Commercial Associate

Ofwat; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Excellent pension contributions

25 days annual leave + bank holidays +

Volunteer days

Professional body membership fees paid

Job summary

Ofwat’s Major Projects Team in London or Birmingham is seeking a Senior Associate Commercial Adviser to shape the commercial management across a £50bn pipeline of major water and wastewater projects.

You will develop and implement commercial approaches, lead external suppliers, and provide broad commercial advice on optioneering, procurement, tendering, contracting and governance to support informed decisions throughout the project lifecycle.

Qualifications

• A relevant professional qualification or equivalent experience in commercial management or cost control.
• Experience developing commercial methodologies and evidence-based approaches across project lifecycles.
• Ability to translate complex information into clear, data-driven recommendations for decision-makers.

Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise external suppliers delivering commercial assurance and compliance.
• Develop and embed commercial frameworks, processes and standards for major projects.
• Provide commercial advice across optioneering, procurement, tendering, contracting and construction.
• Support governance and decision-making with assurance findings and reports.

Skills

Commercial management

Cost estimating

Benchmarking

Procurement strategy

Stakeholder engagement

Education

RICS or equivalent

Job description

Join Ofwat’s Major Projects Team as a Senior Associate Commercial Adviser

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.

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.

The Role

The Senior Associate, Commercial Adviser role makes an important contribution to delivering Ofwat’s 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 Ofwat’s £50bn pipeline of major water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

You will help develop and implement Ofwat’s 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 Ofwat’s 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.

About You

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

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• A collaborative approach that promotes knowledge sharing, coaching and continuous improvement, supporting colleagues and the development of commercial capability.

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 and London offices.
• Excellent employer pension contributions of up to 30%.
• 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.
• Generous shared parental leave and pay supporting your family life.