Customer Contracts & Engagement Manager

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water utility company is seeking a Customer Contracts & Engagement Manager. This pivotal role involves managing customer contracts while enhancing relationships with developers and other stakeholders. The ideal candidate will excel in a regulated environment and possess strong leadership skills, contributing to the company's growth and customer satisfaction.

Benefits

26 days holiday increasing to 30

Annual Bonus

Private Medical Health Care

Cycle to Work schemes

Shopping vouchers

Life assurance

Qualifications

• Proven success in managing B2B customer relationships.
• Strong background in contract management.
• Ability to lead high-performing teams.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage relationships with large developers and stakeholders.
• Lead the full lifecycle of customer contracts.
• Collaborate across teams to ensure timely customer connections.

Skills

B2B customer relationship management

Contract management

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

Job description

Job title Customer Contracts & Engagement Manager Ref 41470 Division Retail Location Hybrid - Clearwater Court - RG1 8DB Contract type Permanent Full/Part-time Full-time Hours 36 hours per week Salary Offering between £70,000 - £80,000 per annum depending on skills and experience Job grade C Closing date 11/07/2025

Thames Water is currently looking for a Customer Contracts & Engagement Manager to join our Developer Services team. This team plays a pivotal role in enabling network growth by working with a range of customers, including Developers, New Appointments & Variations, Self-Lay Providers, Homeowners, and Local Government.

In 2024, we successfully delivered 22,000 new water connections, laid 18 km of new water mains, connected 33,000 customers to our sewer network, and supported 11,000 customers building over our assets. Our Major Projects team also delivered significant infrastructure improvements worth £100m’s

What you will be doing as the Customer Contracts & Engagement Manager, in this pivotal role, you will champion Thames Water’s service offerings while managing the full lifecycle of customer contracts. Acting as the internal voice of the customer, you’ll build and sustain strong, strategic relationships, ensuring contractual obligations are met and any issues are addressed promptly to maintain high levels of satisfaction.

Your insight and understanding of customer needs will play a vital role in shaping business decisions and driving continuous improvement. Working closely with key stakeholders across the new connection journey, leading or contributing to cross-functional initiatives that embed customer feedback into operational practices. By aligning business priorities with customer expectations, you’ll help reinforce Thames Water’s reputation as a trusted and forward-thinking partner in the water industry.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Relationship Management: Build strong, proactive relationships with Large Developers, NAVs, and SLPs; resolve escalations; drive improvements aligned with our D-MeX performance.
• Contract Management: Lead the full contractual lifecycle for NAV and SLP agreements; ensure compliance with regulated SLAs; manage updates and bespoke clauses in collaboration with Market Services.
• Operational Collaboration: Work across teams to support accurate and timely customer connections, particularly with Programme Delivery Teams and Service Partners.
• Strategic Development: Monitor market trends and contribute to future planning by identifying where growth and development opportunities may arise.
• Leadership: Lead a team of 14 account managers; develop talent; drive high performance; ensure alignment with both customer needs and internal objectives.

What you should bring to the role:

• Proven success in B2B customer relationship management
• Strong background in contract management
• Leadership of high-performing teams
• Experience working cross-functionally in a complex organisation
• Understanding of working in a regulated environment
• Expertise in contract and stakeholder management
• Ability to manage complex relationships and commercial agreements
• Excellent leadership, communication, and negotiation skills

We would be particularly interested in hearing from candidates with experience in the water industry, particularly within new connections and an established network of industry contacts.

Base location: Hybrid - Clearwater Court - RG1 8DB Hours: 36 hours per week Mon-Fri

What’s in it for you?

• A starting salary of £70,000 and up to £80,000 per annum depending on skills and experience
• 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (plus bank holidays)
• Annual Bonus.
• Private Medical Health Care.
• 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’re the UK’s 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. It’s a big job and we’ve 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.

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, you’ll enjoy fast-tracked career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

Whether you’re interested in a role in one of our call centres or science labs, we’re looking for people like you with real passion and a burning desire to make things better.

So, if you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll 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.

Our overarching aim is to ensure that Thames Water is great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process . Our aim is to remove any real or perceived barriers to success, so if you need assistance, we’re here to help and support .

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll 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. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

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.