Location
Reading

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£65,000 - £75,000 per annum, depending on experience

About the Role
The water sector in England and Wales is on the brink of major reform with the upcoming Clean Water Bill and significant policy and regulatory changes. This transformation will reshape how the sector plans, invests, and delivers improved service, resilience, and environmental outcomes. As Regulatory Policy Lead, you will influence the evolution of water policy and regulation, helping to define what ‘good’ looks like and driving lasting change.

You will own and deliver discrete regulatory policy submissions and support governance around business-wide regulatory policy representations. Engaging internal stakeholders across the business, you will marshal and distil policy evidence and arguments, securing agreement from senior leaders including the Executive Committee and Board. Given the fast-moving nature of regulatory change, you will adeptly manage multiple projects using agile systems to maintain alignment across a broad regulatory agenda.

Leveraging your external networks, you will identify opportunities to promote change through other stakeholders.

Key responsibilities include:
- Horizon scanning to interpret external regulatory policy intelligence, identifying opportunities and risks, and ensuring implications are communicated and acted upon, including corporate risk management integration.
- Developing and maintaining regulatory positions on existing and new requirements, providing evidence-led feedback informed by operational and infrastructure realities.
- Leading policy consultation responses by drawing on expertise within Thames Water and externally, supporting major cross-cutting responses.
- Managing a forward ‘grid’ of policy consultations and tracking these with KPIs to measure delivery and external impact.

Join Thames Water at a pivotal moment in its turnaround and regulatory reform journey, playing a meaningful role in shaping the future while advancing your career.

Experience
- Previous experience in utility or infrastructure regulation, preferably within the water industry (company, regulator, or advisor) or comparable infrastructure sectors.
- Proven experience in policy development.
- Demonstrated ability to convey complex subject matter, including data, clearly and simply, with effective oral and written advocacy.
- Highly organised with experience managing a portfolio of initiatives and coordinating cross-functional subject matter experts.
- Track record of building and maintaining effective internal and external relationships to deliver change.
- Credibility and impact with senior external stakeholders.

About you
- Strategic thinker with strong analytical skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment.
- Excellent communicator, able to influence and secure agreement at senior levels.
- Collaborative and proactive, with a passion for driving regulatory and policy improvements.
- Agile and adaptable, comfortable working across diverse teams and stakeholders.

Qualifications
- Relevant qualifications or professional experience in regulation, policy, or related fields are desirable but not explicitly required.