Consumer Panels Manager

About us

CCW is the passionate, independent voice representing water consumers in England & Wales. We support thousands of people each year, providing free advice and helping people to resolve their complaints with their water company in an easy, caring way. We champion everyone’s needs and interests, completing and showcasing research that influences water companies, government, and regulators to make change happen.

We are a government Arm’s Length Body sponsored by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Our values

We expect and support all CCW colleagues to embody and celebrate CCW’s values through Positive Energy, Respect for all, Innovative spirit, Delivery of our promises and being Engaged as one (PRIDE).

The role

Reporting to the Senior Consumer Panels Lead, you will be part of a small team responsible for leading the delivery of CCW’s Consumer Panels programme. This is a complex, high-profile programme with multiple, often conflicting deadlines and limited flexibility to move published outputs.

As Consumer Panels Manager, you will be responsible for the day-to-day decisions that ensure panels are managed efficiently and deliver meaningful results. The role involves developing and quality-checking research outputs and reports that are published online and subject to external scrutiny, and regular communication with water companies, CCW colleagues, the CCW Board and an external research agency.

A key responsibility is championing the voice of around 900 consumers recruited to the panel communities (one panel per water company), ensuring consumer views are heard and considered in business decision-making.

Key responsibilities

• Manage the relationship with the external research agency, providing day-to-day direction to ensure delivery aligns with CCW objectives and meets stakeholder needs
• Make operational decisions on research approach, design, direction and progress of panels work
• Develop and quality-check materials and reports to a standard suitable for online publication and external scrutiny
• Identify best practice across panels and make practical recommendations to improve delivery and processes
• Develop feedback, reports and updates for Government, Ofwat and CCW’s website on panels activity and impact

The candidate

Essential skills & experience:

• Educated to degree level (or equivalent)
• Project management experience
• Recent experience working in customer research, using a range of research techniques
• Ability to make complex information accessible to a lay audience
• Knowledge of the water industry and/or utility regulation
• Willingness to travel UK wide

To ensure you’re well-prepared before applying to work at CCW, we’ve laid out everything you need to know on our information for applicants page.

Benefits

• Hybrid working policy: 8 days per month office based, remainder can be worked from home.
• 25 days annual leave allowance plus 10½ days’ public and privilege holidays.
• Flexi time is available, with the ability to accrue and take time off in lieu throughout the year.
• Generous Civil Service Pension
• Health & Fitness allowance
• Paid allowance days for voluntary work
• Wellbeing Hour once a month
• Onsite Coffee shop
• Free Eye Test every 2 years and Free Flu Jab annually

Disability Confident Scheme

We guarantee an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post. To be eligible for the guaranteed interview scheme you must have a disability or long-term health condition. The disability could be physical, sensory or mental and must be expected to last for at least 12 months. You do not have to be registered as a disabled person to apply under the scheme.

If you would like to apply through this scheme, please fill in the Disability Confident Scheme form and include this with your application.

We want everyone to have a fair chance, no matter their age, disability, gender identity, marital status, family status, race, religion/belief, sex or sexual orientation. All applications are considered fairly based on merit. To enable us to monitor this, candidates are asked to complete the voluntary Equal Opportunity Monitoring form. The information provided will be kept confidential and will be used for monitoring purposes only.