Chartered Management Degree Apprentice

Summary

Ofwat are delighted to launch our second year of our degree apprenticeship programmes. This role will be based in our Casework, enforcement and customers directorate, our apprenticeship programme will offer a truly versatile role, with excellent training enabling you to create a solid foundation for your career as a chartered Manager.

Wage: £25,301 a year
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Training course: Chartered manager (degree) (level 6)
Hours: This post is full-time (37 hours per week), flexible working. Monday - Friday. Shifts to be confirmed.
37 hours a week
Possible start date: Monday 8 September
Duration: 4 years
Positions available: 1

Work

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

Over the 4 years you will get to know Ofwat well and have the opportunity to support work in our casework enforcement and customers directorate, you’ll develop a broad skillset, you'll be able to apply the theory you learn at university and put into practice in your day to day role.

The Casework and Enforcement team plays a key role in holding water companies to account to ensure they are meeting their legal obligations to customers and the environment. The team is also the 'front door' for many of the customers and stakeholders who contact Ofwat with enquiries or complaints about the sector or their water company, and for businesses that want to become new water companies. Our work can range from deciding on an individual customer's dispute with their water company, to assessing whether a company is fit to be a water company, to imposing multi-million-pound fines on a water company where it has failed to meet its legal obligations.

The work we do is complex and has direct implications for customers and the environment. You’ll be given the opportunity to demonstrate your potential from the outset and your passion for learning will see you relish the opportunity!

You will be supported throughout your program by your people leader, mentor/ buddy, Early Careers partner and university. On your 4 year journey you will learn the technical skills on the job, the theory at university and the soft skills with regular internal training sessions throughout the year with your cohort.

You’ll also have the opportunity to work with other apprentices and colleagues and early career professionals across the regulatory industry.

We have a virtual insights evening on the 19th February for you to find out more about this opportunity at Ofwat and a chance to meet some of the team! Email earlycareers@ofwat.gov.uk for your invite.

Where you’ll work

Centre City House

7 Hill Street

Birmingham

West Midlands

B5 4UA

Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

College or training organisation

UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

Your training course

Chartered manager (degree) (level 6)

Equal to degree

Course contents

Support the development of organisational strategies and plans. Develop and deliver operational plans; being able to set targets and KPIs, manage resources, and monitor and measure outcomes to establish operational effectiveness, efficiencies and excellence. Produce reports that clearly present information and data, using a range of interpretation and analytical processes. Gain wide support to deliver successful outcomes
Plan, organise and manage resources in order to achieve organisational goals. Identify key outcomes, develop and implement plans and monitor progress, and provide reports as required. Proactively identify risk and create plans for their mitigation. Able to initiate, lead and drive change within the organisation, identifying barriers/challenges and how to overcome them. Ability to use widely recognised project management tools
Managing budgets, controlling expenditure and production of financial reports
Use of customer insight and analysis of data to determine and drive customer service outcomes and improve customer relationships. Creative approaches to developing solutions to meet customer need
Able to identify service/organisational improvements and opportunities for innovation and growth, using qualitative and quantitative analysis of information and data and benchmarking against others
Communicate clearly, effectively and regularly using oral, written and digital channels and platforms. Use active listening and open questioning to structure conversations and discussions, and able to challenge when appropriate. Manage and chair meetings and clearly present actions and outcomes. Ability to apply influencing and persuading skills, to the dynamics and politics of personal interactions
Able to articulate organisational purpose and values. Support the creation of an inclusive, high performance work culture. Enable others to achieve by developing and supporting them through coaching and mentoring
Able to build teams, empower and motivate others to improve performance or achieve outcomes. Able to delegate to others, provide clear guidance and monitor progress. Ability to set goals and accountabilities
Able to build rapport and trust, develop networks and maintain relationships with people from a range of cultures, backgrounds and levels. Able to contribute within a team environment. Effectively influence and negotiate, being able to have challenging conversations and give constructive feedback. Work collaboratively with internal and external customers and suppliers
Able to reflect on own performance, identifying and acting on learning and development needs. Ability to understand impact on others. Can manage stress and personal well-being, and confident in knowing core values and drivers
Able to create personal development plan, and use widely recognised tools and techniques to ensure the management of time and pressure effectively, and prioritisation and strategic alignment of activities
Use evidence-based tools and ethical approaches to undertake problem solving and critical analysis, synthesis and evaluation to support decision making

Your training plan

We have partnered with Exeter university for this program, the apprenticeship will be delivered in a blended approach, both online and on campus.

On successful completion, apprentices will gain the following Qualifications:

• BSC (Hons) Responsible Business Management

• Level 6 Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship from the start of the course Decision Making

• CMI Chartered Manager status

And 4 years' experience working in the Civil Service – putting you in a brilliant position to progress in your career.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

A Level in:

Any (grade CCC)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Problem solving skills
Analytical skills
Embodies all our values-SAILOR
Problem Solving
Listening Skills
Motivation for Apprenticeship

Other requirements

Throughout the selection process, we will be looking for evidence of the skills listed and our SAILOR values. (Support, Ambition, Integrity, Learning, Ownership, Respect). There is The following two questions on this application are marked.

About this company

We’re Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority – a non-ministerial government department responsible for regulating the water sector in England and Wales. As the economic regulator of water and wastewater companies in England and Wales, our role is to enable, incentivise and hold companies to account for providing the very best for customers, communities and the environment now and in the future. We also oversee the markets in the water sector to ensure they’re working for customers. 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. We push hard to improve day-to-day water company performance for customers, including on leakage, sewer flooding and customer service. We drive the sector to take a longer-term view and to take steps now to protect and enhance the environment, using digital and data innovations and making sure our water supplies are secure for future generations. Through our five-yearly price reviews, we oversee billions of pounds of investment into the water sector across England and Wales. Our Time to Act strategy sets out our ambition for the water sector and the role we play in achieving it. Our values reflect our ambition, our commitment to learning, to acting with purpose and integrity, continuously improving so that we make the greatest contribution possible to improving life through water. 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. Our values underpin everything we do. They help us to deliver and maintain an inclusive culture where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work. And they've made a difference. In our latest people survey 92% of our people said they are treated with respect by the people they work with. 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. But for us, change is more than what happens on the outside – we’ve always pushed boundaries internally, too. From becoming the first Civil Service organisation to achieve ‘Smarter Working’ status, to gaining our prestigious ‘Smarter Working Maturity’ award, we’ve consistently demonstrated our commitment to embracing innovative ways of working. 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.

https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/early-careers/grads/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Excellent employer pension contributions. 25 days’ annual leave (increasing to 30 with each year of service) plus bank holidays and an extra 2.5 days of privilege leave.

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

Over the four years you will get to know Ofwat well and have the opportunity to support work in our fast paced directorate, casework enforcement and customers. You'll be able to apply the theory you learn at university and put into practice in your day to day role.

We hope you will work your way from Business Support to Associate whilst on the apprenticeship programme. On successful completion of your apprenticeship we will be supporting you with making the next step in your career to Senior Associate. Business support/ Associate/ Senior Associate refer to Ofwat's specific bands.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

Office of Water Services (OFWAT)

Elizabeth Savage

Earlycareers@ofwat.gov.uk

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000299524.

Apply now

Closes in 14 days (Sunday 9 March at 11:59pm)

When you apply, you’ll be asked to sign in with a GOV.UK One Login. You can create one at the same time as applying for this apprenticeship.

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