Assurance Manager

THAMES WATER UTILITIES LIMITED; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water utility provider in the UK is seeking an Assurance Manager to lead the development of its external assurance ecosystem. This role involves coordinating with assurance partners and managing assurance delivery across business projects. The ideal candidate will have proven experience within regulated environments and possess strong leadership and communication skills. Salary of up to £90,000 per annum, along with benefits including 26 days of annual leave and a generous pension scheme.

Benefits

Annual Leave - 26 days, increasing to 30

Car allowance

Private Medical Health Care

Performance‑related pay plan

Generous Pension Scheme

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading assurance programmes across complex, multi‑stakeholder environments.
• Demonstrated success in coordinating external assurance providers.
• Strong attention to detail with ability to manage multiple work streams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of the external assurance ecosystem aligned with regulatory expectations.
• Establish and facilitate a cross‑provider Community of Practice.
• Coordinate assurance delivery across business projects with clear timelines.

Skills

Strategic influence

Collaborative leadership

Adaptive communication

Attention to detail

Relationship building

Education

Professional assurance, audit or governance qualification

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 coordinated to meet our requirements, particularly through peak periods.

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. Use the forum to strengthen our approach to assurance and bring in best practices from across the community.
• 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.

Hybrid - Reading

36 hours a week

What you should bring to the role

To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you'll need is:

• 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.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.