Principal, Price Review Policy in Birmingham

Join Ofwat’s cross-cutting Price Review team as a Principal Price Review Policy. We have a two year fixed term contract available.

Office Location: 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. 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.

The Role: This team will play a critical role in implementing the previous price review and developing the next one. The team works closely with the other teams in the Price Review Design and Delivery function and draws on the experience of other policy specialists as well as economists, lawyers and engineers when developing policy. Within the price review function, we take ownership of issues that don’t naturally fit elsewhere and develop cross‑cutting policy. We also bring together work from across the directorate – spotting connections early, reducing duplication, and ensuring policy moves in a coherent, consistent direction. By creating clarity, offering constructive challenge, and helping teams align their thinking, we make it easier for the whole directorate to deliver high quality, joined up policy. This Principal role is full of influence and exciting challenges. You will have a real opportunity to shape the next price review and develop policies that will have a genuine impact on customers and the environment.

Key deliverables: In this role you will be expected to:

• Lead or contribute to cross‑cutting analysis or policy work relevant to either implementation of the previous price review or designing the next price review.
• Identify issues, develop options and make recommendations that will be used to inform decision‑making.
• Quickly gain an understanding of all elements of the price review process and how they fit together. You will need to be able to take inputs from multiple teams across the directorate and efficiently and robustly bring them together to present cross‑cutting or strategic recommendations.
• Contribute to policy work led by other policy teams in the directorate. Your role could include ensuring alignment with our strategic direction, providing subject‑matter expertise or peer review.
• Draft reports and publications for both internal governance and publication.
• Present complex ideas clearly and set out the reasoning for our decisions to ensure robust and transparent decision‑making. This may involve pulling together inputs from across the directorate and presenting them in a coherent way.
• Build and maintain excellent working relationships with internal and external stakeholders. This could include engaging with economists, engineers, lawyers, policy specialists internally and at water companies, other regulators and government departments.
• Provide visible leadership and guidance to members of the price review directorate. You will be expected to support, empower and be a role model for junior members of the team, to help them develop skills and experience. As a leader in Ofwat, you will also role model our values and ways of working and be an active contributor to the corporate activities that make Ofwat a great place to work.
• If appropriate, act as a People Leader and/or Project Manager, taking on budget management responsibilities and, where appropriate, people management responsibilities in line with Ofwat’s Governance Framework. You may also need to manage external consultants.

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

• Proven experience in formulating, writing and presenting clear and concise evidence‑based advice to inform policy making. This should be for a range of audiences and be from a public policy or regulatory policy background.
• Outstanding analytical and problem‑solving skills, including experience of identifying, analysing and accurately interpreting a range of information and insights to inform evidence‑based decisions and solutions for complex problems.
• 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.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to understand and concisely explain complex issues in non‑technical language.
• Ability to effectively plan, prioritise and deliver projects and programmes of work both directly and by managing multi‑disciplinary teams, and where necessary external advisors/consultants.

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 built 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 offices.
• Good employer pension contributions.
• 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.

Closing date: 23.55 on 27 January 2026.