Senior Regulation Lead

Salary Competitive

Senior Regulation Lead – Contract to Market

Manchester, London, Nottingham

Competitive Salary plus benefits

Background:

The Data and Communications Company (DCC) is delivering a once-in-a-generation programme to build a smart metering network for Great Britain. Perhaps the most ambitious of its kind in the world, the programme will allow energy suppliers to roll out millions of smart electricity and gas meters to homes and small non-domestic properties. Funded by the energy industry, the network will connect smart meters to the business systems of energy suppliers, network operators and other authorised service users.

The smart metering network will help Great Britain become a global leader in smart energy and the development of smart grids. DCC (a licensed Capita company) is the programme and service integrator working on behalf of the energy industry to establish and operate the data and communications infrastructure that will enable all UK homes to have a smart meter. Once complete DCC will operate in 30m homes with 53m connections running the UK national smart meter infrastructure.

For more information on the role of DCC, please visit

DCC Vision:

The DCC has developed and launched a digital foundation for the GB energy industry, providing the infrastructure that will digitise domestic energy consumption and improve costs behaviours, initially changing behaviours to reduce energy demand and cost to the consumer. 

Through this infrastructure, information regarding each consumer’s behaviours and costs are now available to new categories of devices, applications, and services both within the home and beyond. Through the re-use of the DCC network and the development of new capabilities such as load control and half hourly settlement, the DCC will have a key role to play in supporting the delivery of Government’s Net Zero agenda.

DCC manages any changes to existing services and the implementation of new services provided to our customers through our lifecycle management approach. This provides an ongoing process to ensure that services are managed proactively and efficiently through the course of their lifecycle, with clear accountability at each stage.

The three stages are:

1. Concept to Contract (C2C) – Planning of service development and delivery, creation of a robust business case for the service, and final contract.

2. Contract to Market (C2M) - Management and assurance of service development and readiness to go live in the market.

3. Market to Retire (M2R) - The running of products / services through to the end of their life, and also incorporates in-life change.

The Regulation Directorate:

Smart DCC operates in a complex regulatory framework. This includes the Smart DCC licence supported by the Smart Energy Code (SEC) and the Retail Energy Code (REC) covering switching. As DCC looks to meet its licence obligation to reuse and innovate on the platform, the organisation is increasingly affected by competition law and GDPR constraints. 

The Regulatory Directorate plays a vital role in enabling DCC to navigate, comply with and benefit from the smart metering regulatory framework. This includes analysing regulatory requirements, industry codes and standards, and translating them into actionable advice for the organisation.

There are four sub-teams in the Directorate: 

(1) Regulatory Support – Accountable for the detailed day-to-day regulatory advice into the business

(2) Regulatory Compliance - Accountable for regulatory compliance focusing on strategic cross-cutting DCC issues.

(3) Regulatory Engagement – Accountable for relationship with our regulators enabling DCC to maintain a constructive dialogue and deliver on its mandate. 

(4) Economic incentives - Accountable for leading incentive design and regular performance forecasting and reporting.

Role:

Within the Regulatory Support team, DCC is seeking a Senior Regulation Lead with a focus on providing advice into the Contract to Market phase of DCC’s delivery lifecycle.

This role is required to perform the following key functions: 

• Day-to-day regulatory support, guidance and interpretation in the Contract to Market phase: Provide expert guidance and interpretation of the regulatory framework to DCC programmes during the commercial and contract stage of the lifecycle, to the point they become live services that DCC will operate. 
• Commercial alignment with SEC and REC: Ensuring that there is alignment between commercial requirements DCC agrees with its Service Providers, and DCC’s obligations in the SEC and REC. This will require the delivery of detailed requirements traceability analysis during the implementation of new services, and the ability to systematically identify and respond to misalignment risks in a way which does not compromise DCC’s delivery timetable. 
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement: Accountability for proactive effective engagement in formal stakeholder meetings which govern DCC programmes, including with DESNZ, Ofgem and the SEC committees, working through relevant internal SMEs. Work effectively with functions and programmes to meet their objectives and timelines.
• Strong project management: Managing regulatory input into a portfolio of DCC programmes, including proactively identifying resource needs, priorities and any risks and issues. This also includes ensuring smooth transfer of regulatory responsibility to the Market to Retire lead in the Regulation Directorate. 
• Oversee the delivery of regulatory products: Oversee development of DCC regulatory products to support programmes. Importantly, this will often mean working through and upskilling others in DCC to deliver – not always holding the pen. Example products include relevant consultations, decisions, SEC and REC modifications and LC13B plans as required by DESNZ. 
• Team leadership: Line manage regulatory professionals, fostering their development. Set stretching goals for the team and break down silos. Share team success and reward.

Key Stakeholders:

• Government and regulators – DESNZ and Ofgem. 
• Industry Code organisations – Smart Energy Code Panel and Retail Energy Code  Company.
• DCC departments (Customer Engagement, Legal, Commercial, Delivery, Operations).

Skills and Experiences:

• Extensive experience in regulatory affairs, preferably within a regulated company or regulator.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess the impact of regulatory changes on business operations and interpreting complex regulatory requirements.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication and written skills to effectively engage with stakeholders at all levels, both internal and external. 
• Excellent understanding of the smart metering sector, industry codes, and associated regulatory obligations.
• Strong financial acumen to understand and operate effectively in the context of programme budgets. 
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, work under pressure, and meet tight deadlines.

About the DCC:

At the DCC, we believe in making Britain more connected, so we can all lead smarter, greener lives. That desire to make a difference is what drives us every day and it wouldn’t be possible without our people. Each person at the DCC brings a special kind of power to the business, and if you join us, we’ll give you the means to unleash yours. Here, we depend on each other and hold each other accountable. You have the power to challenge and make change, to take the initiative and enjoy real responsibility. Whether it’s doing purposeful work, helping us grow or building the career you want – we’ll give you the support to do it all. Our secure network for smart meters is transforming Britain’s energy system and helping the country’s fight against climate change: we want you to be part of our journey.

Company benefits:

The DCC’s continued success depends on our people. It’s important to us that you enjoy coming to work, and feel healthy, happy and rewarded. In this role, you’ll have access to a range of benefits which you can choose from to create a personalized plan unique to your lifestyle.

If there are any questions you’d like to ask before applying, please contact  Catia Pereira  or complete your application, so we can learn more about you. Your application will be carefully considered, and you’ll hear from us regarding its progress.

Join the DCC and discover the power of you.

What to do now?

Choose ‘Apply now’ to fill out our short application, so that we can find out more about you. If you have any questions you’d like to ask before applying, please contact 

Capita Opportunity Statement:

The parent company, Capita Plc*, are a leading UK provider of technology enabled business services. We’re supporting and improving the lives of millions of people every day and we can only do this with the right people in place, working towards a shared goal. We encourage an open, honest working environment where everyone can be true to themselves, and people are valued for their differences. We’re always challenging each other to learn and improve, because we know when we work together, we can deliver better outcomes. We work across such a huge range of businesses and sectors, that you’ll have the opportunity to grow and develop your career in any number of directions. You’ll also become part of a network of 63,000 experienced, innovative, and dedicated individuals across multiple disciplines and sectors. There are countless opportunities to learn new skills and develop in your career, and we’ll provide the support you need to do deliver. Our purpose is to create a better outcome for you.