Legal Graduate 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.

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

About the Professional Placement Programme

Join us as on an Ofwat Graduate 12 Month Legal Professional Placement Programme and step into a world where you are empowered and encouraged to help us solve problems in the water industry from the very start. Our 12-month programme offers a truly versatile role, great insights into how a regulator works and excellent training, enabling you to create a solid foundation for your career.

The legal team is part of the Office of the Chief Executive Directorate. We're involved in the heart of Ofwat's work, particularly at this critical time for the water sector. We work with all directorates, embedded in the policy team's work, to help evolve and delivery Ofwat's strategy, whilst navigating and managing legal risk. We pride ourselves on providing high quality, pragmatic, solutions-focused advice, clearly, simply and concisely, sitting alongside other cross cutting teams, such as the Major Projects, Enforcement teams, working across Ofwat to enable our regulatory work.

With the opportunity to support work in a range of areas, you’ll develop a broad skillset including legal, analytical, communication, drafting, presentation, policy development and stakeholder engagement skills.

We're committed to supporting your professional development. As part of this role, you'll receive support towards SQE1, including learning and development, dedicated study leave, and the opportunity to complete the SQE1 examination. Support for SQE2 is not included within the current role timeframes. This support will help you progress towards solicitor qualification while developing valuable qualifying legal experiences within Ofwat's legal team.

This is a static role within the legal team as you will need to attain qualifying work experience as part of the programme. Although this is a static role in the legal team providing legal advice, that advice will involve working in an embedded way, with a variety of different policy teams, covering a range of Ofwat's work.

Examples of areas of work that members of the Ofwat legal team have advised on:

• Working with Defra policy and legal colleagues to translate the wide-ranging proposals to reform regulation of the water sector into instructions for the Office of Parliamentary Counsel to draft provisions for the forthcoming Clean Water Bill.
• Advising on significant enforcement cases, including investigations into water companies’ failures to meet their regulatory obligations, which can include substantial financial penalties and enforcement orders.
• Supporting Ofwat's PR24 price review programme, including through year-long appeals to the Competition and Markets Authority from five companies.
• Working on Ofwat's in period price determinations and developing the framework for the next 5-yearly price determination in 2029, through the transition to the new regulator.
• Advising on setting up and implementing supervision style regulation prior to and ready for the change to the new regulator.
• Providing regulatory, commercial and legal advice to facilitate the delivery of major infrastructure projects.
• Supporting Ofwat's involvement in judicial review proceedings concerning environmental regulation in the water sector.
• Other areas of policy the teams advise on include class actions in competition law cases, company governance and financial resilience, data and AI.

Learning and Development

During your 12-month 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 which can include 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 succeed in this role, you will need the following qualifications, attributes, experience, skills and knowledge.

Experience, skills and knowledge

1. Lead Criterion: Experience / aptitude that will support you in providing high quality, timely and solutions-focussed legal advice across a number of Directorates, workstreams and projects which assists in the development and implementation of policy objectives.
2. Strong motivation for working an in-house legal team which focusses on advising in the context of public law and economic regulation of utilities.
3. Ability to demonstrate effective problem solving, critical thinking, decision making and information processing.
4. Strong spoken and written communication skills, including the ability to write clearly and concisely.

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 will have at least a 2:2 degree in Law.
As this is a graduate 12-month placement programme, you must have graduated already, and have no more than three years’ work experience following your graduation.

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.

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.

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 18th October 2026

Video Interviews closing date

23.55 on 1st November 2026

Birmingham Assessment Centre

W/c 23rd November 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 attached Candidate pack.

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 attached Candidate pack.

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.

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 Civil Service candidate guidance on use of AI for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. . This guidance refers to ' Civil Service Success Profiles' framework, Ofwat do not use this in our assessments, for our assessment framework, please refer to our Framework for Success.

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 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

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

Candidte Pack Legal Graduate Campaign Sept 26 Opens in new window (pdf, 851kB)