Infrastructure Corporate Finance Lead

Job summary

We have an opportunity for an experienced Principal Infrastructure Corporate Finance Lead to join our Major Projects & Markets Directorate.

We are Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority, a non-ministerial government department responsible for regulating the water sector in England and Wales.

We are at the source of everyday life. We help the sector build trust and confidence with customers, the environment and wider society: keeping water flowing, bills affordable and helping ensure the health of our rivers and waterways.

Our work is high-profile and fast-moving, within a dynamic and agile environment. The work that you’ll be involved in every day will help us to deliver our strategy, to make us the regulator we want to be and help the sector to deliver for customers and society.

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.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced Infrastructure Corporate Finance Lead to join our growing Major Projects Team. We are a multidisciplinary team that has a wide remit, working with the industry on some of the largest and most complex infrastructure projects the sector has seen in over thirty years, ranging between several hundred million pounds to several billion pounds. Our aim is to ensure companies are developing and delivering them in a timely and efficient manner, while protecting customers and the environment.

You will play a key role in not only delivering Ofwat's strategy, but also in the development of our approach to the delivery of major infrastructure projects, with a particular focus on corporate or project finance. You will be proactive and respond flexibly to the needs of the organisation by facilitating the development and delivery of major water and wastewater infrastructure projects across England and Wales. You will bring together various advisory services to identify opportunities, and build strong relationships with key external players in the sector. Working closely with Ofwat's Major Projects and Markets directorate and the wider organisation, you will uphold high standards of delivery and collaborate with water and wastewater companies to ensure the delivery of best value for customers.

This is a unique, once-in-a-career opportunity for someone with experience in corporate finance for infrastructure projects or project finance. You will have the chance to work on some of the most important capital projects in the water sector and gain valuable experience in new delivery models. Your input will be crucial to these exciting projects and the accompanying policy issues. These projects are vital to meeting the current and future needs of customers, and you will have a direct impact on ensuring companies deliver for their customers. By contributing to these projects, you will help create a legacy for customers across England and Wales for generations to come.

Key Deliverables

In this role you will be expected to:

• Lead the delivery of a programme of work and/or a specific area of policy related to corporate or project finance in the context of major infrastructure projects.
• Analyse companies' submissions, including the analysis of complex commercial, financial, and technical proposals, providing effective scrutiny and challenge, and preparing and delivering recommendations for senior management including Ofwat’s Board.
• Lead the engagement with water and wastewater companies on their large infrastructure projects, including proposed commercial models and procurement strategies, cost and risk estimation, and related technical issues.
• Provide wider support to the Major Projects team in delivering its programme of work, including in areas of financial complexity and interfaces with RAPID and wider Ofwat.

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: A professional qualification in a finance discipline (CFA, ACA, ACCA, CIMA or ACT) or equivalent experience.
2. Lead criterion: Experience and/or extensive knowledge of project finance, major infrastructure project financing, or corporate finance, obtained through work in, but not limited to, banking, government, public, and regulated sectors (such as water, energy, rail, or other economic and social infrastructure).
3. Understanding of company and group structures, how companies raise finance, the types of finance that are available to them and the relevant commercial issues.
4. Ability to analyse and challenge financial data (from e.g. companies, financial strategies, structures and policy frameworks), while assessing value for money.
5. Ability to draw conclusions and present evidence-based decisions and solutions.
6. Experience of building and maintaining constructive working relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders and the ability to influence and collaborate effectively to deliver desired outcomes.
7. Ability to effectively plan, prioritise and deliver programmes of work and/or projects, both directly and by managing multi-disciplinary teams.
8. Excellent presentation and communication skills (oral and written), including the ability to communicate complex analysis to non-technical audiences.

Attributes

1. Building Trust
2. Making Relationships Count
3. Adaptable thinker
4. Creates Clarity
5. Delivers Outcomes

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