Business Support Officer


Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Salary:	£34,434 to £35,468 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	London
Working pattern:	On-site
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	5 Oct 2026
Closing date:	26 Oct 2026

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Summary

The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) is one of the three independent regulators of the water industry in England and Wales. It operates on behalf of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in regulating the quality of drinking water supplied by those water companies whose area of supply is wholly or mainly in England, and on behalf of the Welsh Government for those water companies whose area of supply is wholly or mainly in Wales. The Inspectorate also has a supervisory role with respect to the implementation, by Local Authorities, of the Private Water Supply Regulations.

The jobholder would be part of a small, very busy team that provides administrative support to approximately 65 staff including technical Inspectors, Principal Inspectors and the Senior Management Team. This is an opportunity for a committed, self-motivated, organised, resourceful and flexible team worker to gain experience in a regulatory delivery unit responsible for drinking water quality.

The Independent Water Commission’s final report in July 2025, acknowledged that the Inspectorate was a highly effective regulator. The Commission is recommending the water functions of all the existing regulators are combined into one integrated water regulator for England. The Inspectorate will have a leading role in the establishment and operation of the new regulator. In Wales, it is recommending that a new economic regulator is created.

This is an opportunity for a committed, self-motivated, organised, resourceful and flexible team player to work in a regulatory delivery unit responsible for drinking water quality.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate is an independent regulator within Defra and has a landing area in 2 Marsham Street, London. You will be expected to attend Inspectorate meetings in this location and support the Inspectorate with any other meetings as and when required. The Inspectorate supports flexible working where this is practicable.

Job description

You will be part of a team whose key responsibilities include:

Public enquiries - Providing information and advice to the general public in response to enquiries both over the telephone and e-mail about drinking water quality; triaging freedom of information and environmental information requests; dealing with official correspondence such as ministerial post and PQs

Finance and procurement – carrying out procurement duties, raising purchase orders and arranging payment of invoices; ensuring departmental policies are adhered to and appropriate records are maintained

Recruitment – managing recruitment campaigns from start to finish; obtaining Eploy permissions, advertising vacancies on Oleeo and other platforms; managing DWI’s better regulation industry secondment programme

Stakeholder engagement - Liaison with water companies and stakeholders

Production and issuance of legal and official documents and letters to the industry; providing administrative support to the investigation of water quality events

Diary support for Senior Management Team, event organisation, conference and meeting room arrangements, minute taking as required

Co-ordination of DWI’s training and induction programme, provision of advice on Defra procedures and systems and management of DWI’s resources

Organising travel and accommodation in line with Defra policy

Data collection, updating databases and maintenance of electronic records

It is expected that there will be a focus on some aspects of the above responsibilities initially but with cross training opportunities to ensure skills in all areas in the longer term.

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