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Appointment details

The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) Non-Executive Directors *Now Extended to 02/04/2023*

Summary

Organisation
Gas and Electricity Markets Authority
Sponsor department
Department for Energy Security & Net Zero
Location
London
Sectors
Energy
Skills
Business, Technology / Digital, Retail, Transformation, Consumer Advocacy
Number of vacancies
4
Time commitment
40 day(s) per annum
Remuneration
£20000 per annum
Length of term
5 year term
Application deadline
11:59pm on 2 April 2023

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Timeline for this appointment

  1. Opening date

    16 February 2023

  2. Application deadline

    11:59pm on 2 April 2023

  3. Sifting date

    24 April 2023

  4. Interviews expected to end on

    22 May 2023

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

Ofgem has a tough but vitally important job. We are Great Britain's’ independent energy regular working to improve the lives of customers today, especially vulnerable people.  We are also working to build a lower carbon, lower cost and more secure energy system for the future. This has never been a more important time to do so. Our energy market has faced unprecedented price increases over the last 18 months and as a result, this is a very tough winter for many households across Britain.

Ofgem is doing everything we can to protect consumers today, but also to move our energy system strategically away from reliance on international gas. This has meant taking on new functions and responsibilities from government, both on the regulatory and delivery side of our operations.

We are responsible for:

Working with government, industry and consumer groups to deliver a net-zero economy, at the lowest cost to consumers
Stamping out sharp and bad practice, ensuring fair treatment for all consumers, especially the vulnerable
Enabling competition and innovation, which drives down prices and results in new products and services for consumers.

Further information about Ofgem can be found here

Introduction from the Minister

Dear Candidate,

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Non-Executive Director of Ofgem.

You may already have some idea about the important work of Ofgem and the following pages will tell you more about the purpose and the nature of the Board’s role. Ofgem is a non-ministerial government department and its principal objective when carrying out its functions is to protect the interests of existing and future electricity and gas consumers.

It does this in a variety of ways including promoting value for money; promoting security of supply and sustainability, for present and future generations of consumers, domestic and industrial users; the supervision and development of markets and competition; and regulation and the delivery of Government schemes. Under its Chair, the Board has a key role in leading the organisation, setting strategy, holding executives to account, and successfully dealing with current and future challenges in the energy sector.

If you believe you have the experience and qualities we are seeking to help to lead this important organisation, we very much look forward to hearing from you.

Graham Stuart

Minister of State (Minister for Energy and Climate)

Introduction from the Chair

As the energy regulator for Great Britain, the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), supervised by its Board   the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (GEMA), has a vitally important role in protecting the interests of domestic and non-domestic energy consumers, both now and in the future.

The challenges ahead are profound. Our reliance on international gas markets that have been manipulated by an  aggressive   state means that geopolitics is playing a far stronger hand in our energy system than is desirable, or we had planned for.

In tandem, seismic changes in the economics of energy, with low carbon generation rapidly becoming not only the greener but often the less costly choice, mean that together we must fundamentally rethink how we plan, operate, and regulate our energy system. This includes reconsidering how we think about security of supply, strategic risks, and, assuming that price volatility may continue to feature for many years to come, how we interact with global energy markets.

Ofgem is playing a pivotal role in this agenda, taking on new functions and responsibilities from government, both on the regulatory and delivery side of its operation. This includes ensuring that regulation keeps up with the rapidly evolving digital transformation and increasing use of data across the energy sector, and ensuring that Ofgem seizes the opportunities brought by digitalisation in our own internal operations. As the outgoing Chair of Ofgem, I am proud to have been part of this very important mission, and I know my Board colleagues are too.

Ofgem’s staff have shown great dedication and commitment in stepping up to meet the unprecedented challenges of navigating the energy crisis.

As one of the board’s non-executive directors, you will have the chance to influence the strategic direction across many important issues, ranging from how to plan, build, and supervise the roll out of new energy infrastructure, at a pace not seen for decades, to the reshaping of a retail market to be both resilient to financial risk, and sufficiently innovative and dynamic to deliver new offers to customers.

A more flexible energy system will also require a great deal of new thinking on consumer price protections, how consumers can best engage with new demand flexibility technology, how to drive up supplier standards in a market where the role of people switching may not play the role once hoped for, and, above all at a time of very high energy bills, how to ensure that customers in vulnerable situations are treated fairly and properly protected.

Finally, as Government steps up the pace to help consumers and suppliers decarbonise through new schemes such as Boiler Upgrade Scheme, ECO4 and the Green Gas Levy, we will benefit from sharp and efficient commercial knowledge as our scheme administration remit expands.

This is a unique opportunity to provide new leadership to a dedicated, diverse, and high performing workforce, making a real difference to one of the most important and high-profile challenges the world faces today. We seek leaders who will truly advocate for consumers and who know and take to heart the issues consumers face every day.

I have been involved in regulation and competition in many sectors over the years, both in the UK and internationally, and I can honestly say there has never been a more significant moment to be involved in regulation than now at Ofgem. Applications from people of all backgrounds are very welcome, and I would strongly encourage you to apply.

Martin Cave

February 2023

Appointment description

As a NED, your function is to bring independent oversight, support and constructive challenge to Ofgem successfully dealing with current and future challenges including:

  • The rise in global gas prices and subsequent impact on consumers;
  • Restoring resilience in the retail gas and electricity markets;
  • Supporting continued security of supply;
  • Maintaining progress to net zero;
  • Responding to rapid change in the electricity market, allowing the emergence of smart, decentralised technologies;
  • Implementing plans for a future system operator;
  • New responsibilities for Ofgem, including the regulation of heat networks and CO2 transport and storage, subject to Parliamentary approval;
  • Taking on lessons learned from the Oxera Report and the BEIS Select Committee Report; and 
  • Improvement in the delivery of several HM Government social and environmental schemes. 

The Board makes decisions on major regulatory issues and you will be expected to contribute to these collective decisions. 

You may also be involved in working groups or offer advice and support to individual directors, in addition to ad hoc pieces of work across Ofgem.

Organisation description

Ofgem is Great Britain’s independent energy regulator.

We work to protect energy consumers, especially vulnerable people, by ensuring they are treated fairly and benefit from a cleaner, greener environment.

Our priority is to make sure that customers’ interests are protected today and that we can help lead Britain’s effort to meet its climate change goals. We are passionate about both.
Many customers rely on Ofgem’s rules and funding to ensure that their energy needs are met, particularly at this time of high and volatile prices.
Equally, the UK has one of the most ambitious climate change goals in the world and at the heart of this is our transition from a high carbon traditional energy system to one that is fully decarbonised by 2050. Ofgem has a key role in ensuring that we make this change and that customers’ interests are looked after along the way.
We do this through reforming the energy market, directly regulating companies and taking action against poor behavior and through the delivery of government schemes for renewable energy, energy efficiency and to protect the poorest energy customers.
We are a ‘Non-Ministerial Department’ – this means we work effectively with, but independently of, government, the energy industry and other stakeholders. 

Board composition

For full details of Ofgems structure and leadership please see here. 

Regulation of appointment

This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For more information, please refer to the Commissioner’s website 

Person specification

Essential criteria

Specific skills:

Role one: Experience with consumer representation or advocacy, or significant knowledge of consumer preferences.
Role two: Understanding and experience of the future impact of data and  digitalisation on the energy sector.
Role three: Understanding and experience of commercial aspects of the processes associated with Ofgem’s delivery and schemes activities.
Role four: Understanding and experience of regulatory economics and applying it to both  behavioural and economic outcomes.

And the following generic criteria:

Ability to lead large and complex organisations in the private, public or voluntary sectors in a non-executive or senior executive role or equivalent.
The ability to contribute and inspire confidence with a wide range of stakeholders both in formal environments (such as Board meetings) and in less formal environments (such as one-to-one meetings with Executives).
Candidates should be able to demonstrate good judgement and high levels of integrity. This as part of a commitment to the seven principles of conduct in public life (www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-7-principles-of-public-life).
Genuine interest in contributing to the effective running of Ofgem.

Desirable criteria

Practical or strategic experience of the energy sector or other major national utility.

Application and selection process

How to apply

Applications must be submitted by 12:59 AM on 31st March 2023. Applications received after this date will not be considered.  Please submit the required documentation as below to: applications@audeliss.com and include ‘Ofgem Non-Executive Director’ as the subject line of your email. 

  1. Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 pages). Include your education, professional qualifications, and full employment history.
  2. An accompanying Supporting Letter (maximum 2 pages). Please tailor setting out your suitability for the role and how you meet the Selection Criteria. We suggest you use specific examples to demonstrate how you meet the Criteria. Please also include the details of two referees who we could contact should you be successful after interview stage
  3. Application Form and Diversity Information. See link below. You should declare any potential issues including conflicts of interest (perceived, potential or actual), this includes your personal or professional history that could, if you were appointed, be misconstrued, cause embarrassment to the Ofgem, DESNZ or HM Government, or cause public confidence in the appointment to be jeopardised. The Panel will explore your declarations during the interview process. Failure to disclose such information could result in an appointment either not being made or being terminated. 
  4. Biography. Please could you provide as part of the application form a short biography that you would be happy to be shared with the panel, Ministers, and with officials. (max 250 words). This information will not be assessed, the panel will assess your suitability using your CV and Covering Letter. Please provide a brief career history set out as follows: your name; current or most recent role(s); board appointments (if any) and any highlights or significant achievement. 

Ofgem NED application form

We are unable to process incomplete applications so please ensure you include all requested documentation when you apply. 

Overview of the application process

Public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition process which is conducted in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments. We will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will keep you informed at key stages. We aim to conclude the appointment process within three months of the deadline for applications – this is in accordance with the Governance Code.

The assessment process

  1. Ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the public appointments made within their department. As a result, they must be consulted at every stage of the appointments process.

  2. An Advisory Assessment Panel (“Panel”) is appointed by Ministers to assist them in their decision making. The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, which candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the role.

  3. At the shortlisting meeting the Panel will assess applications against the eligibility criteria and decide which candidates have best met the criteria, who should be recommended for interview. Ministers will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist. If you have applied under the Disability Confident Scheme and you meet all the essential criteria, then you will also be invited for an interview.

  4. Once the shortlist has been agreed by Ministers, you will be advised (by e-mail) whether you have been shortlisted. Those shortlisted will be invited to an interview.

  5. The Panel will meet again to interview candidates and determine who is appointable to the role. The Panel may invite you to make a brief presentation at the start of the interview and will go on to question you about your skills and experience, including asking specific questions to assess whether you meet the criteria set out for the post. The Panel will also explore with you any potential conflicts of interest or any other issues arising from your personal and professional history which may impact on an appointment decision.

  6. Details of the panel’s assessment of interviewed candidates are provided to Ministers, including whether they have judged a candidate to be appointable to the role. It is then for Ministers to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, Ministers may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.

  7. Ministers may choose to meet with candidates before deciding the outcome. Candidates should therefore be prepared for a short time gap between interview and a final appointment decision being made. Candidates who have been interviewed will be kept informed of progress.

  8. Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application, including whom they may approach for feedback. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms & Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.

Further information about appointments, including tips on applying, can be found on our guidance pages on gov.uk.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.
AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.

Eligibility criteria

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. 

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

  • you are disqualified from acting as a company director  (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);

  • have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;

  • your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

  • you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this. 

  • you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points. 

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)
If you need further advice, please contact  applications@audeliss.com

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to undertake Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks in line with the Civil Service guidelines. Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. However, where this applies, candidates will be notified during the appointment process. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies are most effective when they reflect the diversity of views of the society they serve and this is an important part of the Government’s levelling up agenda.
We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it makes it difficult to see if our outreach is working, if the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups and whether changes are making a positive difference.
When you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. The data is used to produce management information about the diversity of applicants. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be seen by the Advisory Assessment Panel who review applications against the advertised criteria and conduct interviews.

Disability confident

We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol, along with other like-minded employers, to show our commitment to good practice in employing people with a disability. The scheme helps recruit and retain disabled people. 
As part of implementing the scheme, we guarantee an interview for anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role, set out in the advert, and who has asked that their application is considered under the scheme. Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will in no way prejudice your application. By ‘minimum criteria,’ we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria, as set out in the job-advert.
When you apply you will have the opportunity to select if you would like your application considered under this scheme.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants with disabilities, physical or mental health conditions, or other needs are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.
Some examples of common changes are:
  • ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats;
  • making adaptations to interview locations;
  • allowing candidates to present their skills and experience in a different way;
  • giving additional detailed information on the selection / interview process in advance to allow candidates time to prepare themselves;
  • allowing support workers, for example sign language interpreters;
  • making provision for support animals to attend.
When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process.

Principles of public life

Holders of public office are expected to adhere to and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life. These are:
  1. Selflessness - Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
  2. Integrity - Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
  3. Objectivity - Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
  4. Accountability - Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
  5. Openness - Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
  6. Honesty - Holders of public office should be truthful.
  7. Leadership - Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully: 
  • any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government; 
  • any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or public statements that you have made; 
  • and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported; 
which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.
You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies. 
Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

As this is an office holder appointment, you will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.

Appointment and tenure of office

Appointments are for the term set out in this advert, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term, at the discretion of Ministers.  Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. There is no automatic presumption of reappointment; each case should be considered on its own merits, taking into account a number of factors including, but not restricted to, the diversity of the current board and its balance of skills and experience. In most cases, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or serve in any one post for more than ten years

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

Remuneration for this role is treated as employment income and will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid. 
You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. However these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid.  

Pension and redundancy

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy.
Please contact the public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at publicappointments@cabinetoffice.gov.uk . They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

How to complain to Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA)

If you are not content with the appointing department’s response you may wish to further complain to the Commissioner at publicappointments@csc.gov.uk.Further information on how the Commissioner handles complaints can be found on the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ website https://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/regulating-appointments/investigating-complaints/

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.
Please find BEIS privacy policy attached to this advert. 

Contact details

If you would like further details please contact applications@audeliss com 

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