Location
London (East), Birmingham and flexible home working

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£38,764 per annum

About the Role
Join Ofwat’s RAPID Team as an Economist - RAPID & Environmental Planning. This is a fixed term appointment for 18 months based in Birmingham (B5 4UA) with hybrid working options. Ofwat is the Water Services Regulation Authority, a non-ministerial government department responsible for regulating the water sector in England and Wales. Following the Independent Water Commission’s final report, the UK government has set out a bold new direction to deliver better outcomes for customers and the environment by collaborating with government and other regulators to establish a new body for England. While these changes take shape, Ofwat’s mission remains to hold water companies to account, drive performance, and ensure the sector delivers real value for customers, communities, and the environment.

The Independent Water Commission published their final report on the water sector regulatory system in July 2025. Ofwat continues to focus on ensuring the £104 billion investment package delivers maximum benefits. The RAPID team, established in 2019 as a partnership between Ofwat, the Environment Agency, and the Drinking Water Inspectorate, facilitates the development and funding of large-scale strategic water supply options. Following the PR24 final determination, the number of strategic water supply schemes overseen by RAPID has increased from 18 to 28.

As an Economist at Senior Associate level, you will contribute to shaping the future of water regulation by developing policy and regulatory frameworks for major water infrastructure projects. You will lead projects exploring innovative commercial models to secure reliable water supplies and help shape commercial, regulatory, and institutional arrangements with lasting societal impact.

Experience
- Strong economics background with an undergraduate degree in economics or a discipline with significant economic/numerate content, or equivalent experience.
- Proven experience applying economic theory and techniques to real-world policy and/or regulatory problems, including one or more of the following: incentive design and risk allocation; cost assessment and modelling; market design and development; mechanisms to facilitate third party delivery of infrastructure.
- Strong strategic thinking and understanding of regulatory policy, supported by sound economic theory and commercial principles.
- Proven ability to build and sustain effective working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, understanding diverse needs and influencing to achieve shared objectives.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, able to explain economic concepts clearly to non-technical audiences.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, experienced in interpreting data and insights to inform evidence-based decisions.
- Ability to plan, prioritise, and deliver multiple projects and programmes simultaneously.

About you
You are a strategic thinker with a passion for economic regulation and water sector challenges. You thrive in complex organisational environments, enjoy collaborating across teams and stakeholders, and are motivated by making a positive impact on society and the environment. You communicate clearly and effectively, and you are adept at managing multiple priorities with professionalism and agility.

Qualifications
An undergraduate degree in economics or a related numerate discipline is essential. Equivalent professional experience demonstrating the required economic and analytical skills will also be considered.