Water Network Team Leader

SA Water; NURIOOTPA; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

SA Water in South Australia seeks an experienced leader to oversee water network maintenance and cleaning operations, ensuring safe, efficient and high‑quality service delivery across the network.

You will head a high‑performing field team, manage maintenance programs, drive continuous improvement, and ensure compliance with regulatory, safety and quality standards. Strong people leadership, budget oversight and stakeholder management are essential.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in operational leadership roles.
• Ability to manage maintenance programs and budgets.
• Knowledge of WHS and drinking water quality management.
• Experience with training and coaching teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead proactive safety culture across all activities.
• Coach and develop team members with performance management.
• Ensure WHS, environmental, and water quality compliance.
• Oversee water mains cleaning and related maintenance programs.
• Develop and review operational procedures and maintenance strategies.
• Manage resources, workloads, leave planning, and training.
• Monitor financial performance including labour and materials.
• Build stakeholder relationships and coordinate operations.
• Lead customer issue resolution and drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Operational leadership

Communication skills

Conflict resolution

Prioritisation

Driver's Licence

Education

Management qualification

Job description

About the Company

SA Water is a successful, modern water utility wholly owned by the Government of South Australia. We employ more than 1,700 people across a broad range of disciplines who operate more than $14 billion worth of infrastructure to deliver essential water and sewerage services to more than 1.8 million South Australians.

We operate in a geographically and climatically diverse service area, with sites and locations from Ceduna through to Port Augusta, the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, across to the Riverland, down to Mount Gambier, and most places in between.

Our strength and expertise have been shaped by our history. For more than 165 years, South Australians have depended on us to innovate and deliver efficient and sustainable water services. With nationally and internationally recognised industry expertise, we’re focused on understanding and meeting our customers’ expectations.

As well as safely delivering smart and reliable services for our customers of today, we innovate to shape the water solutions of the future that will support thriving economies and healthy communities.

We are driven by our values; we value our people, we do work that matters, we keep it real, we know that our work has impact, and we are future focussed. Staying true to our values ensures that we consistently deliver positive outcomes for all South Australians.

About the Job

We are seeking an experienced leader to oversee water network maintenance and cleaning operations, ensuring safe, efficient and high-quality service delivery across the network. This role is responsible for leading a high-performing operational team, managing maintenance programs, driving continuous improvement initiatives, and ensuring compliance with regulatory, safety and operational standards. You will play a key role in delivering reliable customer outcomes while fostering a culture of safety, accountability and operational excellence.

About the Person

You are a people-focused leader with experience in water, utilities, infrastructure, or a related industry. You lead by example, fostering a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement. With strong organisational skills, you effectively manage field operations, coordinate work programs, and enhance system performance. You are commercially aware, capable of managing resources and budgets, and skilled at building strong stakeholder relationships to deliver operational outcomes.

About Operations and Maintenance

The Operations & Maintenance team oversees the management of our water, wastewater and River Murray activities and conducts operational control activities for a secure water supply. The team is responsible for both planned and unplanned maintenance activities, integrating corrective, preventive, predictive, and precision maintenance strategies. They aim to meet availability, performance, cost, and risk targets by leveraging technical asset maintenance and reliability expertise. Operations & Maintenance strives to deliver smart and reliable services to customers while enhancing overall operational efficiency.

In addition, your responsibilities will include:

Fostering trust with our people, customers and community by providing expert advice and service that ensure we effectively communicate and engage audiences with our business strategy and its delivery across South Australia, every day.

You Will:

• Lead and promote a proactive safety culture, ensuring safe work practices are embedded across all team activities.
• Coach, mentor and develop team members through effective performance management, feedback, goal setting and capability-building initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with WHS requirements, operational standards, environmental management systems and drinking water quality management requirements.
• Oversee water mains cleaning and water ancillary maintenance programs to support network reliability and performance.
• Develop, implement and review operational procedures, maintenance strategies and quality management practices.
• Manage team resources, workloads, leave planning and training requirements to ensure operational readiness.
• Monitor and manage financial performance, including labour, overtime, materials and contractor expenditure.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships and coordinate operational activities to deliver reliable service outcomes.
• Lead customer issue resolution, drive continuous improvement, and foster a high-performing, accountable team.

Your success in this role will come from:

• Significant experience in an operational leadership role or relevant qualification in management or trades
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills including an ability to resolve conflict
• Sound organisation and prioritising skills including an ability to problem solve and manage competing priorities
• Drivers Licence
• Demonstrated experience in training, coaching, mentoring and providing feedback to teams
• Enterprise Trainer and Assessor Skill Set (or willing to complete)

Further information can be found in the attached PD - Water Mains Cleaning-Maintenance Team Leader PD.docx

Applications close 5pm, 11th of November.

A great customer experience is best achieved by having a diverse and inclusive team that reflects the community we serve. Applications are encouraged from everyone, including people living with disability, job seekers of all ages, members of the LGBTIQA+ community, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.

Our Industry is like no other. Dive into the wonderful world of water and explore the boundless opportunities. Learn more about the water industry at careersinwater.com.au.