Regulatory Enforcement Specialist

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading water utility company as a Regulatory Enforcement Specialist. In this role, you'll mitigate enforcement risks related to water discharge non-compliance. Collaborate with legal teams and the Environment Agency while coaching team advisors. Enjoy a competitive salary, flexible working options, and numerous benefits including a generous pension scheme and annual leave.

Benefits

26 days holiday, increasing to 30

Generous Pension Scheme

Health and wellbeing benefits

Qualifications

• Ability to coach Environmental Legislation and Regulation.
• Experience working with Environmental and Water Industry Legislation.

Responsibilities

• Critically review Advisors' draft correspondence to the Environment Agency.
• Assist in managing responses to regulatory inquiries.

Skills

Environmental Legislation

Interpersonal Skills

Project Management

Data Interpretation

Education

Environmental Science Degree

Legal Degree

Investigative Degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

SharePoint

Job description

Job title Regulatory Enforcement Specialist Ref 40848 Division Asset Operations & Capital Delivery Location Hybrid - Clearwater Court - RG1 8DB Contract type Permanent Full/Part-time Full-time Salary Competitive starting salary of £43,120- £50,000 per annum depending on experience. Job grade B Closing date 29/05/2025

This is an exciting opportunity for an individual to contribute to Thames Water’s mitigation of enforcement risk as a result of water discharge non-compliance against an environmental permit and/or pollution incident.

You will be part of a team responding to the Environment Agency (EA) across a variety of communication mediums. This high-profile role will involve working with our legal team at Eversheds Sutherland and the Environment Agency. As a result, you will gain exposure across the business at all levels and have the opportunity to contribute towards the company's wider environmental function.

What you’ll be doing as a Regulatory Enforcement Specialist

In this role you will critically review the Team’s Advisors draft correspondence to EA as part of their ongoing criminal investigations into TWUL pollution and non-compliance incident. You will support the Team’s Advisors in their workstreams and overall development in role by providing coaching following your review of their work. As such, you will be confident to lead and act as the Team’s Manager delegate.

• Assist with the management of, and contribute to, our response to the regulator to ensure they are factually correct and demonstrate our commitment as environmental guardians via critical review of Advisors draft response. Ensuring the author has:
• Understood the circumstances of the risk of or non-compliance and/or pollution incident.
• Understood, identified and evidenced suitable mitigating or preventive actions.
• Interpreted scientific reports and/or data regarding environmental impact
• External commitments are identified
• Prepare Statutory and formal requests for information such as Regulation 61 and Section 108
• Preparation of senior leadership and Eversheds to attend an Interview under Caution through forensic interrogation of an incident and drafting of a statement to read out under caution
• Further Information to be provided under caution
• Enforcement Undertaking offers
• At the point of prosecution, you will contribute to the preparation of mitigation, and defence evidence through interrogation of company systems and records.

Base location: Hybrid- An average of two days a week at Clearwater Court, Vastern Rd, Reading.

Working pattern or hours: Flexible working options available to be discussed with the successful candidate at interview stage.

Other requirements for the role: Ability to travel to sites across our entire Thames Water area for training & team building.

What you should bring to the role

• An Environmental Science, Legal, or Investigative degree or equivalent qualification.
• Ability to understand and coach Environmental Legislation and Regulation, the Environment. Agency’s Common Incident Classification Scheme (CICS), 16_02 and Compliance Classification Scheme (CCS).
• Ability to project manage and work under your own initiative whilst managing your workload by prioritising it effectively, ensuring both individual and team deadlines are achieved.
• Ability to work within a team environment with excellent interpersonal skills and the confidence to effectively communicate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to produce reports, incident reviews, and interpret data, and communicate this verbally as well as written.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office and SharePoint is essential.
• Experience of coaching, motivating and leading colleagues as you will have to act as a delegate in the Manager’s absence.
• Previous experience of working with Environmental and Water Industry Legislation and Regulation.
• Ability to travel to sites across our entire Thames Water area for training & team building.
• Previous experience of working with legal privilege is desirable.
• Audit and assurance experience would be advantageous.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive starting salary of £43,120- £50,000 per annum depending on experience.
• Annual Leave -26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service. (plus bank holidays)
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy fast-tracked career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

Whether you’re interested in a role in one of our call centres or science labs, we’re looking for people like you with real passion and a burning desire to make things better.

So, if you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

Our overarching aim is to ensure that Thames Water is great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process . Our aim is to remove any real or perceived barriers to success, so if you need assistance, we’re here to help and support .

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.