Policy and PMO Principal

Requirements of the role

We have an opportunity for a Policy and PMO Principal to join our Business Performance / PMO Hub within Office of the Chief Executive and Sector Performance Directorate.

The Sector Performance Directorate supports Ofwat’s objective to be an assertive voice in strategic and investment decision-making for the sector. We work with governments and other regulators to shape the future direction and transformation of the water sector through alignment with the vision and mission of the governments in the UK and Wales, and with other stakeholders.

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.

Job description
The Role

We are looking for a Policy and PMO (Principal) to join our Office of the Chief Executive directorate. As a key member of the Business Performance / PMO Hub you will be aligned to our Sector Performance directorate.

Your responsibilities in policy development and advice will encompass both policy and strategy as well as project development, governance and implementation. You will be responsible for working collaboratively across the Directorate and across Ofwat to support the delivery of the Directorate’s objectives and key results, aligned with Ofwat’s strategy. The role requires effective, proactive programme management to ensure we deliver on our ambitions.

Each strand of work in the Directorate’s portfolio is different, with diverse needs for policy development and for project / portfolio management support in delivery and to meet Ofwat’s governance requirements. Some have long-standing programmes of work, others are developing new policy, and other teams are responding at pace to external requirements, for example, in the development of legislation. All teams within the Directorate engage externally with a range of stakeholders including both UK and Welsh governments and our work is cross-cutting and critical to Ofwat’s strategy.

The Directorate has been working on the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 and will be pivotal in the support to government on any new legislation in the sector following the Cunliffe review. We are driving improvements in our oversight of company performance and our approach to asset health; and in company financial resilience. The Directorate is also leading the implementation of Ofwat’s data strategy.

Key deliverables:

In this role you will be expected to:

Lead on the development, design and implementation of a range of high-priority policy and strategy projects which align with Ofwat’s strategic goals.
Build relationships with a range of stakeholders internal and external to Ofwat.
Ensure robust and achievable plans are in place to meet Directorate objectives, working closely with teams across Ofwat to make sure we have the right resources in place at the right time.
Support effective and proportionate governance and reporting arrangements, co- ordinating input from across the Sector Performance Directorate to monitor progress against plans and providing analysis of performance for review by governance bodies.
Set the agenda for governance within the Directorate and other forums to ensure timely decisions to support delivery, taking action to resolve issues and prevent delays.
Implement a system for facilitating the identification, analysis and monitoring of Directorate risks and issues.
Have People Leader responsibilities for one member of staff.

View on member website