Senior Associate Commercial Adviser, Major Water Infrastructure Projects

We are Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority, a non-ministerial government department responsible for regulating the water sector in England and Wales.

We have an opportunity for a Senior Associate Commercial Adviser to join our Major Projects Team.

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 Governments response to the Green Paper, Shaping the Future of Water Governance in Wales, and the Governments 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 youre 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.

You can find out more about why you should join Ofwat, our strategy, values and our framework for success in the attached Information for Candidates Pack.

The Senior Associate, Commercial Adviser role makes an important contribution to delivering Ofwats strategic objectives and regulatory commitments across the major water infrastructure portfolio.

You will join our growing Major Projects Team at Senior Associate level, working with the Commercial Lead across Ofwats 50bn pipeline of major water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

You will help develop and implement Ofwats commercial approach, including cost estimating, benchmarking, commercial strategy for procurement and tendering, contract strategy and commercial assurance. You will help develop and embed the frameworks, processes, methodologies and standards that provide a consistent, evidence-based approach to commercial decision-making and value for money across the full lifecycle of major water infrastructure projects.

You will lead, advise and supervise external suppliers delivering commercial assurance, setting clear requirements, providing technical direction and applying constructive challenge to ensure high-quality outputs. You will use assurance findings to strengthen Ofwats commercial frameworks and enable continuous, progressively deeper assurance as projects develop through their lifecycle and gates. You will also provide commercial analysis and advice to Ofwat project leads in preparing assurance reports and governance, supporting informed decision-making on Major Water Infrastructure Programme projects.

You will provide commercial advice across optioneering, business case development, procurement, tendering, contracting, construction and commissioning. This will include projects delivered through competitive models such as the Direct Procurement for Customers (DPC) model and Specified Infrastructure Projects Regulations (SIPR), as used in the Thames Tideway Tunnel project, as well as projects progressing through the RAPID (Regulator's Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development) process.

Key deliverables:

In this role you will be expected to:

• Play a key role in developing and implementing our approach to cost, schedule, benchmarking, commercial strategy and commercial assurance. This will include developing the processes, methodologies and end-to-end approach for commercial assurance and benchmarking, including our benchmarking models and Cost & Commercial Playbook, helping establish consistent standards for major projects and building confidence with stakeholders and investors.
• Be at the heart of the delivery of Major Projects by applying our commercial standards, providing commercial advice and challenge, and helping drive value for customers across the project lifecycle.
• Lead, advise and supervise external commercial advisors and suppliers, setting clear requirements, providing technical direction and constructive challenge to maximise the value and quality of their input. You will build effective, trusted relationships across our team, with companies and delivery partners, establishing yourself as a respected commercial professional.
• Oversee our approach to managing relationships with advisors and contractors, promoting best practice in procurement, tendering and contract management, and contributing to training, guidance and process improvement where required.
• Engage in and support the delivery of the Major Projects & Markets' strategy and approach, in line with our SAILOR values. This includes collaborating with Directors and other Principals in maturing our ways of working, assurance approaches, and key standards and guidance with regard to direct procurement for customers and specified infrastructure project regulations.
• Inspire and promote learning, knowledge sharing and commercial capability across Ofwat, RAPID and the wider water sector, bringing together evidence, market insight and lessons from projects to continuously improve our commercial approaches. You will share knowledge, coach colleagues and support the development of Associates and Senior Associates through collaboration, role modelling and appropriate development opportunities.
• Support with maintaining and evolving a diverse and inclusive culturewithin the organisation where our people are representative of the communities we serve, and everyone is valued, treated fairly, and empowered to thrive. You will also support our people to sustain a work life balance and get the best from hybrid working.

To be successful in this role you will need the below essential attributes, experience, skills and knowledge:

Experience, skills and knowledge

1. Lead Criterion: A relevant professional qualification or equivalent experience in commercial management, estimating, quantity surveying or cost management (e.g. RICS), with experience working on complex infrastructure projects or programmes, cost estimating, benchmarking, commercial assurance and commercial strategy for procurement and delivery.
2. Experience of applying and contributing to the development of, commercial methodologies, frameworks and evidence-based approaches to cost, schedule, benchmarking, risk and commercial assurance across the project lifecycle.
3. Able to provide credible commercial advice, constructively challenge assumptions and translate complex information and analysis into clear, evidence-based recommendations to support project and senior decision-making.
4. Experience of providing commercial input into procurement, tendering and contract strategy, including risk allocation and the management of commercial risk and opportunity, with an understanding of their impact on cost, schedule and value for money.
5. Strong interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships, engage effectively with a range of stakeholders and constructively manage different or conflicting views.
6. A collaborative approach that promotes knowledge sharing, coaching and continuous improvement, supporting colleagues and the development of commercial capability.

Attributes

7. Champion & Leader of Change

8. Builds the Team

9. Promotes Collaboration

10. Delivers Outcomes

Attributes as per Ofwat's Framework for Success for the relevant salary grade. You can read more about Attributes here.