Company Engagement Specialist

Job summary

We are Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority, a non-ministerial government department responsible for regulating the water sector in England and Wales.

We have an opportunity for a Company Engagement Specialist to join our Company Engagement Team within our Delivery Directorate.

The water sector is entering a new chapter. The government has set out a bold new direction, bringing together expertise from across the sector to deliver better outcomes for customers and the environment. We are collaborating with fellow regulators to respond to recommendations in The Independent Water Commission Report, the Welsh Government’s response to the Green Paper, Shaping the Future of Water Governance in Wales, and the Government’s White Paper, A new vision for water.

Ofwat is working with the government and other regulators to help create a new body for England, bringing together our strengths with those of the Drinking Water Inspectorate, the Environment Agency and Natural England. We are also continuing to work with the Welsh Government to support decisions on the future arrangements for Wales.

While these changes take shape, our mission remains the same: to hold water companies to account, drive performance, and ensure the sector delivers real value for customers, communities, and the environment. If you’re passionate about making a difference, this is a unique moment to join us and help shape the future of water, and together we can continue to make a positive impact.

You can find out more about why you should join Ofwat, our strategy, values and our framework for success in the attached Information for Candidates Pack.

Job description

The Company Engagement team

The Company Engagement Team plays a central role in Ofwat's regulation of the water sector by leading and supporting coordinated, consistent, and strategic engagement with water companies. The team also brings together and maintains company insight and knowledge to support informed, aligned, and impactful oversight. As Ofwat continues to evolve its approach to supervision, the team is increasingly supporting more complex cross-organisational coordination and holistic company oversight.

The team:

• provides extensive internal and external stakeholder management activities, with a principle focus on the relationship between Ofwat and water companies;
• leads and supports the execution of strategic engagement between Ofwat and companies;
• brings together intelligence, evidence and insight from across Ofwat, water companies and external stakeholders to identify emerging risks, understand company performance and support informed regulatory decision-making in an increasingly supervisory context.

The role

​​​​​​​We are seeking a Senior Associate who combines strong analytical, communication, organisational and relationship-management skills to support effective regulatory engagement and company-specific supervision.

You will play a substantive role in developing Ofwat’s understanding of individual water companies, bringing together intelligence from across the organisation to identify key issues, risks and priorities. You will support Ofwat’s relationships with water companies and, as your knowledge and experience develop, may take greater responsibility for engagement with allocated companies. You will also support Principals on companies requiring more intensive supervision.

Company Engagement is a central point of coordination for Ofwat’s relationships with water companies. As part of the role, you will help keep the team operating effectively by supporting the management of engagement, correspondence, meetings, company information, records and actions.

This role would suit someone who enjoys working collaboratively, analysing and distilling complex information, building effective relationships and turning evidence into clear insights. You will also be comfortable taking responsibility for the practical coordination needed to keep a busy team operating effectively.

You will need to be highly organised, comfortable managing a range of information and competing priorities, and willing to work flexibly across both substantive regulatory work and day-to-day team activities. You will be expected to take ownership of tasks through to completion and deliver high-quality work to agreed timescales.

Key deliverables

In this role you will be expected to:

• Support company relationships - Support day-to-day engagement with allocated water companies, building effective relationships and contributing to effective and constructive engagement.
• Support whole-company oversight and supervision - bring together intelligence on company performance, risks and regulatory activity; contribute to and maintain Regulatory Strategies; track actions and milestones; and identify emerging issues for further consideration or escalation.
• Analyse and communicate company issues - analyse information from multiple sources, identify key issues and implications, and produce clear briefings, correspondence, presentations and other regulatory products.
• Coordinate activity across Ofwat - work with policy and specialist teams to share intelligence, coordinate company-facing activity, follow through agreed actions and support major regulatory programmes support wider regulatory work.
• Support the effective operation of the team – support the management of the Company Engagement mailbox and correspondence; maintain accurate company records, trackers and systems; coordinate meetings, papers and actions; and undertake other coordination activity as required.
• Improve how we work - contribute to the development and effective operation of Company Engagement’s processes, tools, systems and ways of working.

Person specification

To be successful in this role you will need the below essential attributes, experience, skills and knowledge:

1. Regulatory understanding (Lead criterion) - An understanding of regulation, public policy, utilities or a comparable environment, and the ability to apply that understanding to support effective regulatory work.
2. Analysis and judgement - Experience of bringing together information from different sources, identifying key issues and implications and communicating clear conclusions. Ability to develop an understanding of a new or complex area quickly.
3. Communication and relationships - Experience of building effective professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate confidently and explain information clearly and concisely for different audiences.
4. Organisation and coordination - Strong organisational skills, with experience of coordinating activity, managing information and competing priorities, maintaining accurate records and following actions through to completion.
5. Ownership and adaptability - Ability to take responsibility for allocated work, use judgement to solve problems and respond flexibly when priorities change, while delivering good-quality work to deadlines.

Attributes

6. Promotes collaboration

7. Adaptable thinker

8. Delivers outcomes

Attributes as per Ofwat’s Framework for Success for Senior Associate Grade. You can read more about our attributes here.

Benefits

Why You Should Join Us:

Our people are at the heart of Ofwat, and our People Strategy defines the goals that keep this focus central to everything we do. Our 2025 People Survey highlights several key strengths. Nine in ten colleagues say that they are treated with respect and that Ofwat values individual differences. The same proportion say that their work is meaningful and that they are being trusted to carry out their roles effectively. 79% of our people rated their manager highly, and 85% described their team environment as positive.

• Excellent employer pension contributions. You can find further details about pension schemes under Terms and Conditions in the Candidate Pack.
• 25 days’ annual leave (increasing to 30 with each year of service) plus bank holidays and an extra 2.5 days of privilege leave
• Access to exclusive discounts on a variety of goods and services, including retail outlets, theatre tickets, holidays, insurance, and a gym membership
• Flexible working arrangements that suit your lifestyle
• Fees paid for membership of relevant professional bodies
• Up to 3 volunteering days per year
• Recognition vouchers scheme
• Generous shared parental leave and pay
• Enhanced sick pay
• Regular development opportunities
• Health and wellbeing initiatives
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Season ticket loan for home-to-office travel
• Free eye tests and contribution to lenses/spectacles for VDU users

Moving to Ofwat from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Find out more at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

How to apply

Apply through the Civil Service Jobs website where you’ll be asked to create an account and complete an application form (CV and personal statement). If you’re unable to make an electronic application, please contact recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk and we will support you in completing your application.

Please see the candidate guidance on our website for more detail and tips on how to best make your application and prepare for interview.

Please ensure you have submitted your application in full ahead of the deadline listed below. Unfortunately, we won't be able to consider late applications.

Selection timetable

• Closing date: 23:55 on 08 November 2026
• Sifting: 09-10 November 2026
• Interview date(s): Week commencing 16 November 2026

Assessment process

Sift Stage – Blind Sifting

We operate a blind sifting model to eliminate bias. All candidate identifying information will be removed from applications.

At sift stage we will assess your application (CV and personal statement) against essential criteria 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 listed above. Please ensure you provide enough evidence in your application form to demonstrate how you meet the criteria. Use your personal statement to address the lead criterion (criterion 1).

*Please note that in the event of receiving a large number of applications, a pre-sift may take place on just the lead criterion.

** If a high volume of candidates meet the minimum pass mark at sift stage, we will only progress the highest scoring candidates to interview. Candidates not invited to interview, who have achieved the minimum pass mark, will be placed 'on hold' until the final stage of the assessment process is completed. Should the role/s remain unfilled, candidates placed 'on hold' may be invited to interview in merit order.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. For further information on appropriate/inappropriate use of AI see the Civil Service guidance. Please note this guidance refers to ' Civil Service Success Profiles' Civil Service assessment framework. At Ofwat we do not use this in our assessments - please refer to our Framework for Success as listed above.

Interview Stage – interview and presentation task

At interview stage we will test against essential skills, experience, knowledge and attributes set out above.

Our transparent interview process involves candidates receiving a selection of attribute-based questions in advance. This has been proven to help neurodiverse candidates and others to perform better at interview and is part of our inclusive culture.

You can read more about attributes and our Framework for success here.

Please note that the interviews will be conducted via video conferencing software (Microsoft Teams).

As part of the interview process, we will require a short presentation task. You will be required to review some information and provide a short 5-minute presentation at the interview. Further details will be provided to candidates upon invitation to interview.

Please ensure anything you present in your interview answers is factually accurate, and you are not presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by AI, as your own. You may expect follow up questions.

It may be necessary for a second stage interview, which will be communicated to the successful candidates, if required.

If the assessment process identifies more appointable candidates than roles available, a reserve list will be created for 12 months from which further appointments in merit order can be made.

'Near-miss' candidates (candidates who have performed well at interview stage but haven’t scored high enough for the advertised Senior Associate band) may be considered (in merit order) for a Associate grade post – a band lower than Senior Associate. Further details will be provided to candidates as needed.

If you have any queries about any aspect of this role, selection process, or you require any reasonable adjustments, please email recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk
• Email : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk

Further information

Complaints procedure - The process of recruitment and assessment embraces the principles of fair and open competition and best practice. The first is to maintain the principle of selection for appointment to the Civil Service on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. The second is to promote an understanding of the https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-code/the-civil… which sets out the constitutional framework in which all civil servants work and the values they are expected to uphold, and to hear and determine appeals made under it. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from us, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk

Attachments

BC-1246 SA Company Engagement FTC_Oct 26 Opens in new window (pdf, 810kB)