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Legal Services
Policy
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About the job
Job summary
Were Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority a non-ministerial government department responsible for regulating the water sector in England and Wales.
Were 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 weve 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, weve consistently demonstrated our commitment to embracing innovative ways of working. We know our people do their best work when given freedom over where, when, and how they work. Which is why we trust them to do exactly that.
Please read the attached “Candidate Information Pack” to find more about why you should join Ofwat.
Job description
We are looking for two Senior Associate Legal Advisers to join our growing Legal Team which is part of the Office of the Chief Executive Directorate. We work with all Directorates in Ofwat, embedded in the policy teams’ work, to help evolve and deliver Ofwat’s strategy, whilst navigating and managing legal risk. We pride ourselves on providing high quality, pragmatic, solutions-focussed advice, clearly, simply and concisely.
You will be working flexibly across the range of Ofwat’s work, from longer-term policy projects to urgent, ad hoc matters requiring an immediate response. The primary focus of the role will be as set out under the Key Deliverables below, although there may also be other areas of Ofwat’s work where advice may be requested.
Key Deliverables:
In this role you will be expected to:
- Provide high quality, timely and solutions-focussed legal advice across a number of Directorates, workstreams and projects;
- Be fully involved in helping policy teams develop and deliver strategically focussed policy which is legally robust;
- Be an adaptable thinker and incorporate wider considerations into your work, helping to identify and manage organisational risks and opportunities;
- Demonstrate good judgement and to create clarity and build trust through effective communication and collaboration;
- Proactively share skills and knowledge, and support others in doing this; and
- Support Ofwats relationships with external law firms and legal counsel, other regulators and government.
Person specification
To be successful in this role you will need the below essential attributes, experience, skills and knowledge.
Experience, skills and knowledge
- Qualified Solicitor or Barrister in England and Wales or at least 3 years experience acting in a role akin to that of a qualified Solicitor or Barrister in a legal environment.
- Material experience of working in a complex organisation within the water sector and/or another regulated utility sector in the specific areas of regulatory, public and administrative law or competition law.
- Material experience of delivering solutions-focussed legal advice on the development and implementation of policy objectives and/or the implementation of strategic government projects and programmes.
- Material experience of successfully applying analytical skills in a complex legislative structure within an innovative policy environment.
- Material experience of successfully influencing and/or negotiating with internal and external stakeholders, including colleagues, government departments, external lawyers, counterparties, and partner organisations.
- Material experience of effective and efficient planning, including prioritisation and delegation.
Attributes
- Adaptable Thinker
- Creates Clarity
- Builds Trust
Benefits
- Excellent employer pension contributions, for this role ranging from £9,967 to £12,150. You can find further details about pension schemes 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
- Free eye tests and contribution to lenses/spectacles for VDU users
- Regular development opportunities
- Health and wellbeing initiatives
- Season ticket loan for home-to-office travel
Things you need to know
Selection process details
How to apply
Apply through the Civil Service Jobs website where youll be asked to create an account and complete an application form (CV and personal statement). If youre unable to make an electronic application, please contact recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk and we will support you in completing your application.
Please ensure you have submitted your application in full ahead of the deadline listed below. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to consider late applications.
Selection timetable
- Closing date: 2nd of January 2024 at 23:55
- Sifting: 3rd – 4th of January 2024
- Interview date(s): w/c 8th of January 2024 and w/c 15th of January 2024
Assessment process
Sift Stage
We operate a blind sifting model to eliminate bias. All candidate identifying information will be removed from applications.
At sift stage we assess your application against key essential skills, experience, and knowledge, listed in the professional requirements section above.
In your application (CV and Personal Statement), please state clearly how your skills, experience, and knowledge meet the essential criteria.
Please ensure that anything submitted as part of your application is factually accurate, and you are not presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by AI, as your own.
Interview Stage
Our transparent interview process involves candidates receiving a list of attribute-based questions in advance. This has been proven to help neurodiverse candidates and others to perform better at interview and is part of our inclusive culture.
At interview stage we will test against attributes, as well as skills, experience, and knowledge (set out in the professional requirements section). You can read more about attributes and our Framework for success here.
As part of the interview process, we will require a short presentation. Further details will be provided to candidates upon invitation to interview.
Please note that the interviews will be conducted via video conferencing software (Microsoft Teams)
If you have any queries about any aspect of this role, selection process, or you require any reasonable adjustments please email recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk.
Please read the attached Candidate Pack for details on Terms and Conditions.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk
- Email : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk