Commercial Policy Lead

Birmingham (B5 4UA) or London (E14 4HD) based with hybrid working

We're hiring a Commercial Policy Lead to join our Regulatory and Commercial (R&C) Frameworks team. This is a unique and exciting, once in a career, opportunity for someone with commercial and infrastructure experience to work on some of the most important capital projects in the water sector.

You'll be working for Ofwat but allocated to the cross regulator RAPID (Regulator’s Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development) and Environmental Planning (EP) Directorate to support its work.

Job description

As the Principal Commercial Policy lead you will join the team at an exciting time, as we have just completed an important consultation on commercial structures / arrangements required for major infrastructure. The responses to the consultation will be instrumental in helping us develop our final policy proposals on a range of issues which are new to the water sector. You can see more on this and our previous consultations here - RAPID publications - Ofwat. This role will provide an opportunity to lead a small team undertaking this work.

The Regulatory & Commercial (R&C) team plays an important role in identifying and proposing options to address possible regulatory and commercial barriers for the delivery of new major infrastructure. The existing R&C frameworks are evolving to take account of new policy, such as on the delivery of major infrastructure through competitive procurement and third parties instead of in-house by water companies, as has historically occurred. For example, there are additional contractual arrangements required between third parties, and that can change the risk profile for projects.

The role offers the opportunity to work collaboratively with other teams in Ofwat, including the Major Projects and Markets Team, which project manages the major infrastructure solutions in the RAPID programme to completion from the procurement stage. The role provides a chance to create a lasting impact for customers for generations to come and create a legacy.

Key deliverables:

Commercial policy

* Manage, provide direction and deliver the workplan for the commercial policy workstreams in collaboration with RAPID / Ofwat colleagues.

* Collaborate with Ofwat, external experts and water companies to develop and evaluate impacts of policy options, to enable RAPID to propose final options to take through RAPID/Ofwat governance process for approval.

* Oversee development of future consultations and engagement plans to achieve extensive feedback on proposals.

* Contribute to the wider work of RAPID to support the progression of its programme of infrastructure options through the development (gated) process.

Engagement

* Briefings and presentations (internal/external) on the policy areas to explain and seek internal agreement to the proposals, and external views.

* Attend external meetings with regulators, Governments and water industry leads to explain aspects of our regulatory and commercial workstreams.

People Management

* Manage a team of 2-3 Senior Associates / Associates including providing strategic oversight of the workplan; allocating / delegating work to the team; and supporting them in their development.

All these areas will require close working with legal, economic or communication experts in Ofwat as well as with external stakeholders.

To be successful in this role you will need the below essential attributes, experience, skills and knowledge.

* Lead criterion: Experience of commercial policy development within a relevant sector (utilities / regulator / public sectors).

* Experience of problem identification, scoping and solution delivery.

* Excellent written and oral communication skills needed to explain policy issues and policy options and work with internal and external stakeholders.

* Experience of working under pressure - planning, prioritising and managing a varied and changing work programme / workload to meet different, and often tight, deadlines.

* Experience of managing and developing a team in developing quickly evolving policy areas.

* Ability to work independently, and as part of a team, using creativity and innovative approaches.

Attributes

Attributes as per Ofwat’s Framework for Success Principal Grade. You can read more about attributes here. Whilst we aim for Ofwat employees to adopt all attributes, the ones below are essential for this post:

* Promotes collaboration

* Adaptable thinker

* Delivers outcomes

* Committed Learner

You will also benefit from:

* Excellent employer pension contributions, for this role ranging from £15,942 to £19,699.

* 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.

* Regular development opportunities.

* Health and wellbeing initiatives.

* Season ticket loan for home-to-office travel.

* Cycle-to-work scheme