Legal Director

Join Ofwat's Legal Team as a Legal Director - Major Projects

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. 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.

We are working in collaboration with the government and other regulators to help establish a new body for England, combining our strengths with those of the Drinking Water Inspectorate, the Environment Agency, and Natural England. We're also continuing to engage with the Welsh Government to support future decisions 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

We are looking for a Legal Director to support our Major Projects work and be at the forefront of shaping how our £50bn programme of major projects and new water resources is delivered. Following Ofwat's final determination for the Price Review 2024, we are embarking on an ambitious journey with a significant programme of 30 Major Projects.

You will join our expanding Legal Team which is part of the Office of the Chief Executive Directorate whilst also being embedded in the work of the Major Projects team. You will therefore also have the opportunity to get involved in other work areas within Ofwat as business needs arise, leveraging the skills that you bring.

The Major Projects team is responsible for the policy and market development of our future pipeline of major infrastructure projects in the water sector in England and Wales, as well as Ofwat's role in the oversight of the development, procurement, and delivery of these projects. The team works closely with our innovative partnership, RAPID (Regulator's Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development) on the early engagement on both water resources and wastewater planning.

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Legal Director to lead the legal support to the teams that are defining how the competitive commercial models are being applied to the programme, working closely with companies and regulators to drive new approaches to unlocking programme opportunities. We expect you to use your legal expertise and judgement to help develop and test commercial operating models, facilitating the scrutiny of delivery plans, and proactively resolving emerging issues, thereby building confidence with government, and the investor and delivery market.

About You

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

1. Lead criterion 1: Significant experience (approximately 10 years') as a Qualified Solicitor or Barrister in England and Wales or acting in a role akin to that of a qualified Solicitor or Barrister in a legal environment, providing commercial and/or project finance legal support to major projects delivery, ideally in an infrastructure sector with substantial commercial risk.
2. Lead criterion 2: Significant experience of delivering strategic, solutions-focussed legal advice on the development and implementation of policy objectives and/or commercial outcomes in a regulatory context with specific expertise in areas of regulatory, public and administrative law.
3. Highly tuned interpersonal skills, particularly in negotiation, influencing and engagement, with the ability to build trust, confidence and alignment across different organisations through effective communication and collaboration.
4. Experience of senior leadership where you have demonstrated good judgement and the ability to effectively lead teams and projects through change and uncertainty to deliver desired outcomes.
5. Strong critical thinking and analytical skills in a complex and evolving legislative context within an innovative policy environment, incorporating wider considerations into your work.
6. An inclusive leadership style which inspires, motivates, and promotes collaboration to develop high performing, innovative and inclusive teams.
7. Material experience of effective and efficient planning, including prioritisation and delegation.

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 offices.
• Excellent employer pension contributions of nearly 29%. You can find further details about pension schemes under Terms and Conditions in the Candidate Pack.
• 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 Applications in full before the below deadline.

Closing date: 23.55 on 21 September 2025