Communications Product Owner – Full Time – Reading

Catering; Reading; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work location

Pension scheme

26 days annual leave (30 with service)

Performance-related pay

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

Thames Water is seeking an experienced Communication Product Owner to lead the evolution of our customer communications, delivering simpler, smarter and more personalised experiences across journeys. The role sits at the heart of our customer transformation, shaping vital customer communications that support millions of interactions every year.

You will own the roadmap for communications products, collaborate with Agile teams and business stakeholders, and drive adoption of new technologies

Qualifications

• Product Owner or similar with experience in customer journeys.
• Experience in Agile delivery teams and backlog prioritisation.
• Service design expertise and journey mapping.
• Experience driving digital transformation and new customer technologies.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with data insight.
• Excellent stakeholder management and senior leadership engagement.
• Experience leading teams and high performance.
• Commercial awareness balancing customer, operational and regulatory needs.

Responsibilities

• Define and deliver the vision and roadmap for customer communication and contact channel products.
• Own and continuously improve key customer journeys across digital and assisted service channels.
• Use customer insight, service design and performance data to identify opportunities and drive improvements.
• Translate customer, business and operational needs into prioritised product backlogs and actionable requirements.
• Lead the introduction of new communication technologies and ensuring successful adoption across the business.
• Monitoring performance through dashboards, KPIs and customer feedback to drive continuous improvement.
• Collaborating with Product, Design, Operations, Communications and Technology teams to deliver outstanding experiences.
• Managing supplier relationships and ensuring technology roadmaps align with business objectives.
• Championing customer-first thinking and influencing stakeholders at all levels of the organisation.
• Leading and developing subject matter experts, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability and innovation.

Skills

Product Owner

Customer Experience

Service Design

Agile delivery

Backlog management

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Data-driven decision making

Job description

Fixed-Term Opportunity (13-18 months)

Are you passionate about creating seamless customer experiences and using technology to drive meaningful change?

At Thames Water, we’re transforming the way we communicate with millions of customers, and we are looking for an experienced Communication Product Owner to lead the evolution of our customer communication, helping us deliver simpler, smarter and more personalised experiences across every all our journeys.

This is a unique opportunity to combine customer experience, digital innovation and product leadership in a role that sits at the heart of our customer transformation journey.

What you’ll be doing as a Communication Product Owner, you’ll own and develop the roadmap for customer communications products and services, ensuring they deliver real value for both our customers and the business.

Working within our Customer Contact Experience function, you’ll be responsible for shaping vital customer communications that support millions of interactions every year. Collaborating with cross-functional Agile teams, digital specialists and business stakeholders, you’ll ensure customers receive clear, timely and effective communications that build trust, drive engagement and improve their overall experience with Thames Water.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Defining and delivering the vision and roadmap for customer communication and contact channel products.
• Owning and continuously improving key customer journeys across digital and assisted service channels.
• Using customer insight, service design and performance data to identify opportunities and drive improvements.
• Translating customer, business and operational needs into prioritised product backlogs and actionable requirements.
• Leading the introduction of new communication technologies and ensuring successful adoption across the business.
• Monitoring performance through dashboards, KPIs and customer feedback to drive continuous improvement.
• Collaborating with Product, Design, Operations, Communications and Technology teams to deliver outstanding experiences.
• Managing supplier relationships and ensuring technology roadmaps align with business objectives.
• Championing customer-first thinking and influencing stakeholders at all levels of the organisation.
• Leading and developing subject matter experts, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability and innovation.

What you should bring to the role:

We’re looking for someone who combines strategic thinking with a hands‑on delivery mindset and has a genuine passion for improving customer experiences.

Essential experience and skills:

• Product Owner, Customer Experience, Service Design or Contact Channel Management experience within a large, complex organisation.
• Strong understanding of customer journeys across digital and assisted service environments.
• Experience working in Agile delivery teams, managing backlogs and prioritising product development.
• Service design expertise, including journey mapping, customer research and translating insights into improvements.
• Experience supporting digital transformation and introducing new customer technologies.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to use data and customer insight to inform decisions.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, including engagement with senior leaders.
• Experience leading teams, developing colleagues and driving high performance.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to balance customer, operational and regulatory requirements.

What you’ll love about this role

• Shape the future of customer communications for one of the UK’s largest utility companies.
• Lead transformational change that impacts millions of customer interactions every year.
• Collaborate with senior leaders and specialists from across the business.
• Drive meaningful improvements that make life easier for customers and frontline teams alike.
• Play a key role in Thames Water’s wider digital and customer transformation strategy.
• Base location: Hybrid – Clearwater Court – RG1 8DB. Occasional travel to other sites may be required to support business needs.

Hours: 36 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

Whats in it for you?

• A competitive starting salary of £52,000 and up to £57,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience.
• 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 days with length of service. (plus bank holidays)
• 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 familys 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.
• Find out more about our benefits and perks (Please note different T&Cs apply if on secondment)

Who are we?

Were the UKs largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. Its a big job and weve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, youll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

If youre looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of peoples lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, well be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

Were 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 thats extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, were here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, youll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. Its also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Salary: £52000 – £57000/annum

Job Type: Permanent

Location: Reading