Digital Project Manager
Summary
Digital Project Manager at Ofwat, the water sector regulator for England and Wales, based in Birmingham with hybrid working (fixed term to 31 Dec 2027). Plans and delivers a portfolio of IT/digital transformation projects — including Microsoft Purview, infrastructure and data migrations — managing governance, budgets, suppliers and stakeholders.
- Job grade: Other
- Contract type: Fixed term, Loan, Secondment
- Length of employment: This is a fixed-term appointment until 31 December 2027. We will also consider loans and secondments for this period of time. There is a possibility of the role being extended or converted to permanent as plans for new regulators for England and Wales dev
- Business area: OFWAT - Corporate Enablers - IT Service Delivery & Partnering (ITSDP) Team
- Type of role: Architecture and Data, Digital, Information Technology, Project Delivery
- Working pattern: Flexible working, Full-time, Job share
- Number of jobs available: 1
Location
About the job
Job summary
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 Digital Project Manager to join our IT Service Delivery & Partnering 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.
Job description
The Digital Project Manager role has an important and valuable contribution to enable us to deliver on our goals and regulatory commitments. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape several key technology initiatives that will have a lasting impact across Ofwat. We are looking for a project professional who combines strong delivery discipline with excellent stakeholder management skills and who can confidently lead complex technology projects from concept through to successful implementation.
You will be responsible for planning, coordinating and delivering a portfolio of technology projects that support Ofwat's digital transformation and operational objectives. Working closely with technical teams, suppliers, business stakeholders and senior leaders, you will ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget and to the required quality standards.
This role is ideally suited to an experienced IT Project Manager who can demonstrate successful delivery of infrastructure, application, data migration and business transformation projects in complex organisations. Just as importantly, you will be personable, approachable and skilled at building trusted, productive relationships across technical teams, business areas, senior stakeholders and external suppliers.
Key deliverables:
In this role you will be expected to:
- Deliver assigned projects using recognised project management methodologies and best practice.
- Develop and maintain detailed project plans, schedules, budgets and reporting mechanisms.
- Manage project governance, controls, RAID logs and reporting.
- Facilitate project boards, steering groups and stakeholder meetings.
- Coordinate internal resources, suppliers and third-party partners.
- Manage project risks, dependencies and issues, escalating where appropriate.
- Ensure effective communication and engagement across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Ensure project outcomes align with organisational objectives and strategic priorities.
- Produce high-quality project documentation, reports and presentations for senior stakeholders.
- Work collaboratively with colleagues across Digital, IT, Information Governance and Business Services teams.
- Lead the coordinated delivery of Microsoft Purview capabilities, ensuring appropriate governance, stakeholder engagement and transition into operational support.
Person specification
To be successful in this role you will need the below essential attributes, experience, skills and knowledge:
Experience, skills and knowledge
- Lead criterion 1: Demonstrable experience of successfully delivering multiple concurrent IT and digital projects from initiation through to implementation, using recognised project management methodologies and best practice.
- Lead Criterion 2: Proven experience of delivering complex IT and digital transformation projects, including Microsoft technologies such as Purview, infrastructure, enterprise systems or data migrations.
- Strong experience of project planning and governance, using recognised project delivery frameworks such as PRINCE2 or Agile, including managing budgets, risks, dependencies and project reporting.
- Demonstrable experience managing third-party suppliers and implementation partners, coordinating internal and external resources to support successful project delivery.
- Experience leading project governance, facilitating project boards or steering groups, and providing clear, high-quality reporting and project information to senior stakeholders.
- Good knowledge and practical understanding of Microsoft technologies and technology service environments, including Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online, with an understanding of information governance, security and compliance considerations in technology projects.
Attributes
7. Delivers Outcomes
8. Make Relationships Count
9. Champion & Leader of Change
Attributes as per Ofwat's Framework for Success for the relevant salary grade. You can read more about Attributes here.
Benefits
Why You Should Join Us:
Our people are at the heart of Ofwat, and our People Strategy defines the goals that keep this focus central to everything we do. Our 2025 People Survey highlights several key strengths. Nine in ten colleagues say that they are treated with respect and that Ofwat values individual differences. The same proportion say that their work is meaningful and that they are being trusted to carry out their roles effectively. 79% of our people rated their manager highly, and 85% described their team environment as positive.
You will also benefit from:
- Good 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
- Access to exclusive discounts on a variety of goods and services, including retail outlets, theatre tickets, holidays, insurance, and a gym membership
- Flexible working arrangements that suit your lifestyle
- Fees paid for membership of relevant professional bodies
- Up to 3 volunteering days per year
- Recognition vouchers scheme
- Generous shared parental leave and pay
- Enhanced sick pay
- Regular development opportunities
- Health and wellbeing initiatives
- Cycle-to-work scheme
- Season ticket loan for home-to-office travel
- Free eye tests and contribution to lenses/spectacles for VDU users
Moving to Ofwat from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Find out more at .
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Selection process details
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.
Ofwat is recognised as an Official Sensitive department, and a Security Check (SC) is a requirement for this role. Applicants are normally expected to have been resident in the UK for the last five years to meet the standard residency requirements for SC clearance. Successful candidates must obtain SC clearance to a standard satisfactory to Ofwat within the first six months of employment.
Selection timetable
- Closing date: 23.55 on 08 November 2026
- Sifting: Week commencing 09 November 2026
- Interview date(s): Week commencing 23 November 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.
Use your personal statement to address the below criteria and tell us how your experience, skills and knowledge meet them:
- Lead criterion 1: Demonstrable experience of successfully delivering multiple concurrent IT and digital projects from initiation through to implementation, using recognised project management methodologies and best practice.
- Lead Criterion 2: Proven experience of delivering complex IT and digital transformation projects, including Microsoft technologies such as Purview, infrastructure, enterprise systems or data migrations.
- Strong experience of project planning and governance, using recognised project delivery frameworks such as PRINCE2 or Agile, including managing budgets, risks, dependencies and project reporting.
- Demonstrable experience managing third-party suppliers and implementation partners, coordinating internal and external resources to support successful project delivery.
*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.
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. For further information on appropriate/inappropriate use of AI see the Civil Service guidance. Please note this guidance refers to ' Civil Service Success Profiles' Civil Service assessment framework. At Ofwat we do not use this in our assessments - please refer to our Framework for Success as listed above.
Interview Stage - Transparent Interviews
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.
Address: 5–7 Hill Street, Birmingham B5 4UA.
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 Senior Associate band) may be considered (in merit order) for a Associate grade post – a band lower than Senior Associate. 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.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Nationality requirements
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
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk
- Email : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : recruitment@ofwat.gov.uk
Further information
Attachments
| Digital Project Manager Candidate Pack - BC1260 Opens in new window (pdf, 660kB) |
Share this page
- Gmail