At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead Thames Water's regulatory reporting strategy and ensure accurate submissions to regulators.
- Company: Join a leading water company committed to transparency and accountability.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous leave, private healthcare, and a supportive work environment.
- Other info: Hybrid working model with opportunities for professional growth and development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in regulatory reporting while shaping the future of water management.
- Qualifications: Extensive experience in regulatory reporting and strong leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 120000 - 120000 ÂŁ per year.
The Head of Regulatory Reporting leads Thames Water’s end‑to‑end regulatory reporting strategy (with a focus on non‑financial measures), ensuring that submissions to our regulators are clear, accurate, timely, and fully aligned with corporate objectives and regulatory obligations.
Base Location: Hybrid – Reading
Working Pattern or hours: 36 hours
Responsibilities
- Develop and own the enterprise regulatory reporting framework and calendar, governing all regulator‑facing submissions, consultations and information requests.
- Maintain standards (templates, style, evidence rules) and ensure cross‑document narrative and data consistency – promoting a single source of truth reporting.
- Shape the external reporting landscape: Proactively engage with regulators and industry forums to streamline requirements, avoiding overlapping or contradictory frameworks, and to improve proportionality and clarity of expectations.
- Lead Thames Water’s approach to annual/periodic returns, including the Annual Performance Report (APR), Price Control Deliverable (PCD), Delivery Plan updates and other statutory/non‑statutory returns. This includes end‑to‑end scope, plan, compilation, challenge, executive sign‑off and publication.
- Ensure that the business is provided with accurate and timely MI, including oversight and production of monthly Performance Commitment Level (PCL) reporting.
- Oversee the tracking of all requests from and to regulators – capture and report on progress.
- Operate a structured triage, review and approval process for responses.
- Establish and maintain a robust internal assurance framework following corporate standards (three lines).
- Provide ongoing oversight and guidance on the External Regulatory Reporting Framework, working closely with key internal stakeholders.
- Provide interpretive guidance (explanatory notes, Q&A packs) that translate regulatory rules and underlying intent into practical business requirements.
- Drive continuous improvement in data quality, lineage and controls. Work with data owners to identify root causes and embed long‑term fixes.
- Ensure accurate and transparent reporting, including ODIs, Performance Commitments (PCs) and selected financial metrics, environmental indicators and customer service measures.
- Provide inputs to monthly business reviews and Board reporting, where these figures are also reported externally.
- Act as a senior point of contact with regulators; provide timely advice and regulatory insight to Executive Directors and Board Committees.
- Prepare high‑quality Board/Committee papers (Regulatory Strategy Committee, Audit Committee).
- Lead transformation initiatives to modernise reporting processes, reduce risk, and improve timeliness/quality.
Qualifications
- Extensive experience in regulatory reporting, regulatory finance or assurance within the water sector or a similarly regulated industry.
- Deep understanding of Ofwat’s framework, including APR requirements, cost assessment, PCs/ODIs and assurance expectations.
- Proven leadership managing multidisciplinary teams and orchestrating complex reporting processes with immovable deadlines.
- Experience designing/operating governance frameworks, data controls and assurance suitable for external audit.
- Strong track record of senior stakeholder management, including Executive and Board engagement and regulator interactions.
- Strategic planning & delivery: builds and executes an enterprise reporting calendar; anticipates pinch points and dependencies.
- Editorial excellence & communication: clear, concise writing; able to translate complex requirements for non‑specialists; confident presenter.
- Influencing & collaboration: aligns cross‑functional teams; negotiates trade‑offs; resilient under pressure.
- Governance & integrity: champions accountability, transparency and evidence‑based decisions; models Thames Water values.
Additional skills and experiences
- Prior engagement with regulators (Ofwat, DWI, EA, CCW) and handling formal queries and information requests.
- Experience across regulatory business planning cycles.
- Technical & analytical strength: strong knowledge of financial/operational metrics; advanced problem‑solving and data quality improvement skills.
- System proficiency: advanced Excel; familiarity with enterprise data systems, performance management tools and BI platforms (e.g., Power BI); M365 collaboration and controlled drafting (SharePoint/Teams).
Benefits
- Competitive salary circa ÂŁ120,000 per annum, depending on experience.
- Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays).
- Car allowance.
- Private medical healthcare.
- Performance‑related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
- Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
- Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.
Equal employment opportunity
We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else, just let us know. We’re here to help and support.
Head of Regulatory Reporting in Reading employer: Thames Water
Contact Detail:
Thames Water Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Regulatory Reporting in Reading
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend relevant events, and connect with professionals on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching Thames Water’s regulatory landscape. Understand their recent reports and challenges they face. This will help you tailor your responses and show that you're genuinely interested in the role.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain how your experience aligns with the Head of Regulatory Reporting role. Highlight your leadership skills and how you've successfully managed complex reporting processes in the past.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the team at Thames Water.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Regulatory Reporting in Reading
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in regulatory reporting and how it aligns with the job description. We want to see how your skills fit into our vision at Thames Water!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: As a Head of Regulatory Reporting, you'll be leading teams and managing complex processes. Use your application to demonstrate your leadership experience and how you've successfully navigated similar challenges in the past.
Be Clear and Concise: We love clear communication! When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. Avoid jargon where possible and make sure your key achievements stand out.
Apply Through Our Website: Don't forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Thames Water
✨Know Your Regulatory Framework
Make sure you have a solid understanding of Ofwat’s framework and the specific requirements for the Annual Performance Report (APR) and other regulatory submissions. Brush up on the key metrics and obligations so you can confidently discuss how your experience aligns with these expectations.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your experience in managing multidisciplinary teams and orchestrating complex reporting processes. Be ready to discuss how you've successfully led initiatives that improved data quality and streamlined reporting, as this will resonate well with the interviewers.
✨Communicate Clearly and Concisely
Practice translating complex regulatory requirements into simple terms. During the interview, aim to demonstrate your editorial excellence by being clear and concise in your responses. This will show that you can effectively communicate with both specialists and non-specialists alike.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Be prepared to discuss your experience in engaging with regulators and senior stakeholders. Highlight any successful negotiations or collaborations you've had, and think about how you can illustrate your ability to influence and align cross-functional teams under pressure.