location_onLondon, UK
watch_later Posted: Jan 23, 2025
Job Description
Location
Birmingham (B5 4UA) or London (E14 4HD) based with hybrid working
About The Job
Job summary
We have an excellent opportunity to join Ofwat's growing Casework and Enforcement team as a Licensing & Customer Enquiries Associate.
The Casework and Enforcement team is the "front door" for many of the customers and stakeholders who contact Ofwat with enquiries or complaints about the sector or their water company. Where we have the legal powers to do so, we investigate and resolve customer disputes or water company failures. Additionally, the team assesses applications from companies wanting to be granted a licence to serve customers in the water sector. In deciding on these applications, we aim to ensure that customers can benefit from having a choice of provider, whilst being sufficiently protected for the provision of their water and wastewater services.
You will primarily work across our licensing activities, leading the assessment of licence applications we receive from companies wishing to operate in the water sector. However, subject to business need, you may also support with responding to customer enquiries and complaints.
Ofwat is dedicated to providing you with opportunities to further develop your knowledge and experience. We have a well-supported, agile working environment, and have a trust-based culture intended to help empower, enable, and support you to succeed.
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.
Job Description
Your responsibilities will involve:
Person specification
To be successful in this role you will need the below essential experience, skills, knowledge and attributes:
Experience, Skills And Knowledge
Benefits
Why You Should Join Us:
We’re forward-thinking, creative, innovative, and ambitious. We constantly push the boundaries and embrace new ways of working.
With us, your work matters, your voice is heard, and your impact is felt. Ours is a culture of trust, flexibility, autonomy, collaboration, and innovation. We all want positive change for water customers, the environment, and the future of water.
But for us, change is more than what happens on the outside – we’ve always pushed boundaries internally, too. From becoming the first Civil Service organisation to achieve ‘Smarter Working’ status, to gaining our prestigious ‘Smarter Working Maturity’ award, we’ve consistently demonstrated our commitment to embracing innovative ways of working. Our people do their best work when given freedom over where, when, and how they work. Which is why we trust our teams to balance meaningful collaboration in the office with the flexibility of working from home.
You will also benefit from:
Selection process details
How To Apply
Apply through the Civil Service Jobs website where you’ll be asked to create an account and complete an application form (CV and personal statement). If you’re unable to make an electronic application, please contact and we will support you in completing your application.
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.
Please see the candidate guidance on our website for more detail and tips on how to best make your application.
Selection timetable
Sift Stage
At sift stage we assess your application against key essential skills, experience, and knowledge, listed above.
Use your personal statement to address the lead criterion and tell us about your:
In the event of receiving a large number of applications, a pre-sift may take place on just the lead criterion.
Please ensure that anything submitted as part of your application is factually accurate, and you are not presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by AI, as your own.
Please note that if a high volume of candidates meet the minimum pass mark at sift stage, we will only progress the highest scoring candidates to interview. Candidates not invited to interview, who have achieved the minimum pass mark, will be placed 'on hold' until the final stage of the assessment process is completed. Should the role/s remain unfilled, candidates placed 'on hold' may be invited to interview in merit order.
Interview Stage
Our transparent interview process involves candidates receiving a list of attribute-based questions in advance. This has been proven to help neurodiverse candidates and others to perform better at interview and is part of our inclusive culture.
We will assess your Experience, Skills and Knowledge as well as Attributes (set out in the professional requirements section) at Interview Stage.
You can read more about Attributes in Ofwat’s Framework for Success.
As part of the interview process, we will require short presentation. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates upon invitation to interview.
Please note that the interviews will be conducted via video conferencing software such as Microsoft Teams.
If the assessment process identifies more appointable candidates than roles available, a reserve list will be created for 12 months from which further appointments in merit order can be made.
Please ensure anything you present in your interview answers is factually accurate, and you are not presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by AI, as your own. You may expect follow up questions.
If you have any queries about any aspect of this role, selection process, or you require any reasonable adjustments please email .
Please read the attached "Candidate Information Pack" for details on terms and conditions.
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:
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.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) .
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
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 :
Complaints procedure - The process of recruitment and assessment embraces the principles of fair and open competition and best practice. The first is to maintain the principle of selection for appointment to the Civil Service on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. The second is to promote an understanding of the https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-code/the-civil-service-code which sets out the constitutional framework in which all civil servants work and the values they are expected to uphold, and to hear and determine appeals made under it. 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 in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from us, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at
Birmingham (B5 4UA) or London (E14 4HD) based with hybrid working
About The Job
Job summary
We have an excellent opportunity to join Ofwat's growing Casework and Enforcement team as a Licensing & Customer Enquiries Associate.
The Casework and Enforcement team is the "front door" for many of the customers and stakeholders who contact Ofwat with enquiries or complaints about the sector or their water company. Where we have the legal powers to do so, we investigate and resolve customer disputes or water company failures. Additionally, the team assesses applications from companies wanting to be granted a licence to serve customers in the water sector. In deciding on these applications, we aim to ensure that customers can benefit from having a choice of provider, whilst being sufficiently protected for the provision of their water and wastewater services.
You will primarily work across our licensing activities, leading the assessment of licence applications we receive from companies wishing to operate in the water sector. However, subject to business need, you may also support with responding to customer enquiries and complaints.
Ofwat is dedicated to providing you with opportunities to further develop your knowledge and experience. We have a well-supported, agile working environment, and have a trust-based culture intended to help empower, enable, and support you to succeed.
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.
Job Description
Your responsibilities will involve:
- Leading on the processing and assessment of applications from companies wishing to be granted licences to operate in the water sector reviewing the evidence submitted against our legal and policy requirements.
- Being responsible for assessing and responding accurately and effectively to customer enquiries received by Ofwat, including contacts made to our Chief Executive and Chair.
- Making recommendations to senior decision-makers on the next steps in considering a licence application or customer enquiry.
- Proactively and independently planning, prioritising and managing various work items in parallel in order to provide a high quality service to customers and meet our service level timeframes.
- Working with internal and external stakeholders, including those from other professional disciplines (for example legal, engineering, communications), to gather and share information relevant to each other's work.
- Maintaining accurate and up-to-date case / project files within our case management system.
- Working with colleagues to identify and consider trends, insights and lessons learnt from your day-to-day work, to feed into improvements in how Ofwat and water companies can better deliver for customers, society and the environment.
- Adapting and responding to changing workloads and priorities.
Person specification
To be successful in this role you will need the below essential experience, skills, knowledge and attributes:
Experience, Skills And Knowledge
- Lead criterion: Experience of gathering and assessing complex information to make evidence-based conclusions and recommendations.
- Lead criterion: Experience of working with customers and external stakeholders to communicate complex information in writing and verbally.
- Experience of working under pressure, effectively planning, prioritising and managing a varied and changing workload to meet different, and often tight, deadlines, whilst maintaining the quality standards.
- Responsibility for maintaining accurate and up-to-date case files, with strong attention to detail.
- Ability to work with internal and external stakeholders to gather and share information and to deliver a common objective.
- Ability to continuously improve how we do things, sharing your ideas with colleagues and implementing improvements.
- Ability to adapt communication styles to suit various stakeholders and situations.
- Ability to manage risks including the ability to identify, assess and mitigate potential risks as they arise whilst demonstrating the capability to raise the flag on critical risks when needed.
- Delivers outcomes
- Creates clarity
- Promotes collaboration
- Adaptable thinker
Benefits
Why You Should Join Us:
We’re forward-thinking, creative, innovative, and ambitious. We constantly push the boundaries and embrace new ways of working.
With us, your work matters, your voice is heard, and your impact is felt. Ours is a culture of trust, flexibility, autonomy, collaboration, and innovation. We all want positive change for water customers, the environment, and the future of water.
But for us, change is more than what happens on the outside – we’ve always pushed boundaries internally, too. From becoming the first Civil Service organisation to achieve ‘Smarter Working’ status, to gaining our prestigious ‘Smarter Working Maturity’ award, we’ve consistently demonstrated our commitment to embracing innovative ways of working. Our people do their best work when given freedom over where, when, and how they work. Which is why we trust our teams to balance meaningful collaboration in the office with the flexibility of working from home.
You will also benefit from:
- Excellent employer pension contributions of 28.97% (around £8,100 to £9,270 per annum for this role).
- 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 variety of goods and services, including retail outlets, theatre tickets, holidays, insurance, and a gym membership.
- Flexible working arrangements that suit your lifestyle.
- Fees paid for membership of relevant professional bodies.
- Up to 3 volunteering days per year.
- Generous shared parental leave and pay.
- Enhanced sick pay.
- Regular development opportunities.
- Health and wellbeing initiatives.
- Season ticket loan for home-to-office travel.
- Cycle-to-work scheme.
Selection process details
How To Apply
Apply through the Civil Service Jobs website where you’ll be asked to create an account and complete an application form (CV and personal statement). If you’re unable to make an electronic application, please contact and we will support you in completing your application.
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.
Please see the candidate guidance on our website for more detail and tips on how to best make your application.
Selection timetable
- Closing date: 23:55 on 09 Feb 25
- Sifting: week commencing 10 Feb 25
- Interview date(s): 24 & 25 Feb 25
Sift Stage
At sift stage we assess your application against key essential skills, experience, and knowledge, listed above.
Use your personal statement to address the lead criterion and tell us about your:
- Experience of gathering and assessing complex information to make evidence-based conclusions and recommendations.
- Experience of working with customers and external stakeholders to communicate complex information in writing and verbally.
In the event of receiving a large number of applications, a pre-sift may take place on just the lead criterion.
Please ensure that anything submitted as part of your application is factually accurate, and you are not presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by AI, as your own.
Please note that if a high volume of candidates meet the minimum pass mark at sift stage, we will only progress the highest scoring candidates to interview. Candidates not invited to interview, who have achieved the minimum pass mark, will be placed 'on hold' until the final stage of the assessment process is completed. Should the role/s remain unfilled, candidates placed 'on hold' may be invited to interview in merit order.
Interview Stage
Our transparent interview process involves candidates receiving a list of attribute-based questions in advance. This has been proven to help neurodiverse candidates and others to perform better at interview and is part of our inclusive culture.
We will assess your Experience, Skills and Knowledge as well as Attributes (set out in the professional requirements section) at Interview Stage.
You can read more about Attributes in Ofwat’s Framework for Success.
As part of the interview process, we will require short presentation. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates upon invitation to interview.
Please note that the interviews will be conducted via video conferencing software such as Microsoft Teams.
If the assessment process identifies more appointable candidates than roles available, a reserve list will be created for 12 months from which further appointments in merit order can be made.
Please ensure anything you present in your interview answers is factually accurate, and you are not presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by AI, as your own. You may expect follow up questions.
If you have any queries about any aspect of this role, selection process, or you require any reasonable adjustments please email .
Please read the attached "Candidate Information Pack" for details on terms and conditions.
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
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.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) .
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
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 :
- Email :
- Email :
Complaints procedure - The process of recruitment and assessment embraces the principles of fair and open competition and best practice. The first is to maintain the principle of selection for appointment to the Civil Service on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. The second is to promote an understanding of the https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-code/the-civil-service-code which sets out the constitutional framework in which all civil servants work and the values they are expected to uphold, and to hear and determine appeals made under it. 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 in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from us, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at
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