Project Cost Expert

Cardiff, Glasgow, London

As the regulatory authority for Great Britain’s energy industry, Ofgem is committed to ensuring a safe, secure, and sustainable energy supply for British households and businesses.

Working on behalf of energy consumers, Ofgem strives to guarantee a reliable, affordable, and environmentally sustainable energy supply for every household and business in the UK. We play a crucial role in expediting the transition to Net Zero and a carbon-neutral energy system – a goal shared by all.

Join Ofgem’s impactful Large Transmission Project Delivery Team, where you’ll provide advice and expertise as the internal expert. Your role involves crucial advice on large project estimates, project management, and delivery strategies, as well as making funding recommendations to optimise efficiency for consumers.

Collaborate closely with the Network Directorate to ensure incentives and obligations align for a well-functioning connections policy. Engage with various teams – engineering, legal, enforcement, and external communications – to achieve common goals in this high-profile realm.

As a key player, engage with Transmission Owners and the Electricity System Operator, taking proactive ownership of assigned areas. Your responsibilities include providing inclusive corporate leadership, sharing expertise, and supporting development aligned with Ofgem values.

In this dynamic role, you’ll be the internal expert on contracts, procurement, risk management, indirect and direct costs, and program delivery. Coordinate with Team Heads to prioritise and deliver work efficiently, covering all aspects of reform. Prepare briefing materials for key stakeholders, including ExCo, the Board, DESNZ, and others.

Take proactive ownership of deliverables, ensuring timely and high-quality project management. Support the development of a high-performing team through effective resource management and professional development.

Be a Professional Development Lead (PDL) for other experts, offering guidance on personal and professional development in line with professional standards and Ofgem’s Diversity and Inclusion commitments. Enable the development of a high-performing team by providing ongoing coaching and advice, as well as supporting colleagues pursuing professional qualifications.

Build strong internal relationships with Workstream and Portfolio Managers, Analysts, Heads of Professions, and other stakeholders. Externally, engage with government departments, licensees, regulators, industry experts, and more.

This role requires someone who can see the big picture, communicate effectively, make decisions, and provide leadership. If you’re ready to make a significant impact in the energy sector, join us at Ofgem.

Ofgem values inclusion, celebrating diverse voices and experiences. We encourage different perspectives and experiences in our work, making everyone welcome in our inclusive workplace where employees can bring their authentic selves to work.

Ofgem works on behalf of energy consumers to ensure that every household and business in the UK can rely on a safe, affordable and environmentally sustainable energy supply.  We are playing a vital part in accelerating the transition to Net Zero and a carbon neutral energy system – a goal that everyone wants to achieve.  Whatever your role, you’ll be playing your part in creating new energy solutions that are great for customers, and great for the environment. 

Ofgem has a culture of inclusion that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices and experiences of our colleagues. It fuels our innovation and helps ensure we can best represent the consumers and the communities we serve. Everyone is welcome – as an inclusive workplace, our employees are comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work.  

Ofgem operates a Flexible Resourcing model. You may have the opportunity to work flexibly across Ofgem supporting on a range of projects or may have a longer deployment within a team where you have in-demand specialist skills, knowledge, and expertise. For this recruitment campaign there are three roles for which we are currently focused on bringing in skills and expertise.

Large Transmission Project Delivery Team 

In this role, you’ll be expected to operate as Ofgem’s internal expert in the Large Transmission Project Delivery team, providing advice and expertise on: 

• Large project estimates, including unit rates, indirect costs, procurement strategies and pricing mechanisms, risk management, inflation and all aspects of a project cost submission. 
• Project management and delivery strategies 
• Making recommended project funding allowances that reflect the most efficient value to deliver the work in a timely manner for consumers. 
• Methods of enhancing and accelerating project cost reviews 

You will work closely with the broader Network Directorate to ensure that the incentives and obligations on networks are sufficient to ensure a well-functioning connections policy. You will also work closely with other teams such as: engineering, legal, enforcement and external communications team, due to the high-profile nature of this topic area to achieve their goals.  

You will be expected to engage closely with the Transmission Owners and Electricity System Operator 

You will need to take proactive ownership for the deliverables and areas assigned to you. 

You will also need to provide inclusive corporate leadership, using your expertise to provide comprehensive knowledge sharing, support and development that demonstrate commitment to Ofgem values. 

Assist in the development of human capacity and strong record keeping, enhancing Ofgem’s long-term organisational capacity to actively regulate electricity connections. 

Essential Criteria 

• Experience of leading in a complex environment, acting as an internal expert – advising and challenging senior leaders on strategic and operational performance related matters: effectively presenting the risks, trade-offs, and wider commercial and economic considerations to decision makers (LEAD)
• A solid background in the regulation and/or the energy sector.  
• A professional understanding of regulatory approaches, energy policy, generation and/or network businesses
• Relevant regulatory experience
• Experience of estimate analysis and/or commercial management in a capital project environment (LEAD)
• Proven aptitude for system leadership, with an ability to build effective working relationships with teams and a wide range of stakeholders that creates space for constructive, open, and transparent engagement contributing to a culture of inclusion 
• Develops, plans and delivers work outcomes, including clear and transparent work objectives, milestones and success metrics. 

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Please refer to the Candidate Pack and Role Profile attached for full details.

Alongside your salary of £56,000, OFGEM contributes
£15,120 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; 30 days annual leave after 2 years; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; Hybrid working (currently 1 day a week in the office but is in review), flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

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Job contact :

• Name : Cheryl Stobo
• Email : recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk