About the job

Summary

We all depend on water every day. Without safe and reliable water, life would be profoundly disrupted. At Ofwat, we’re working to improve all our lives through water: keeping water clean and always available, bills affordable and helping ensure the health of our rivers and waterways. We have a privileged responsibility at Ofwat. We’re here to ensure that water companies do the right thing: supporting customers and communities, improving the environment, and making sure our water supplies are secure for future generations.

Our new Chief Executive will join an organisation that is ambitious and forward thinking. Our focus includes the environment, long term supply of water, improving performance of water companies for customers, the part we all play in saving water and the affordability of water into the future. At the same time, we look after the needs of more vulnerable customers. We can only meet these challenges and opportunities by working in collaboration with our many stakeholders and by using all the tools at our disposal.

As we embark on our next Price Review (PR24), now more than ever we have a vital role to play in making a difference for people and the planet. There are some profound challenges ahead, and huge, untapped opportunities. Our Chief Executive will have the regulatory and economic skills and experience to lead the delivery of our regulatory responsibilities and realise our ambitions, and the leadership skills to shape a high performing organisation that is a great place to work. You will need to be agile, bold and innovative, as well as experienced in regulation. Above all, you will show you lead with the drive, commitment and skills to make a lasting difference for customers, environment and society.

If you have both a social mission and the skills we are looking for, we look forward to hearing from you.

Job description

We are looking for a Chief Executive who will continue to innovate, building on the success of previous years, in particular: the outcomes we have achieved through PR19 and are preparing to deliver through PR24. That is likely to mean: an increasing focus on the long term; the delivery of greater environmental and social value; a clearer understanding of customers and communities; and improvements through efficiency and innovation. These goals reflect the outcomes that we want for customers and the environment. They interlink with and complement each other, and the price review must deliver on them all. In addition, we want to continue our work to improve the transparency of water companies and their boards, to improve leadership and governance within the sector, and to ensure the financial resilience of the sector. We expect to push the companies to achieve much more for water customers and the environment day-to-day and in the longer term.

We want our Chief Executive to build on the change and transformation we have already delivered by translating our strategy into action – for example through our £200m Innovation Fund, Green Recovery work and taking enforcement action where companies do not live up to the high expectations that we set. We want to ensure public trust and confidence in the vital services we regulate which is at the heart of everything we do.

Reporting to the Board, the Chief Executive will have responsibility for the operational and strategic management of Ofwat. The Chief Executive must ensure that Ofwat maintains a strong reputation for economic and regulatory practice, in particular being accountable for the delivery of a robust and effective PR24 - which is at a critical time for Ofwat and the water industry. At the same time, we need our Chief Executive to have a view to the longer-term strategic agenda. We need an experienced regulator and leader to lead this work and our wider strategy implementation.

Responsibilities

To provide effective, strong and inspirational leadership across Ofwat, setting the strategic direction and enabling delivery to achieve outcomes.

• To ensure effective, empowering ways of working, the right culture, champion our SAILOR values and work alongside our strong Senior Leadership Team in leading Ofwat.

• To maintain and evolve an inclusive culture where our people are valued, everyone is treated fairly, empowered to thrive, and our people are representative of the communities we serve. Embedding hybrid working across Ofwat supporting our people to sustain a work life balance.

• To develop and implement a progressive and innovative regulatory regime in the water and wastewater sectors designed to make full use of all available tools including market and competitive forces so as to promote the interests of consumers and the long-term sustainability of the sector. Ensure the approach meets all Ofwat’s statutory duties and is underpinned both by sound evidence base and also by sound business judgement.

To take accountability for Ofwat’s planning, implementation and delivery of the 2024 price review and of longer-term regulatory commitments from companies, leading a process which sets appropriate challenges, funding, service and delivery targets.

• To co-ordinate strategically the work across Ofwat and ensure we can respond flexibly and effectively to unplanned events and opportunities. Take executive responsibility for decisions within the delegations and policy frameworks set by Ofwat.

• Within guidelines to be agreed with the Chair, to lead externally on the executive relationships with companies, government, fellow regulators, consumer bodies, environmental groups and other third parties. Develop effective relationships at CEO level with companies we regulate, maintaining flexibility to represent Ofwat effectively with all the various approaches a regulator needs. Work collaboratively with government and other regulators on policy and regulatory matters and on a no-surprises basis. Ensure Ofwat listens widely to external stakeholders.

• To ensure everyone understands their role in delivering Ofwat’s strategy and forward programme.

• As accounting officer, to be accountable to Parliament for ensuring that Ofwat operates in line with Cabinet Office and other relevant controls on us, and to ensure that Ofwat operates in line with the principles of Managing Public Money.

Benefits

We also offer a range of additional benefits. These include:

• access to our package of benefits via our ‘Edenred’ scheme. This is a voluntary benefits scheme where staff have access to exclusive discounts on a range of goods and services such as retail outlets, theatre tickets, holidays, insurance and gym membership;

• cycle-to-work scheme

season ticket loan for travel between home and office;

• flexible working arrangements;

• fees paid for membership of relevant professional bodies;

• regular professional development;

• health and wellbeing initiatives; and

• free eye tests and contribution towards lenses/spectacles for VDU users, if appropriate.