Location
London and West Midlands

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£59,660 per annum

About the Role
We are Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority, a non-ministerial government department responsible for regulating the water sector in England and Wales. The water sector is entering a new chapter with a bold new direction set by the government, bringing together expertise across the sector to deliver better outcomes for customers and the environment. We collaborate with fellow regulators to respond to key reports and government strategies shaping the future of water governance in England and Wales.

As a Water Resources Planning Lead within our Water Supply team in the RAPID and Environmental Planning directorate at Principal level, you will play a critical role in addressing unprecedented sector challenges. You will lead engagement with governments, regulators, and stakeholders on national water resources and investment policy, including delivery of the 2024 water resource management plans (WRMP24), preparations for WRMP29, and the 2029 price review (PR29).

You will coordinate with partner regulators such as the Drinking Water Inspectorate, Environment Agency, Natural England, and Natural Resources Wales to align policy development and technical assessments. Using forums like the Technical Advisory Group (TAG), you will communicate and consult on Ofwat's water resources policy decisions and technical issues, while steering new planning frameworks under Defra's White Paper on a new vision for water.

Leading a technical team, you will design and plan approaches to meet statutory responsibilities and align work across related regulatory frameworks and processes. This includes involvement in the government's Water Delivery Taskforce, Ofwat's PR24 and PR29 teams, and collaboration with principal leads for strategic resource options (SROs) in the RAPID programme. Your work will hold water companies accountable for delivering value to customers and protecting the environment.

Experience
- Relevant experience in water resources planning, including planning frameworks, supply scheme development, water efficiency, or environmental strategy. This may be regulatory, technical, or policy experience within the water sector.
- Academic or professional experience of wider environmental issues with good knowledge of those related to the water industry.
- Significant experience in policy development and implementation, or designing and delivering programmes of work in a relevant field.
- Highly numerate with experience leading and completing complex technical analysis, critically evaluating others' work, and providing evidence-based recommendations.
- Proven ability to build and maintain constructive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, influencing decisions and delivering outcomes across organisational boundaries.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, capable of explaining complex concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences to inform policy making and decision making.

About you
Passionate about making a positive impact in the water sector, collaborative, and motivated to lead and influence across multiple organisations. You thrive in a dynamic environment and are committed to delivering real value for customers, communities, and the environment.

Qualifications
Relevant academic or professional qualifications in water resources, environmental science, policy, or related disciplines are desirable but not explicitly stated as mandatory.