:

1. Support the delivery of enforcement investigations (under the Water Industry Act 1991 and the Competition Act 1998). This will require you to:

• Identify, gather and systematically assess large amounts of data and information 
  relevant to our investigations.
• Confidently engage with complex legal and technical information to understand how 
  they apply to the matters under investigation.
• Clearly and concisely present objective, evidence-based conclusions and 
  recommendations, and to convey complex information to a range of audiences
  (ranging from customers to Ofwat’s senior managers and Board members) both 
  verbally and in writing.
• Plan and prioritise your work effectively to meet deadlines and in line with our process 
  and governance requirements.
• Manage case files and evidence effectively and efficiently.

2. Lead the successful delivery of small-scale investigations into customer disputes. In addition to the tasks above, this will require you to:

• Provide a high-quality service to customers, including meeting our service level 
  timescales and ensuring you can understand and respond to issues of dispute in your 
  investigation.
• Engage effectively with internal and external stakeholders to identify and gather the 
  inputs and information you require to ensure our decisions are well-considered, and 
  reflect relevant links to Ofwat’s wider work.
• Identify and manage issues and risks arising from your work, escalating these to 
  managers where appropriate.

3. Support continuous improvement in our ways of working. This will require you to: 

• Help in identifying and flagging trends and insights from our work and to reflect on 
  lessons learnt to inform future ways of working and our continuous improvement.
• Keep abreast of Ofwat’s key announcements and wider trends and developments 
  that might impact on our team’s work.
• Play a role in enabling the success and well-being of our whole team, by seeking out 
  and sharing knowledge; taking account of different individuals’ needs and views; 
  supporting each other in managing and adapting to changing workloads and 
  priorities; celebrating success; and providing constructive feedback to support our 
  learning and growth.
• Actively participate in finding solutions to challenges that might arise in our work,
  and in enabling and encouraging better and more efficient ways to achieve our 
  team’s objectives.
• Take ownership of your personal development and well-being.

Essential Skills, Experience and Knowledge required 

• Degree level qualification in an analytical discipline (including, but not limited to, law, economics, business) or demonstrable relevant experience of working on large and/or complex investigations and/or research-based projects.
• LEAD CRITERION: Experience of gathering, analysing and correctly interpreting a range of complex data and information to make evidence-based conclusions and recommendations.
• Ability to clearly communicate complex information in writing and verbally for a range of audience types.
• Experience of working under pressure, effectively planning, prioritising and managing a varied and changing workload to meet different deadlines.
• Experience of working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to deliver a common objective.
• Experience of working with internal and external stakeholders to understand their interests and expectations and to secure inputs to successfully deliver your work.
• Experience of working directly with customers and external stakeholders to deliver a service.
• Proven ability to maintain accurate and up-to-date records / case files, with exceptional attention to detail.
• Experience of contributing to improve ways of working.
• Knowledge of regulation and current economic issues. 

Attributes

• Promotes collaboration
• Adaptable thinker
• Creates clarity
• Delivers outcomes 

You can read more about Attributes in Ofwat’s Framework for Success

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.

You will also benefit from:

• • • • 25 days annual leave (increasing to max 30 with each year of service) in addition to 10.5 bank holiday and 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;
      • fees paid for membership of relevant professional bodies;
      • up to 3 volunteering days per year;
      • recognition vouchers;
      • enhanced shared parental leave and pay;
      • enhanced sick pay;
      • cycle-to-work scheme;
      • season ticket loan for travel between home and office;
      • health and well-being initiatives

Job contact :

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

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk