Senior Policy Adviser

Join Ofwat's Markets & Charging Directorate as a Senior Policy Adviser

Office Location: London (E14 4HD) or Birmingham (B5 4UA) with hybrid working

About Us

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. Following the Independent Water Commission's Final Report and subsequent White Paper - 'New Vision for Water', the UK government has set out a bold new direction - one that brings together expertise from across the sector to deliver better outcomes for customers and the environment.

Ofwat is working in collaboration with the government and other regulators to help establish a new body for England, combining our strengths with those of the Drinking Water Inspectorate, the Environment Agency, and Natural England. We're also continuing to engage with the Welsh Government to support future decisions 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.

The Role

We are looking for a Senior Policy Adviser to join the Charges and Developer Services team part of Ofwat's Markets & Charging Directorate. You will join as a Senior Associate, playing a key part in the development of our regulation of the new connections market and our work on charges, as well as linking with our work with new appointees.

You will directly contribute to our work on developer services. The term 'developer services' covers the activities and services companies provide to developers when connecting new homes and businesses to the water and wastewater network (the new connections market). Around 200,000 new connections are made each year across England and Wales in a complex market where competition varies by area and development type.

You will play a crucial role in developing and implementing policy for the regulation of developer services and the new connections market, aimed at delivering better outcomes for customers, society and the environment. This includes policies on aspects of our economic regulation, including environmental incentives and protections for customers with limited market choice.

You will also contribute to our work on charges. We set charging rules to govern how incumbents (large water companies) and new appointees set charges for the services they provide, to households, business customers and developers. New appointees (NAVs) are new entrant water companies initially looking to serve small, distinct geographic areas. We regulate how services are provided to developers, stepping back where competition is strong and protecting customers where choice is limited.

Current policy priorities include improving environmental outcomes, encouraging innovative charging to support affordability and sustainability, examining the relationship between cost reflectivity and water efficiency, reviewing the effectiveness of the developer services market, and considering how new demands for potable and non-potable water should be funded.

You will play an important role in developing these and other policy areas, working closely with colleagues across Ofwat and engaging with companies, developers, Defra and other stakeholders. You will also be expected to contribute flexibly to the delivery of Ofwat's wider strategy.

About You

Below are some of the key essential experience, skills & knowledge required for this post:

1. Professional experience of developing, managing, and implementing policy, ideally within a public policy or regulatory policy environment. This includes:
   1. the ability to develop and communicate clear, evidence-based advice to inform policy and decision-making for diverse audiences; and
   2. the ability to encourage and respond to constructive challenge to build confidence in decisions.
2. Knowledge or experience of markets, competition and economic regulation, and the benefits they can deliver for customers.
3. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including experience of identifying, analysing and accurately interpreting a range of data and insights to inform evidence-based decisions and solutions for complex problems.
4. Ability to effectively plan, prioritise and deliver multiple projects and programmes of work at the same time.
5. Experience of building and maintaining constructive working relationships with a diverse set of internal and external stakeholders to understand their needs, expectations, and priorities, and to influence and collaborate effectively to deliver desired outcomes.
6. Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to understand and concisely explain complex issues in non-technical language.

Why You Should Join Us

• People Centric: Our people are at the heart of Ofwat and everything we do - we ensure all voices are heard and treat each other with respect; you'll be given the autonomy and the support to do your role in the best way.
• Innovative Work Environment: We embrace agile and new ways of working and have a culture build on trust, flexibility, and collaboration.
• Development Opportunities: Gain valuable experience and develop your skills in a supportive and dynamic setting.
• Work-Life Balance: Enjoy the flexibility of working from home combined with the benefits of in person collaboration in our Birmingham and London offices.
• Excellent employer pension contributions of nearly 29%.
• 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.
• Fees paid for membership of relevant professional bodies.
• Up to 3 volunteering days per year.
• Recognition vouchers scheme rewarding your hard work.
• Generous shared parental leave and pay supporting your family life.

Follow the link to apply for full details of the role and ensure your application is submitted in full by the deadline below.

Closing date: 23.55 on 22 February 2026