Head of Energy Infrastructure Project Finance

Job summary

At Ofgem, we’re seeking a Head of Energy Infrastructure Project Finance to lead our work on shaping how major energy infrastructure is financed as the system transitions towards building the decarbonised future.

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

We’re offering a permanent opportunity within our Regulatory Finance team, where you’ll take the lead on work that will define how large-scale infrastructure is funded, delivered and regulated.

Operating at a senior level, you’ll lead how financial insight shapes decision-making across major projects and take on work that underpins investment across the energy system, and how value is secured for consumers over the long term.

You will ensure that financing frameworks evolve and risk is balanced, developing affordability and investor confidence. Strengthening our internal capability, you will help to define how financial expertise is developed and applied and reduce reliance on external support over time.

With extensive finance or commercial experience, ideally gained within a financial institution or regulatory environment, you’ll bring a strong understanding of financing large and complex infrastructure projects. A financial qualification or equivalent experience, including project finance, will be important, as will strategic financial leadership expertise. An understanding of economic regulation, particularly within the utilities sector, will also be key.

In return, you’ll have the chance to work on projects that will define major energy infrastructure and apply your expertise to nationally significant programmes. You’ll be part of a collaborative and inclusive team environment, where you will be enabled to further develop your leadership and shape both outcomes and capability across our organisation.

We have a critical purpose to ensure the energy system works in the interests of consumers, now and in the future. Join us and drive how energy infrastructure is financed to meet the challenges ahead.

Read on and find out more.

Job description

Key Responsibilities:

To support the team deliverables, that utilise your expertise to ensure successful outcomes across team members and collaborating teams

• Provide clear and transparent work objectives, milestones and success metrics in your area of expertise to oversee and co-ordinate successful team outcomes.

• Collaborate closely with other teams to manage interdependencies, risks and resourcing to support portfolio delivery.

• Be responsible on welfare and pastoral care of your team (currently three colleagues).

• Demonstrate effective diversity and inclusive team management within their team and the wider organisation.

Key Outputs and Deliverables

• Working to the Chief Financial Advisor, lead on financial advisory support for the Major Projects Directorate;

• Lead a team that can provide expert analysis relating to financing required to support the development of competitive regimes for offshore and onshore transmission and other infrastructure projects and financing models, including long duration energy storage (LDES), carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS), low carbon RAB, hydrogen;

• Develop an operating model to provide greater financial advisory support to the Major Projects Directorate;

• Support investor relations team, external regulator liaison and the CEO Private Office as appropriate in their communications with external stakeholders.

• As the team lead, be the point of contact for Regulatory Finance, working collaboratively with other Regulatory Finance teams that may provide support for the provide Major Projects Directorate;

• Procure and manage projects delivered by external advisors and consultants;

• Be responsible for producing the relevant financial analysis and policy input/documents to inform senior management, GEMA committee, policy forums and other parties as necessary.

Support the development of a high-performing team based on effective resource management, ongoing support and professional development

• Provide leadership, by building supportive, inclusive team environment based on trust-based relationships, transparency and inclusivity.

• Take ownership for your own continued development and other team members’ professional development relating to supporting the Major Projects Financial Advisory team.

• Encourage knowledge sharing with the wider Regulatory Finance team and other internal stakeholders, promoting the work of your team.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Have extensive finance or commercial experience gained primarily through a financial institution or regulatory background, including a strong understanding of financing of large complex infrastructure projects, ideally in the renewable energy sector (Lead criteria).
• Have a financial qualification (eg CFA, accountant, MSc Finance) or demonstrable relevant experience, including experience of project finance (Lead criteria).
• Ability to provide strategic finance leadership.
• Extensive experience working collaboratively with diverse teams.
• Ability to process and communicate complex information and data to a wide range of stakeholders.
• Understanding of economic regulation, ideally in the utilities sector.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

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

• You will also be asked to prepare a presentation designed to assess your technical knowledge of project finance. Full details of the presentation will be included in the invitation to interview.

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 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

Head of Energy Infrastructure Project Finance, Role Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 142kB)Head of Energy Infrastructure Project Finance, Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 721kB)Terms and Conditions April 2025 Opens in new window (pdf, 366kB)