Assurance Manager

Thames Water; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 76,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water utility company in the UK is seeking an Assurance Manager to oversee the development and coordination of the external assurance ecosystem. The candidate will facilitate collaboration among assurance providers, manage multiple projects, and ensure alignment with regulatory expectations. Ideal applicants should have experience in regulated environments and possess strong communication and leadership skills. This position offers a salary up to £90,000, annual leave, car allowance, and additional benefits.

Benefits

Annual Leave – 26 days holiday per year

Car allowance

Private Medical Health Care

Generous Pension Scheme through AON

Qualifications

• Demonstrated success in coordinating external assurance providers.
• Proven experience leading assurance programmes in regulated environments.
• Strong ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and coordination of the external assurance ecosystem.
• Establish a cross-provider Community of Practice.
• Connect assurance work into the organization's governance structure.

Skills

Strategic influence

Collaborative leadership

Adaptive communication

Attention to detail

Relationship building

Education

Professional assurance, audit or governance qualification (e.g IIA, ICAEW, IRM)

Tools

MS Project

Power BI

Job description

This role will lead the development and coordination of Thames Water’s external assurance ecosystem, ensuring it is strategically aligned, risk-informed, and regulator ready. This role will establish and facilitate a cross-provider Community of Practice (CoP), bringing together our assurance partners and Internal Audit to share insights, respond to Ofwat feedback, and co-develop Thames Water’s external assurance approach. The Assurance Manager will define rules of engagement, develop service-level expectations, and embed a voice-of-the-customer perspective from those being assured along with managing the external assurance PMO. Coordinate assurance delivery across business projects, maintaining a clear timeline of known assurance commitments through AMP8. Ensure supply chain resources are co-ordinated to meet our requirements, particularly through peak periods.

Hybrid – Reading | 36 hours a week

What you’ll be doing as an Assurance Manager

• Establish and lead a structured, inclusive forum where assurance providers (commercial partners) maintain independence while collaborating on shared challenges.
• Work with the Director of Regulatory Reporting & Assurance to group feedback across assurance providers and build a consolidated view of delivery risk.
• Connect the work of the team into the organisation's governance structure.
• Support progressive assurance reporting to the Executive and Board, aligned to delivery milestones and regulatory expectations.
• Coordinate assurance delivery across business projects, maintaining a clear timeline of known assurance commitments through AMP8.
• Ensure supply chain resources are coordinated to meet our requirements, particularly through peak periods.
• Develop specifications for work packages requiring assurance, and develop effective contracts for delivery with the supply chain.
• Promote transparency, accountability, and delivery confidence through clear principles, expectations, and engagement pathways, ensuring the approach discharges regulatory duties to Ofwat while meeting internal delivery, governance and risk management needs.
• Develop our approach for future assurance with the new water regulator, building in requirements for environmental (EA) and water quality (DWI) reporting.
• Work to encourage the development of well‑documented controls and governance processes around the production of regulatory data and reports. Supporting and coaching the business in developing risk‑based processes and help teams to prepare for audit.

What you should bring to the role

• Demonstrate strategic influence, collaborative leadership, and adaptive communication to align stakeholders, shape assurance direction, and drive meaningful engagement across diverse audiences.
• Proven experience leading assurance programmes across complex, multi‑stakeholder environments, ideally within regulated infrastructure, utilities or public sector.
• Demonstrated success in coordinating external assurance providers and managing assurance cycles across delivery plans, gated processes and regulatory submissions.
• Strong attention to detail, with the ability to progress multiple work‑streams simultaneously.
• A track record of building and maintaining effective relationships at different levels in the organisation, whilst maintaining independence and tenacity of approach.

Additional skills and experiences would be great to have/bring

• Proficient in programme planning, resource mapping, and delivery tracking tools (e.g. MS Project, Power BI, or equivalent).
• Professional assurance, audit or governance qualification (e.g IIA, ICAEW, IRM or equivalent).
• Familiarity with Ofwat expectations, PR24 frameworks and AMP8 delivery challenges.

What’s in it for you

• Offering up to £90,000 per annum, depending on experience.
• Annual Leave – 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays).
• Car allowance.
• Private Medical Health Care.
• Performance‑related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

We are committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, we’re here to help and support.