Economics Professional Placement Programme (12 months)

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.

As the economic regulator of water and wastewater companies in England and Wales, our role is to enable, incentivise and hold companies to account for providing the very best for customers, communities and the environment. We also oversee the markets in the water sector to ensure they’re working for customers.

The water sector is entering a new chapter. Following the Independent Water Commission’s final report, the UK government has set out a bold new direction - one that brings together expertise from across the sector to deliver better outcomes for customers and the environment.

Ofwat will be working in collaboration with the government and other regulators to help establish a new body for England, combining our strengths with those of the Drinking Water Inspectorate, the Environment Agency, and Natural England. We’re also continuing to engage with the Welsh Government to support future decisions 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, SAILOR Values and our Framework for Success in the attached Candidate Pack.

Job description

About the Professional Placement Programme

As a professional placement student at Ofwat, you’ll use the tools you've developed throughout your degree to help tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the water industry. This unique placement offers the perfect balance between hands-on experience and structured support, allowing you to put your theoretical knowledge into practice whilst benefitting from tailored development opportunities. You'll enjoy the best of both worlds, gaining invaluable exposure to the water sector and setting yourself up with a fantastic launch-pad for your future career.

You’ll be learning and growing in a dynamic environment, alongside apprentices and graduates in our Early Careers community, an important talent pipeline for the sector and a group we truly value.

You’ll work either in our Delivery Directorate or Major Projects and Markets Directorate, contributing to a range of projects that will stretch your thinking and broaden your economic skillset. Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, you’ll see how regulatory economics, competition economics, industrial organisation and financial economics come to life in real-world decisions. The issues we deal with are complex, high-impact, and directly affect customers and the environment and you’ll play a meaningful part in shaping those outcomes!

Learning and Development

During your professional placement, you’ll benefit from a comprehensive blend of personal and professional development designed to help you thrive. You’ll take part in Ofwat Essentials, our core learning programme delivered by in-house experts, alongside monthly training sessions provided through our early careers team.

You’ll have the chance to deliver and support meaningful internal and external projects, gaining the knowledge and confidence to make a real impact. Your placement will give you valuable insight into how our organisation works and help you grow your creativity, leadership and strategic thinking, setting you up to achieve your aspirations beyond the programme.

In addition to ‘on-the-job' learning, you’ll have access to technical training tailored to your development needs, as well as wider learning opportunities including conferences and visits to water companies’ operational sites. You’ll be equipped with the tools, experiences and support you need to flourish in your profession and build a strong foundation for your future career.

You will also be supported by a wide network of stakeholders across Ofwat, including your people leader, the early careers team and a dedicated buddy. In addition, you’ll have the option to work with one of our internal coaches, offering personalised guidance to help you make the most of your development journey with us.

Person specification

Professional requirements - Essential criteria

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

Experience, skills and knowledge

1. Lead Criterion: A strong understanding of various economic concepts, with a particular motivation for working in regulatory economic environments.
2. A good understanding of key microeconomic concepts, in particular why, when and how Governments intervene in markets, and the ability to communicate this knowledge and its application clearly and effectively.
3. An ability to and enthusiasm for using data analysis and modelling to solve problems.
4. An ability to think critically and apply economic knowledge to solve problems for customers and the environment.

Attributes

Ofwat's Attributes underpin our SAILOR values. Throughout the selection process, we will assess you on the following attributes that are essential for success on the programme. These are defined more fully in our Framework for Success (associate grade).

5. Committed Learner – "I'm flexible, curious and adaptable, committed to my own growth and development."

6. Makes Relationships Count – "I contribute to a supportive team environment, showing empathy and building effective relationships to achieve progress."

7. Creates clarity – "I'm adept at communicating clearly, simplifying complexity, considering the needs of my audience, and tailoring my written and verbal communications to meet their needs."

8. Adaptable thinker – "I identify problems and seek out information to find solutions. I do this in a way that considers the needs of others, and I'm flexible to adapt my approach as parameters or goals change."

9. Delivers outcomes – "I achieve my objectives in a timely manner, keeping people updated, and taking accountability and responsibility for outputs and outcomes. I link my work to the bigger picture and ask for clarification when it's needed, striving always to improve my delivery to customers (whether internal or external)."

Qualifications

Eligibility:

You should have, or be on track to achieve, at least a 2:2 degree in economics, (or a degree that includes a significant microeconomics component) from a UK university.

We also welcome applicants who have completed a Level 3, 4, or 5 apprenticeships in economics or a related subject that includes substantial industrial organisation or financial economics content, as well as applicants with a relevant postgraduate qualification.

As this is a placement programme, you must either be studying on a degree that includes a sandwich year or be a recent graduate/ apprentice with no more than three years of post-graduation work experience.

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 at the centre of everything that we do. In our annual People Survey 2024, we outperformed the Civil Service (CS) People Survey benchmarks in all 10 areas.

Almost four in five of our people would recommend Ofwat as a great place to work. Nine in ten say that they are treated with respect and that Ofwat respects individual differences. Nine in ten also say that the work they do is interesting and that they decide how they do their work. That’s great but it’s important to us to build an environment that is not only fair, inclusive and empowering but also collaborative. Here, nine in ten of our people say that their team works together to find ways to improve what we do, and that their manager is open to their ideas.

You will also benefit from:

• 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 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

Applications closing date

23.55 on 8th February 2026

Video Interviews closing date

23.55 on 2nd March 2026

Birmingham Assessment Centre

W/c 23rd March 2026

Selection process

The selection process will include 4 key stages:

1. Eligibility – your application needs to meet the eligibility/ qualification requirements for this placement programme.

2. Pre- Sift and Sift Stage – Blind Sifting

At Pre-sift stage we will assess your application (personal statement) against the Lead Criterion.

Sift Stage: Applications which meet the lead criterion will proceed to sift stage which will assess "Delivers Outcomes" and "Makes relationships count" attributes, as specified in the table below.

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

Please ensure you provide enough evidence in your application form/Personal statement to demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria.

3. Video interview Stage - this stage of the process consists of self-recorded video interview assessing three attributes as specified in the table below.

4. Assessment Centre Stage - the final stage of the selection process includes an in-person assessment centre held in our Birmingham office. The assessment centre will consist of the following activities and will assess skills, experience, knowledge and attributes as specified in the attached Candidate Pack.

• A group exercise
• An interview
• A presentation (topic to be shared in advance)
• A written exercise

Please refer to the attached Candidate Pack for further details on the assessment process.

* Note that if a high volume of candidates meet the minimum pass mark at Video interview stage, we will only progress the highest scoring candidates to Assessment centre. Candidates not invited to the assessment centre, who have achieved the minimum pass mark at video interview, 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 Assessment centre in merit order.

** If the selection 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.

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

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

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 : earlycareers@ofwat.gov.uk
• Email : earlycareers@ofwat.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : earlycareers@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

Economic Placement 2026 Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 718kB)