Finance Operations Lead (Major Projects)

Job summary

Major infrastructure projects are central to the UK’s transition to Net Zero, and at Ofgem, we’re seeking a Finance Operations Lead to help shape how these projects are funded, managed and delivered.

Ofgem is Great Britain’s independent energy regulator. We’re at the forefront of change across the sector, driving toward Net Zero whilst protecting consumers, especially vulnerable people.

We’re offering a permanent opportunity on a full or part-time basis (working at least 0.75 FTE) to join our Low Carbon RAB team within the Major Projects directorate. You will focus on a range of new-build, Regulated Asset Base (RAB) financed projects, including Sizewell C, Carbon Capture and Storage and Hydrogen Transport, supporting how these complex programmes are brought forward and delivered.

These projects rely on robust financial frameworks and oversight, and you’ll contribute to how costs, risk and value are understood, helping ensure projects are delivered efficiently and in the interests of consumers.

Operating at a senior level, you’ll lead how financial modelling and reporting underpin decision-making across major projects. You’ll also contribute to how financial approaches evolve over time, supporting wider policy development and ensuring consistency across programmes.

You’ll work closely with colleagues across policy, finance and technical disciplines, helping ensure complex programmes are delivered effectively. Alongside this, you’ll play a key role in supporting and developing others, contributing to a high-performing and inclusive team environment.

To be considered, you’ll need strong finance or commercial experience, a track record of leading the development and operation of complex financial models, and an understanding of regulatory and economic environments. You’ll also be able to apply your expertise in a way that supports clear decision-making and collaborative working.

In return, you’ll have the opportunity to work on projects that are central to the UK’s energy transition, applying your expertise to complex and high-profile programmes. You’ll be part of a supportive and inclusive team, with the opportunity to further develop your leadership and contribute to work that has national significance.

We have a critical purpose to ensure the energy system works in the interests of consumers, now and in the future. Join us and help shape how major energy infrastructure projects are delivered.

Read on and find out more.

Job description

Key Responsibilities

Delivering of team deliverables, and managing and co-ordinating successful outcomes across team members and collaborating teams

• Setting clear and transparent work objectives, milestones and success metrics at team and individual level to oversee and co-ordinate successful team outcomes.
• Collaborating closely with other teams to manage interdependencies, risks and resourcing to support portfolio delivery.
• Jointly responsible for the welfare and pastoral care of all colleagues.
• Contributing towards diversity and inclusion efforts within their team and the wider organisation.

Key Outputs and Deliverables

• Managing the processes to set Low Carbon RAB licensee’s annual allowed revenue, namely the ARSP, which involves reviewing & correcting numerous company submissions through each dry run to enable the correct calculation and publication of Allowed Revenue.
• Managing new reporting processes/templates and policies relating to regulatory financial reporting. Ensuring all reporting deliverables (new RIGs, associated documents, licence conditions and any models/templates) required for new sectors or price controls are developed, consulted on and delivered in time to be populated by licensees in a timely manner. This includes improving and changing existing processes and templates as well as introducing new ones to enact new policy decisions.
• Ensuring the companies’ on-going reporting obligations are met with respect to financial reporting processes.
• Contribute towards regulatory financial policy-making on both existing and emerging regulatory regimes.
• Support the effective management of the workflow to ensure timely delivery of milestones and support wider Low Carbon RAB team objectives. As well as ensuring the well-being and professional development/progression of team members, this also includes, training new members of staff, ensuring knowledge and processes are documented to increase capacity for the reporting function and wider reg finance team.
• Ad-hoc support to the wider Low Carbon RAB team and wider Ofgem where necessary.

Support high-performing colleagues based on effective resource management, ongoing support and professional development

• Support effective and inclusive team resourcing and staff onboarding through close engagement with relevant Deputy Director and Team Leaders to ensure best talent match to work needs.
• Helps team members deliver by building supportive, inclusive team environment based on trust-based relationships, transparency and inclusivity.
• Takes ownership for own and colleagues’ professional development by:
  • Providing ongoing coaching and identification of development opportunities in regular performance conversations.
  • Supporting team member’s performance evaluation through honest, fair, high quality 360-degree feedback to PDLs (Professional Development Leads).

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Relevant finance or commercial experience, that can be demonstrated by proven record of high performance and substantial achievements in past positions [Lead Criteria].
• Experience providing outstanding financial modelling expertise to lead the development and operation of complex financial models [Lead Criteria].
• Experience of the regulatory and economic environment.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience developing regulatory financial policy in sectors subject to economic regulation.
• Possess a recognised finance qualification, e.g. CCAB, CIMA, CFA, MSc Finance or similar.

Behaviours

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

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

Technical skills

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

• You will be asked to complete a technical test at interview. Full details of the test will be provided at the start of your interview. You will be given sufficient time to absorb the information and complete the test.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £63,443, OFGEM contributes £18,379 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.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) and upload a copy of your CV anonymising all details where necessary.

You will then be asked to provide a 1250 word ‘personal statement’ evidencing how you meet the essential and desirable criteria 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. In the event of receiving a large number of applications an initial sift may take place on just the identified lead criteria indicated in the essential criteria.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview where they will be assessed using behaviours-based questions and a selection of experience-based questions specific to the role. A second-stage interview may also be required when two or more candidates are closely matched.

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].

At Ofgem, we expect our staff to carry out their roles with honesty, fairness and openness. They should follow the Civil Service code and be free from any influence or bias. We are committed to making sure interests are recognised, declared and managed appropriately so that we can fulfil our duties as an energy regulator. Our Conflicts of Interest policy outlines the types of interests Ofgem staff must declare before onboarding, and the rules they must follow throughout employment so that we can clearly demonstrate that our decisions are not influenced by private interests.

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 : Lewis Buckley
• 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

Finance Operations Lead (Major Projects), Role Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 188kB)Finance Operations Lead (Major Projects), Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 720kB)Terms and Conditions April 2025 Opens in new window (pdf, 366kB)