Licensing Operations Manager

Job summary

Ofgem is Great Britain’s independent energy regulator. Our purpose is to protect energy consumers, especially the most vulnerable, by ensuring they are treated fairly and benefit from a cleaner, greener and more affordable energy system. We play a vital role in accelerating the transition to Net Zero, and whatever your role, you’ll be contributing to a cleaner, more secure energy future for everyone.

We are now seeking a Licensing Operations Manager to join our Market Oversight & Enforcement Directorate (MO&E). This is a key operational management role focused on implementing, operationalising and embedding new project work into the licensing function most critically the introduction of the new licensing regime for aggregators (Safe and Secure Energy Systems – SSES). The successful candidate will play an instrumental role in ensuring this new regulatory framework becomes seamlessly integrated into business as usual activity across the team.

Working within the Industry Rules portfolio, you will lead colleagues through a period of transition, ensuring new policies, processes and systems are adopted effectively, consistently and with clear operational rigour. Your leadership will be essential in making sure that all new SSES related requirements are understood, embedded and sustainably delivered as part of ongoing licensing operations.

Alongside this, you will manage a varied portfolio of day to day licensing casework, including applications, transfers, revocations and complex or time sensitive cases. You will provide clear recommendations based on robust analysis and ensure decisions meet statutory deadlines, governance standards and Ofgem’s high expectations for quality and transparency.

A crucial part of this role involves working closely with policy, legal, digital and operational colleagues to translate new regulatory developments into deliverable processes. You will identify risks, spot interdependencies early, and work with others to ensure that new project work is introduced in a way that is sustainable, efficient and supported by effective systems and guidance.

You will also help shape continuous improvement, looking for ways to streamline processes, strengthen operational controls and enhance the licensing experience for applicants and stakeholders. Building strong collaborative relationships with internal teams, regulated parties, government and other regulators will be essential to ensuring new and existing licensing activity is delivered effectively.

Read on to find out more!

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for embedding SSES Licensing into the other operational work of the team, requiring leadership for licensing in the delivery of Policy, process and systems to enable this.
• Responsible for supporting the effective operation and maintenance of the licensing framework which underpins Ofgem’s regulation of the energy sector, including supporting the Head of Licensing in leading and managing the work of the team overseeing the framework, this may include deputising for the Head of Licensing at internal and external meetings.
• Responsible for day-to-day licensing management including licence applications, transfers and revocations, and recommendations to senior management on complex or emerging issues.
• Ensuring appropriate processes and governance structures are in place and are working effectively for decision making, risk management, quality outputs and timely delivery in line with statutory deadlines and KPIs.
• Sets clear and transparent work objectives, milestones and success metrics at team and individual level to oversee and co-ordinate successful team outcomes
• Establish collaborative working relationships with colleagues across Ofgem and other relevant external parties to manage interdependencies, risks and resourcing to organisational delivery.
• Proactively identify opportunities and implement changes to promote continuous improvement.
• Demonstrates effective diversity and inclusive team management within their team and the wider organisation.

Key Outputs and Deliverables

• Ensure effective prioritisation and use of people & resources including effective budgetary controls as appropriate including effective decisions.
• Develop operational performance measures, service standards and business plans in collaboration with other senior leaders. Implement and maintain effective monitoring, review and reporting of team performance against these measures.
• Provide clear, concise and robust guidance for applicants
• Engage with internal teams to ensure consistent decision making in line with the licensing framework and that complex cases and emerging policy issues are addressed effectively.

Person specification

Please ensure you demonstrate clearly within your personal statement, how you meet each of the criteria below (not more than 1250 words).

In the event of receiving a large number of applications an initial sift may take place on just the identified lead criteria indicated below:

Essential Criteria:

• Proven ability to manage change and implement process improvements (LEAD CRITERIA)
• Demonstration of leading and supporting teams to deliver against challenging deadlines, while managing multiple priorities within an operational, service delivery environment
• Proven ability to analyse and make decisions based on complex information
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills
• Experience working collaboratively with diverse colleagues.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of reviewing, interpreting or amending existing and proposed legislation and supply licence conditions
• Experience of leading the delivery and embedding of a new area of operation

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Leadership
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £47,895, OFGEM contributes £13,875 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 and Experience.

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 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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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 : Lisa Buchanan
• 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 - Licensing Operations Manager Opens in new window (pdf, 120kB)Licensing Operations Manager_Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 694kB)Terms & Conditions April 2025 Opens in new window (pdf, 323kB)