Continuous Improvement Lead

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Swindon; Hybrid; GBP 44,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water utility provider in Swindon seeks a Continuous Improvement Lead to enhance the efficiency of the bill-to-cash journey. This role involves driving operational excellence, collaborating with diverse teams, and leveraging expertise in SAP and Agile methodologies. The ideal candidate should possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a proven track record in managing complex projects. A competitive salary and excellent benefits package are offered.

Benefits

Competitive salary from £44,000 to £55,000

26 days holiday, increasing to 30 days

Performance-related pay plan

Generous Pension Scheme

Health and wellbeing benefits

Qualifications

• Experience leading complex projects or programmes.
• Strong communication skills to engage at all levels.
• Ability to review and draw insights from data.

Responsibilities

• Drive operational excellence in the bill-to-cash journey.
• Collaborate with teams to ensure efficient process improvements.
• Act as a liaison between Retail and Digital partners.

Skills

Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications

Understanding of metering, billing, and finance processes

Expertise in SAP Utilities

Stakeholder management

Experience in Agile environments

Scripting tools for automation

Microsoft Azure DevOps

Job description

Job title: Continuous Improvement Lead Ref 43388
Division: Retail
Location: Hybrid - Swindon (STW)
Contract type: Permanent, Full/Part-time, Full‑time
Salary: From £44,000 to £55,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience
Job grade: B
Closing date: 25/12/2025

Are you passionate about driving operational excellence and delivering customer‑focused solutions? Thames Water is looking for a Continuous Improvement Lead to play a pivotal role in optimising our bill‑to‑cash journey, ensuring it meets customer needs while maximising efficiency and aligning with our strategic goals.

What you will be doing: As part of the Platform Capability team, you’ll work independently to solve complex problems, apply strong analytical skills, and collaborate effectively across Retail functions. You will own the system change roadmap within the Billing Product team and partner with stakeholders in Customer Services, Income, and Collections to deliver proactive improvements and process excellence. Success in this role requires curiosity, motivation, and exceptional communication skills, as you’ll influence senior leadership and cross‑functional teams to define and deliver impactful change initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the Income/Billing SAP Product Team roadmap, ensuring delivery of effective changes to improve BAU processes.
• Collaborate with digital teams to implement best‑in‑class system changes.
• Act as Business Analyst to build robust requirements and shape change direction through stakeholder engagement.

Manage Scripting Suite & Operational Controls

• Deliver controlled mass processing through scripting to enable automation and process improvements.

Partner with External Vendors

• Ensure clear understanding of business requirements and successful, incident‑free delivery.
• Maintain accountability for planning, execution, and reporting, including training for end users.

Act as SAP Subject Matter Expert

• Provide guidance and support for technical issue resolution, acting as a key conduit between Retail and Digital partners.

Support Operational Teams

• Drive process enhancements, provide coaching, and assist with incident resolution across Retail teams.

Stay Ahead of Industry Trends

• Keep up to date with new processes and systems to enable continuous improvement and forward‑thinking solutions.

What You Should Bring to the Role

• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications, including Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Excellent understanding of end‑to‑end metering, billing, and finance processes.
• Deep expertise in SAP Utilities and related systems.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to challenge effectively.
• Solid understanding of systems architecture and integration.
• Experience working in Agile environments and applying Agile methodologies.
• Proficiency in using Macros, LSMW, or other scripting tools for automation.
• Skilled in the use of Microsoft Azure DevOps for managing change and delivery.

Essential Technical Skills & Qualifications

• Proven experience in leading complex projects or programmes from inception to delivery.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage effectively at all levels, including senior leadership.
• Exceptional attention to detail, combined with strong organisational and prioritisation skills.
• Personable and collaborative, with excellent relationship‑building capabilities across the business.
• Ability to review, interpret, and draw insights from large data sets.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary from £44,000 to £55,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience.
• 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 days with the 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 a range of benefits to support health, wellbeing and finances, including annual health MOTs, physiotherapy, counselling, Cycle‑to‑Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

We’re 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.

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.