Compliance Investigator

Job summary

Ofgem became the regulator of the heat networks industry in January 2026. As a newly regulated market, heat networks present a unique opportunity to improve consumer protections, drive higher standards across the sector and support the UK's transition to Net Zero. We are looking for motivated and analytical professionals to join our Heat Networks Compliance team and help shape this important new regulatory landscape.

In this role, you will work with heat network suppliers, operators and consumer organisations to identify and address poor customer outcomes. Using evidence-based analysis and strong stakeholder engagement skills, you will support compliance activities, investigations and industry interventions designed to improve performance and ensure regulatory standards are met. You will gather and assess complex qualitative and quantitative information, develop recommendations, and work collaboratively with colleagues and external partners to deliver meaningful improvements for consumers.

You will engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including Citizens Advice, Consumer Scotland, the Energy Ombudsman, Heat Trust, government departments and industry representatives. Building constructive relationships and influencing stakeholders will be central to your success, helping to encourage positive behavioural change across the sector.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys working in a fast-paced, evolving environment and is passionate about delivering better outcomes for consumers. You'll thrive if you are curious, adaptable and keen to develop new skills while contributing to a broad range of compliance and stakeholder engagement activities.

We're looking for individuals with experience of supporting consumer outcome improvements, analysing complex evidence and engaging effectively with regulated stakeholders. Experience in compliance, enforcement, energy or wider regulatory environments would be advantageous.

Ofgem has a culture of inclusion that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices and experiences of our colleagues. It fuels our innovation and helps ensure we can best represent the consumers and the communities we serve. Everyone is welcome - as an inclusive workplace, our employees are comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work.

Job description

Key Responsibilities and Outputs

Investigation and Engagement with industry:

• Engaging with internal and external stakeholders to gather and document evidence relating to poor consumer outcomes, including engaging with whistle-blowers when relevant.
• Liaison with groups such as Citizens Advice, Energy Ombudsman, Consumer Scotland and Heat Trust to understand which organisations that serve heat network customers are performing below the standards set by our regulations and prioritise interventions which improve outcomes for consumers in vulnerable situations.
• Leading or contributing to engagement with heat network suppliers and operators, producing high quality, timely, and robust analysis of potential issues
• Making evidence-based recommendations to industry parties to persuade them to improve performance and customer outcomes in the new regulatory regime.
• Take ownership of specific investigation activity within a case, coordinating closely with colleagues across the directorate to understand the impact of your work in terms of resource and output.
• Contribute to continuous improvement and support knowledge sharing.

Stakeholder Management:

• Communicate clearly with senior colleagues on risks, options and trade-offs. ​.
• Working collaboratively across team boundaries and engaging with key Ofgem functions, developing close links to manage risks and issues​.
• Supporting the team’s work to build constructive stakeholder relationships with a view to improving consumers outcomes.
• Supporting the team’s work in providing guidance to external stakeholders including heat network suppliers and operators.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Experience engaging with regulated stakeholders and supporting improvements in performance and consumer outcomes in line with policy intent (LEAD)
• Experience of collecting, investigating, analysing and interpreting complex qualitative and quantitative data and evidence to arrive at conclusions and recommendations. (LEAD)
• Ability to build effective relationships and successfully influence challenging external stakeholders.
• Ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks, delivering high-quality outputs at pace.
• Ability to identify and escalate risks and report on progress clearly

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• The interview will consist of a Case Study exercise

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,232, OFGEM contributes £10,206 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; 30 days annual leave after 2 years; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; hybrid working (currently 1 day a week in the office but this is kept under review), flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.

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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel), your career history and qualifications.

You will then be asked to provide a 1250 word ‘personal statement’ evidencing how you meet the essential and desirable skills and capabilities listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your supporting statement, how you meet each of the criteria listed in the role profile.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application or used during interview, including your CV and any statements or examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Ofgem takes any incidences of cheating very seriously. Please ensure all examples provided are of your own experience. Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant applications will be withdrawn from the process. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

Please refer to Civil Service candidate advice on the acceptable use of artificial intelligence within the recruitment and selection process - Artificial intelligence and recruitment , Civil Service Careers

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected, you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found by [ https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn].

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a 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 : Lucy Dowding
• Email : recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of these Recruitment Principles.

In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website.

Attachments

Role Profile_470379 HN Compliance Investigator Opens in new window (pdf, 124kB)Candidate Pack_470379 HN Compliance Investigator Opens in new window (pdf, 611kB)Terms and Conditions Apr25 Opens in new window (pdf, 335kB)