Head of Finance Business Partnering

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 Finance Business Partnering to join our Finance Team within Corporate Enablers Directorate.

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 Government’s response to the Green Paper, Shaping the Future of Water Governance in Wales, and the Government’s 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 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.

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.

This is an exciting time to join Ofwat - At a critical point for the water sector and with a significant Ofwat growth expected over the next few years. You will be responsible for managing a team of five finance business partners to ensure effective financial management of the budget including planning, forecasting, reporting, and financial analysis.

You will provide leadership, influence, vision, financial challenge, direction, support, and advice, adding value through insightful analysis whilst acting as critical advisor on key financial decisions. You will be CCAB qualified or at final level of your qualification with extensive experience, gained within a Government and/or Public Sector.

Key deliverables:

In this role you will be expected to:

• Lead and manage the Finance Business Partnering team including prioritisation and planning of workload; 121 meetings; monitoring progress against objectives.
• Develop and optimise the production of financial analysis and management information for budget holders, ensuring accuracy and clarity.
• Lead the approach to budget setting and forecasting, including working with senior budget holders, and maintaining forecasting methodology.
• Support the organisation through periods of significant change, providing financial insight, challenge and guidance to enable informed decision-making.
• Lead the period-end close process, ensuring timely completion, accuracy and compliance with financial controls.
• Oversee and quality assure budgeting and forecasting models and establishment budgetary controls.
• Prepare ad-hoc analysis to support strategic planning and organisational decision making.
• Lead a team of 4 Finance Business Partners including leading team meetings and promoting effective collaboration.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Own current approval processes, driving system improvements and enhancing the user experience.
• Manage procurement contracts including Oracle finance, travel and room bookings.
• Proactively identify, assess and manage financial and operational risks, ensuring appropriate controls and mitigation plans are in place.
• Uphold Ofwat's SAILOR values - Support; Ambition; Integrity; Learning; Ownership; Respect.

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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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 recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk and we will support you in completing your application.

Please see the candidate guidance on our website for more detail and tips on how to best make your application and prepare for interview.

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.

Selection timetable

• Closing date: 31 August 2026
• Sifting: Week commencing 31 August 2026
• Interview date(s): Week commencing 14 September 2026

Assessment process

Sift Stage - Blind Sifting

We operate a blind sifting model to eliminate bias. All candidate identifying information will be removed from applications.

At sift stage we will assess your application (CV and personal statement) against essential criteria [1,2 3 & 4] listed above. Please ensure you provide enough evidence in your application form to demonstrate how you meet the criteria.

1. Lead Criterion 1: Experience of building and leading a Finance Business Partnering team.

2. Lead Criterion 2: Experience of supporting an organisation through a period of significant change e.g. a merger/close of an organisation

3. Excellent stakeholder management, with experience of building strong relationships and working collaboratively to achieve and deliver against shared objectives.

4. Experience of providing leadership, guidance and support to colleagues and partners to enable effective decision making.

Use your personal statement to address the below criteria and tell us how your experience, skills and knowledge meet them:

• Please note that in the event of receiving a large number of applications, a pre-sift may take place on just the lead criterion.
• * 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.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Interview Stage - Transparent Interviews and Presentation

At interview stage we will test against essential skills, experience, knowledge and attributes set out above.

Our transparent interview process involves candidates receiving a selection 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.

You can read more about attributes and our Framework for success here.

Please note that the interview will be conducted in our Birmingham City Centre office.

As part of the interview process, we will require a short presentation. Further details will be provided to candidates upon invitation to interview.

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.

It may be necessary for a second stage interview, which will be communicated to the successful candidates, if required.

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.

'Near-miss' candidates (candidates who have performed well at interview stage but haven’t scored high enough for the advertised Principal band) may be considered (in merit order) for a Senior Associate grade post – a band lower than Principal. Further details will be provided to candidates as needed.

If you have any queries about any aspect of this role, selection process, or you require any reasonable adjustments, please email recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.