Senior Compliance Investigator

Job summary

Ofgem became the regulator for heat networks in January 2026 and is establishing a new, proportionate compliance regime to improve customer outcomes and support the transition to Net Zero. We are seeking a Heat Networks Senior Compliance Investigator to play a key role in developing and delivering this regime. You will lead and contribute to compliance investigations, engaging with heat network suppliers and operators to address poor performance and drive improvements ahead of full regulation. Working closely with consumer bodies such as Citizens Advice, the Energy Ombudsman and Consumer Scotland, you will analyse complex qualitative and quantitative evidence, develop pragmatic recommendations and influence stakeholders to deliver better outcomes, particularly for consumers in vulnerable situations. The role is fast‑paced and varied, requiring strong leadership, sound judgement and the ability to manage multiple workstreams while delivering high‑quality outputs at pace. You will build effective internal and external relationships, represent Ofgem with confidence and help shape best practice within the compliance team. As a senior role, you may also act as a Professional Development Lead or manager, supporting colleague wellbeing, capability building and inclusive ways of working, while modelling Ofgem’s values and commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Job description

Heat Networks

To date our Heat Networks team has primarily been developing regulatory policy through working closely with DESNZ. This policy has been informed through engagement with various industry stakeholders in the context of achieving high level government aims in regard to improving customer outcomes and making progress towards net zero targets. Through that engagement we are aware of behaviours and performance by those serving heat network customers that fall below the standard that will be required by future regulation. In the early phases of regulation heat networks will be expected to register with us and also provide information on their level of compliance.

The compliance team will be tasked with engaging with heat networks with a view to improving performance and customer outcomes in line with our strategy for heat network compliance.

Key Responsibilities and Outputs:

Investigation and Engagement with industry

• Liaison with groups such as Citizens Advice, Energy Ombudsman, Consumer Scotland and Heat Trust to understand which organisations that serve heat network customers are performing below the standards set by our new regulations and prioritise interventions which improve outcomes for consumers in vulnerable situations.

• Engaging with internal and external stakeholders to gather and document intelligence relating to poor consumer outcomes, including engaging with whistle-blowers when relevant.

• Leading or contributing to engagement with heat network suppliers and operators, producing high quality, timely, and robust analysis of potential issues

• Making evidence-based recommendations to industry parties in order to persuade them to improve performance and customer outcomes in preparation for the introduction of the new regulatory regime.

• Leading, organising and project managing significant pieces of project work, coordinating closely with colleagues across the directorate to understand the impact of your work in terms of resource and output.

• Build capability in the team by driving continuous improvement of our processes and practices and be able to train future operational heat network compliance team

Stakeholder Management

• Effectively communicating the benefits, challenges, and trade-offs of potential soft influencing and compliance and enforcement actions to senior colleagues​.

• Working collaboratively across team boundaries and engaging with key Ofgem functions, developing close links to manage risks and issues​.

• Representing Ofgem externally and building constructive stakeholder relationships to ensure challenges and issues are identified and improved in consumers’ interests.

• Ensuring that guidance given to external stakeholders including heat network suppliers and operators accurately reflects the policy developed by Ofgem and government.

Professional Development Lead (PDL) and management

The Heat Network Senior Compliance Investigator may act as PDL and/or manager to colleagues.

This will include:

• Sets clear and transparent work objectives, milestones and success metrics at to oversee and co-ordinate successful outcomes.
• Manages effective and inclusive resourcing and staff onboarding through close engagement with relevant managers and Deputy Director.
• Joint responsibility (with PDL or manager) for welfare and pastoral care of colleagues.
• Mentors and coaches' staff on personal and professional development in line with the professional standards and behavioral framework for their profession.
• Undertakes their responsibilities in line with Ofgem's Diversity and Inclusion commitments, championing inclusivity in their approach.
• Advises staff on deployment opportunities as needed.
• Supporting deployment choices, as part of flexible resourcing.

Person specification

Role Criteria

ESSENTIAL:

• Experience of engaging and influencing regulated stakeholders to improve performance and consumer outcomes in accordance with policy intent, (LEAD)

• Experience of collecting, investigating, analysing and interpreting complex qualitative and quantitative data and evidence to arrive at conclusions and recommendations. (LEAD)

• Experience of engaging with consumer organisations to gather intelligence relating poor customer outcomes.

• Ability to build effective relationships and successfully influence challenging external stakeholders.

• Ability to proactively prioritise, plan and schedule complex tasks, demonstrate problem solving skills, and deliver high quality outputs under time pressure. Able to monitor and report on progress as well assessing and managing risks.

DESIRABLE:

• Compliance or enforcement expertise – experience with investigative compliance or enforcement work. Building expertise in compliance will be a key focus of induction training if you need to develop or refresh expertise in this area.

• Energy industry or regulatory expertise – experience of working on energy policy and/or regulatory issues, either in government/regulator or in industry. Having energy industry experience will put you at an advantage as we are looking to build our energy expertise.

Behaviours

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

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

Technical skills

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

• Handling complex data, analysis and interpretation

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, 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), 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].

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 : Lucy Dowding
• 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

Candidate Pack - 448318 Senior Compliance Investigator Opens in new window (pdf, 578kB)Terms and Conditions April 2025 Opens in new window (pdf, 335kB)L2B Senior Compliance investigator Role Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 148kB)