Senior Researcher

Job title: Senior Researcher

Position type: Fixed Term

Job reference: 450990

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

Salary: £40,024 - £52,500

Closing date: Monday 22 March 2025 at 23:55

Join Ofwat's Customer Policy & Insights Team as a Senior Researcher

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. Following the Independent Water Commission's final report, 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.

We are 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

The Senior Researcher role has an important and valuable contribution to enable us to deliver on our goals and regulatory commitments in this period of change and transition.

The role sits within the Customer Policy & Insights team, which is part of the Casework, Enforcement and Customer Directorate. The team brings together customer research and policy. Colleagues work together to understand the views and experiences of household customers to inform customer policy and how customer needs are considered in the setting of price controls.

You will report directly to Ofwat's Principal, Customer Insights, while working closely with colleagues across the customer policy team and price review Directorate.

This role will work on projects and issues across the customer team and price review directorate. It is a great opportunity to use and develop a range of different skills and knowledge - including qualitative and quantitative research methods, report writing, policy consultations, licence condition reviews and reviewing and advising on company research used to inform business planning. The issues we work on include affordability, vulnerability, customer experience, and customer views and preferences.

About You

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

1. Lead Criterion: Proven experience in developing and delivering social research projects from start to finish, using a range of qualitative and quantitative methods.
2. Strong understanding of research methodologies and their application.
3. Strong analytical skills and ability to the draw out key insights from research findings and make them relevant to and engaging for others.
4. Understanding of policy development and interest in economic regulation.
5. Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to confidently explain findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
6. Experience of working with a range of stakeholders and contractors and the ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively.
7. Excellent planning, time management and project management skills

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 about the role. Please ensure you have submitted your application in full before the below deadline.

Closing date: 23.55 on 22 March 2026