Join Ofwat’s Major Projects Leadership Team as a Director, Major Water Infrastructure Programme PMO
*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. The government has set out a bold new direction, bringing together expertise from across the sector to deliver better outcomes for customers and the environment. We are collaborating with fellow regulators to respond to recommendations in The Independent Water Commission Report, the Welsh Government’s response to the Green Paper, Shaping the Future of Water Governance in Wales, and the Government’s White Paper, A new vision for water.
Ofwat is working with the government and other regulators to help create a new body for England, bringing together our strengths with those of the Drinking Water Inspectorate, the Environment Agency and Natural England. We are also continuing to work with the Welsh Government to support decisions on the future arrangements 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 MWIP PMO Director role is critical to strengthening programme assurance, delivery confidence and regulatory oversight across the Major Water Infrastructure Programme.
Leading the MWIP PMO function, the successful applicant must be a strategic thinker with an ambitious approach and a commitment to quality. Articulate and influential, you must also be highly organised, with strong analytical, stakeholder engagement and leadership skills, and able to provide authoritative, data-driven check and challenge to support robust programme performance.
The role serves both RAPID and Major Projects functions, spanning the full life cycle of the MWIP programme. Reporting to the Senior Director, Major Projects, you will be a member of the Major Projects Leadership Team (MPLT) as well as the RAPID Leadership Team.
About You
Below are some of the key essential experience, skills & knowledge required for this post:
- Lead Criterion: Significant experience of leading PMO, project controls and/or programme assurance functions within major projects or complex programmes.
- Lead Criterion: An inclusive leadership style which inspires, motivates, and promotes collaboration to develop high performing, innovative and inclusive teams.
- Capable of leading, implementing and evaluating change in business processes, systems, teams and people.
- Demonstrable experience of stakeholder engagement and getting a wide range of conflicting views aligned.
- Strong understanding of major project delivery and the controls needed to support effective oversight and performance management.
- Strong critical thinking and analytical skills, able to create actionable insight and new learning.
- Proven ability to provide authoritative, evidence-based check and challenge to senior stakeholders and delivery teams, using data and insight to strengthen delivery confidence and programme performance.
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 up to 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 23 August 2026
