Ofwat (Water Services Regulation Authority)

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Birmingham (B5 4UA), London (E14 4HD), or Cardiff (CF10 1EP) based with hybrid working

About the job

Job summary

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 Head of Digital and Design Communications to join our Communications Team!

Ofwat's communications team plays a crucial part in the delivery of Ofwat's strategy, working across the business to encourage effective engagement and communication amongst our own people and with external audiences. It is a very collaborative team which takes an integrated approach to communications in a fast-changing sector. 

This is an exciting and important role leading Ofwat's external digital and design communications team, working on topical issues in a fast-paced environment. The successful candidate will bring fresh strategic thinking, creativity and a proactive mindset to deliver impactful communications work. 

You will have overall responsibility for the Ofwat website and social media channels, where you will lead on strengthening our digital presence and impact, incorporating the latest digital technology, trends and techniques. You will head up Ofwat's in-house design team, which houses the corporate brand, visual content and associated accessibility requirements. 

We're looking for someone to spearhead creative content generation and put digital channels at the heart of all communications announcements and at the forefront of planning. 

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

Key Deliverables

In this role you will be expected to: 

• Lead on Ofwat’s overall digital and design strategy, setting out our approach for effectively engaging with target audiences, data analysis and social listening.
• Develop and implement an effective social media strategy that puts creative content and social media at the heart of all communications announcements and at the forefront of planning.
• Lead the Digital and Design team to craft and share content that has a measurable impact with audiences, using new techniques and targeted channel strategies to tell Ofwat’s story in an engaging and impactful way.
• Oversee Ofwat's in-house design team, ensuring appropriate resourcing, support with prioritising requests during busy periods and helping to identify opportunities to use design to strategically support Ofwat's reputation.
• Oversee the delivery of Ofwat’s website improvements to time and on budget, and future new website build. This includes working with Ofwat’s website agency and Digital Communications colleagues to deliver the refresh of key website sections.
• Creatively collaborate on deliverables with other communications functions, especially including press and stakeholder teams.
• Build constructive, collaborative relationships with colleagues across Ofwat and with external suppliers of digital and design services. 
• Support and advise the Communications team and the wider organisation about digital and design best practice.
• Champion the Ofwat brand across the organisation, with a strong focus on ensuring our digital communications reflect our corporate branding and that all content meets current accessibility requirements. 

Person specification

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

Experience, skills and knowledge 

1. Lead criterion 1: Knowledge and proven experience of leading digital and design projects within a high-profile organisation. 
2. Lead criterion 2: Previous experience of building and leading high-performing teams with an inclusive leadership style.
3. Understanding of the power of digital channels (including website and social media) and the ability to formulate strategies and plans that deliver impact. You'll have good knowledge of:

• Social media channels, including Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube 
• Website CMS, preferably WordPress 
• Google Analytics and social media analytics tools 
• Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel). 

4. Experience of communications planning in a complex, fast-moving, multi-stakeholder environment. 

5. Ability to use data to implement successful digital campaigns and support further improvements through evaluation. 

6. Previous experience of working closely with design and creative teams.

7. Ability to horizon scan and identify potential issues/challenges in the external environment and develop appropriate communications strategies. 

Attributes 

8. You create Clarity 

9. Delivers Outcomes 

10. Adaptable Thinker 

Attributes as per Ofwat's Framework for Success for Principal Band. You can read more about Attributes here.

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. 

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 nearly 30%. 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
• Flexible working arrangements that suit your lifestyle
• Fees paid for membership of relevant professional bodies
• Up to 3 volunteering days per year
• Recognition vouchers scheme
• Generous shared parental leave and pay
• Enhanced sick pay
• Regular development opportunities
• Health and wellbeing initiatives
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Season ticket loan for home-to-office travel
• Free eye tests and contribution to lenses/spectacles for VDU users

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 : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk
• Email : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk

Further information

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 recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from us, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk

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