Reference number
328291
Salary
£85,151 – £97,000
Please read the attached candidate pack for full details on salary and pension
Job grade
Other
Director
Contract type
Permanent
Business area
Communications Team
Type of role
Communications / Marketing
Strategy
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time, Part-time
Number of jobs available
1
Location
London based with Hybrid working (5th Floor, Westferry House, 11 Westferry Circus, Canary Wharf, London E14 4HD)
About the job
Job summary
We are Ofwat (The Water Services Regulation Authority) – a non-ministerial government department.
We regulate the water sector in England and Wales. Our role is to help the sector build trust and confidence with customers, the environment and wider society: keeping water flowing, bills affordable and helping ensure the health of our rivers and waterways. We push hard to improve day-to-day water company performance for customers, including on leakage, sewer flooding and customer service. We drive the sector to take a longer-term view and to take steps now to protect and enhance the environment, using digital and data innovations and making sure our water supplies are secure for future generations.
You can find out more about Ofwat, our Values and our Framework for Success in the attached Information for Candidates Pack.
The Communications Team
Ofwat’s communications team plays a crucial part in the delivery of our strategy, working across the business to encourage effective engagement and communication amongst our own people and with external audiences. The team has approximately 16 members and is responsible for:
- Managing Ofwat’s external reputation
- Our external engagement with a range of stakeholders
- Internal Engagement
- Ownership of our communications channels
- Listening to customers across England and Wales, generating insight through customer research
Job description
We have an opportunity for a Director for Strategic Stakeholder Engagement to join our Communications Team. This post will be one of two Director roles responsible for supporting the Senior Director in ensuring the team effectively communicates Ofwat’s role as the water sector regulator. We are looking for a stakeholder engagement professional with significant experience of delivering creative communication strategies that drive measurable outcomes.
This exciting role will be focused on putting Ofwat’s engagement with its stakeholders on a more coordinated and strategic footing. The role will drive engagement with three distinct audiences: stakeholders (environmental/consumer), Parliament and Ofwat’s staff.
You will be joining a small, but enthusiastic communications team committed to explaining how Ofwat is driving value for consumers and the environment. There will be flexibility to finalise the specific responsibilities of the role in consultation with the successful candidate.
Key Objectives
In this role you will be expected to:
- Create and deliver a plan of proactive communications activity across key stakeholders to support Ofwat’s corporate strategy.
- Use project management skills to run effective engagement plans with key stakeholders and ensure these are part of broader strategic communications strategy.
- Set clear and stretching deliverables for the team and manage and coordinate successful outcome across the wider communications team.
- Help effectively communicate Ofwat’s work on the environment and ensure the industry is creating a resilient water network to meet the challenge of climate change.
- Deliver communications strategies based on rigorous insight from stakeholder research that can be effectively measured.
- Ensure efficient response to information requests from Parliament and coordinate Ofwat’s engagement with parliament and its appearances in front of select committees.
- Deliver a compelling internal communications strategy that fully engages Ofwat’s staff in delivering value for consumers and the environment.
- Lead all aspects of internal communications to help manage internal change and support Ofwat’s Employee Value Proposition
- Develop and deliver a programme of staff events to support the internal communications programme.
- Promote the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion agenda across Ofwat and the wider industry.
Person specification
To be successful in this role you will need the below essential attributes, experience, skills and knowledge.
Essential Experience, Skills and Knowledge
- Experience of leading communications teams in a high-profile organisation.
- Significant experience of running complex and dynamic stakeholder engagement programmes, preferably in a regulatory or government environment.
- Experience in working at a senior level across an organisation, managing keynote speeches and events and ensuring the coordination of messaging across different communication platforms.
- Experience of developing and delivering inspiring events and communications strategies to help effectively engage staff.
- Extensive experience in targeted engagement, including identifying key stakeholders, planning, and delivering effective engagement with them.
- Understanding of the communications challenges around environmental issues and experience of delivering communications aimed at advancing the net zero agenda.
- Excellent written and verbal communications skills and the ability to influence internal and external stakeholders.
- Ability to set stretching and clear work objectives at team and individual levels to deliver measurable improvements in communications outcomes.
- An inclusive leadership style which inspires, motivates, and promotes collaboration to develop high performing teams.
Attributes
Attributes as per Ofwat’s Framework for Success for Director Role. You can read more about attributes here.
- You create clarity.
- You deliver outcomes.
- You are a champion and leader of change.
- You build the team.
Benefits
Why you should Join Ofwat:
We are forward-thinking, creative, innovative and ambitious. We actively encourage autonomy, collaboration and innovation and we have a unique culture fostered by trust, flexibility and respect.
We strive to ensure our people feel connected and valued, where their voice matters. You will be provided with the space and support to shape your future while taking greater control of your own growth and development.
You will also benefit from:
- A generous Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 30.3% for this role ( you can expect from £25,800 to £29,391)
- 27.5 days leave (25 days annual leave + 2.5 days privilege leave) increasing to max 32.5 days with each year of service), plus bank holidays
- access to exclusive discounts on a range of goods and services such as retail outlets, theatre tickets, holidays, insurance and gym membership;
- flexible working arrangements;
- fees paid for membership of relevant professional bodies;
- up to 3 volunteering days per year
- generous shared parental leave and pay
- recognition voucher scheme;
- cycle-to-work scheme;
- season ticket loan for travel between home and office;
- regular professional development;
- health and well-being initiatives
Things you need to know
Selection process details
How to apply
Ellwood Atfield is acting as an employment agency advisor to Ofwat on this appointment. You should apply for this role via the Ellwood Atfield website here and you will be contacted by one of their consultants. If you would like to have an initial discussion about the opportunity please contact Alec Zetter (alec@ellwoodatfield.com)
Candidates should apply with a CV and personal statement.
Your personal statement should be 2 pages long (A4) and should clearly outline how you meet the essential experience, skills, knowledge required for the role.
Please 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
| Closing date | 12.00 noon on 12th December 2023 |
| Longlisting Meeting | 13th December 2023 |
| Interviews with Ellwood Atfield | 14th to 18th December 2023 |
| Shortlisting Meeting | 20th December 2023 |
| Informal chat with Ofwat | 9th January 2024 via MS Teams |
| Ofwat Interview date | 11th January 2024 in Ofwat’s London Office |
Please read the attached Candidate Pack for further details on the Selection Process.
If you have any queries about any aspect of this role, selection process, or you require any reasonable adjustments please contact Alec Zetter on alec@ellwoodatfield.com .
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.
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 :Alec Zetter
- Email :alec@ellwoodatfield.com
Recruitment team
- Email :alec@ellwoodatfield.com
Further information
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 Ruth Noake, Head of Talent & OD, Corporate Enablers (People), Ofwat, Centre City Tower, 7 Hill Street, Birmingham, B5 4UA 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
