Water Efficiency and Innovation Lead

Requirements of the role

We’re looking for a Water Efficiency and Innovation Lead to join our Water Resources team within the RAPID and Environmental Planning directorate at Principal level.

This is an exciting time to join the team. Reducing demand for water is essential, especially during the first decade of the current water resources management plans (WRMPs). Water companies are scaling up investment in the shift to smart metering (£1.7billion of new investment and over 10 million smart meters being installed). The review of final WRMPs projects ~450 million litres of water per day will be saved due to metering by 2049-50 and ~50% households and businesses will have a smart meter by 2030. However, there are risks if not delivered.

Ofwat has also launched a £100 million water efficiency fund to help deliver a transformative, sustained, and measurable reduction in water demand across England and Wales. The aim of the fund is to stimulate a transformative, sustained, and measurable reduction in water demand across England and Wales by using a range of water efficiency approaches. We want to encourage collaboration and innovation that would not, and historically has not, otherwise happened.

This is a unique opportunity for someone with experience of smart metering, water efficiency, or innovation within the water sector and/or experience of implementing a smart metering programme within the utility or energy sectors. You will lead a small team responsible for the development of specific areas of water resource and water efficiency strategy and policy. This includes driving the development of smart metering strategies and shaping the delivery of the £25 million Water Efficiency Lab innovation challenges.

You will have the opportunity to collaborate with wider government departments, regulators, and with a varied range of stakeholders on key policy issues. This includes the Smart Water Metering Delivery Group (SWMDG) governance, bringing together Ofwat, Environment Agency (EA), Defra (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs), MOSL (Market Operator Services Limited), CCW (Consumer Council for Water), water companies, and others to develop standards and regulation to coordinate the national rollout.

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