Head of Turnaround Policy and Performance

We are looking for a Head of Turnaround Policy and Performance to lead on Ofwat’s oversight activities for companies in our Turnaround Oversight Regime. This is a high-profile role which will lead and drive necessary turnaround performance monitoring for poorly performing companies and will support our evolving approach to how we regulate the sector.

You will be managing a matrix team within Ofwat and leading on Ofwat’s activities and relationship interface with advisors, water company(s) and government stakeholders. Your role will be instrumental in developing constructive outcomes to companies with deep operational and financial resilience challenges and setting a strategic course in an uncertain and complex landscape. You will be supported by a matrix of technical, legal, data and analytical expertise across Ofwat. We will shortly transition from the 2020-25 period to the 2025-30 period. With a new regulatory period comes the prospect of change, reset and opportunity to really shape the sustainable future of the water sector; particularly on how we as the economic regulator hold companies to account for performance. You will help create the conditions for delivering meaningful and transformational change for customers, stakeholders and the environment.

Experience of working within the water sector is desirable, however, we will consider applications from a variety of regulatory backgrounds (for example, water, energy, rail, telecoms etc. In fields such as; regulation, policy/strategy development, economics, operations, finance).

You will work closely with colleagues within the directorate, across Ofwat and the wider industry. This role will require you to adapt to different working styles, working collaboratively across different teams, organisations and disciplines. Building trusted and collaborative relationships, synthesising data and insight from a variety of teams and sources will be essential to success.

You can find out more about why you should join Ofwat, our strategy, values and our framework for success in the attached Information for Candidates Pack.

Key deliverables:

• Reporting to the Director of Financial Resilience, your key objectives in this role will be to manage Ofwat activities, policy and processes for companies in our Turnaround Oversight Regime ensuring we achieve our aim of overseeing and transforming company performance.

• Lead and project manage high profile activities across Ofwat and other stakeholders, for companies in Turnaround, against challenging timescales utilising data from multiple policy areas. This may involve leading the work of consultants or delivering key outputs and publications to challenging timetables for a variety of audiences.

• Lead and develop clear, well researched updates and insights on progress towards operational and financial resilience on company(s) in Turnaround for Directors, Senior Directors and Board based on the evaluation generated from yourself and the wider team.

• Provide policy expertise and thought leadership at a time of competing priorities and change as we transition from one period to the next.

• Provide coaching and support to colleagues, proactively sharing skills and knowledge and contributing to continuous improvement. Some people leadership and management experience will be required.

Ofwat is an agile working environment, so you can expect opportunities to support other directorates and to move around the organisation as work priorities shift.