Area Water Operations Leader – Safety, Service & Impact

Thames Water Ltd; Greater London; On-site; GBP 59,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary up to £65k

26 days holiday

Car allowance

Annual bonus

Pension scheme

Private medical health care

Maternity/Paternity leave

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

Thames Water Ltd is seeking an Area Operations Manager to lead end-to-end operations across Water Networks, including Repair and Maintenance, in London and the Thames Valley. This full-time, permanent role focuses on safety, performance, and timely service delivery.

You will manage up to 30-40 staff with 7-10 direct reports, a budget of up to £5m, and engagement with contractors. Expect a strong emphasis on leakage reduction and customer service, with broad stakeholder collaboration.

Qualifications

• Experience leading operations in a large, performance-driven environment.
• Strong strategic and commercial acumen to deliver against targets.
• Excellent communication and resilience in a challenging setting.
• Preferably Repair & Maintenance (R&M) exposure.
• Proven track record in leading large geographical teams.
• Experience managing contractor relationships.
• Uncompromising focus on health, safety and wellbeing.
• Committed to delivering customer-focused service.

Responsibilities

• Oversee end-to-end operations across Water Networks, including R&M, with a zero-compromise health and safety approach.
• Manage a budget of up to £5m and a customer base of ~1 million, aligning outputs with regulator incentives.
• Monitor and mitigate operational and financial risk across the area.
• Drive leakage reduction and continuous service delivery to minimise interruptions.
• Develop and sustain a high-performing team across multiple locations in London/Thames Valley.
• Collaborate with stakeholders and contractors to plan for present and future asset needs.

Skills

Operations leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication skills

R&M experience

Team development

Contractor management

Health and safety mindset

Customer service focus

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

Thames Water Ltd is seeking an Area Operations Manager to lead end-to-end operations across Water Networks, including Repair and Maintenance, in London and the Thames Valley. This full-time, permanent role focuses on safety, performance, and timely service delivery.

You will manage up to 30-40 staff with 7-10 direct reports, a budget of up to £5m, and engagement with contractors. Expect a strong emphasis on leakage reduction and customer service, with broad stakeholder collaboration.