There are a wide variety of career paths you can follow at Ofwat, making the most of your experience and career aspirations. Check out the ‘Role overview’ section for more information about how we organise our work in our directorates.
Spotlight roles
Here we're spotlighting three roles we frequently recruit. Each play a crucial part in helping us to drive transformative change in the water industry, so that it delivers better outcomes for customers and the environment, now and in the future.
Economist Senior Associate & Principal
Undertake numerical and economic analysis to inform policy decisions which have a meaningful impact on society and the environment.
You'll be able to bring economics to life when faced with real-world economic problems to reach sensible recommendations and incorporate complexity where necessary. You'll need strong analytical skills, including the ability to collect and assess evidence to inform robust decisions. You’ll have a degree in economics or a related field with significant economic focus.
You'll be comfortable presenting findings and proposals to internal and external stakeholders. You'll be able to explain complex technical issues to non-technical audiences. Working as part of, or leading, a multi-disciplinary team, you’ll be expected to take responsibility for your work areas.
Our economists engage in a wide range of activities across Ofwat in several of our directorates, such as Price Review, Major Markets, RAPID & Environmental Planning, and Office of the Chief Executive. Each directorate brings the opportunity to develop detailed understanding of the area and develop specialism while refining broader economist skills.
Environment Senior Associate
Help shape Ofwat's approach to water regulation in England and Wales, using your skills and experience to improve our water environment.
You’ll be comfortable representing Ofwat and communicating Ofwat policy to environmental stakeholders. You’ll provide advice and make recommendations, ensuring Ofwat understands and can incorporate environment policy into its work, proactively sharing skills and knowledge. And you'll forge excellent links across the water sector in relation to environmental policy.
You’ll understand environmental issues and have experience of the water/wastewater sector with a data analytical background. While your ability to work effectively across organisational boundaries and challenge the status quo will be essential.
Policy Specialist Senior Associate
Help us develop, review, and enhance our current policies, then assist with the implementation of new ones. For this, you’ll need knowledge of policy development and experience of working through the policy cycle from understanding the problem at hand to implementing a solution and evaluating its success.
You’ll be able to take complex information and make it easy-to-understand for all audiences, regardless of their technical knowledge. You can also collaborate and effectively engage with stakeholders, both internally and externally, to gather and share information and to solve regulatory problems. You’ll have an analytical approach and be able to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
Our policy roles engage in a wide range of activities across Ofwat. There are a number of directorates where policy specialists are required, such as Price Review, Major Markets, RAPID & Environmental Planning, Sector Performance, Casework, Enforcement and Customers. Each directorate brings the opportunity to develop detailed understanding of the area and develop specialism while refining broader policy skills.
Our Directorates
Here’s a quick overview of the various areas you could work in at Ofwat.
Price Review
Through the review process, we decide what companies must deliver for the next five years (and beyond) and then set revenue limits so that companies can recover their costs. We incentivise companies to outperform stretching targets across essential activities. All with the end goal of ensuring better outcomes for customers and the environment.
Casework, Enforcement and Customers
We investigate and resolve relevant customer disputes or water company failures, to ensure that water and wastewater companies meet their legal obligations to their customers, society and the environment. We also assess applications from companies wanting to be granted a licence to serve customers in the water sector.
Major Projects & Markets
We oversee the development, procurement and delivery of Major Projects for the water sector, such as the Thames Tideway Tunnel. This includes responsibility for frameworks to deliver third party competition such as Direct Procurement for Customers and Specified Infrastructure Projects Regulations. We are also responsible for the Business Retail Market, Developer Services and Charging regimes.
Office of the Chief Executive
Professional teams that work across the whole of Ofwat including Legal, Corporate Governance, Communications, Chief Economist's Team, Investor Relations, Information Governance, Executive Assistants and Board Secretariat.
Sector Performance
We drive transformation in water companies' performance using insight from our operational and financial monitoring. We also boost sector and company performance by regularly, visibly, and proactively challenging companies on their performance, using data and operational expertise.
RAPID and Environmental Planning
Set up in 2019, RAPID (the Regulators' Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development) consists of a partnership between Ofwat, the Environment Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate. We help accelerate the development of new water infrastructure and design future regulatory frameworks. We work with stakeholders, improving regulation and removing barriers, and helping the sector respond to long-term water resources challenges.
Corporate Enablers
We provide internal professional support services that enable Ofwat to be a high-performing organisation that is effective, efficient, and continually improving. Our teams include Finance, People Hub, Procurement, IT and Facilities and Workforce Management.