Distribution Manager - Kent

South East Water UK; Detling; On-site; GBP 53,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stakeholder pension scheme

Holiday entitlement (5 weeks + bank)

Flexible annual leave buy/sell

Paid volunteering days

Cycle to work scheme

Health cash plan

Life assurance

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

South East Water is seeking a Distribution Manager to lead a team of technicians and manage a section of our clean water network, ensuring a reliable supply for customers.

You will oversee performance management, support field operations during incidents, and drive efficiency improvements while adhering to health and safety standards and regulatory targets. A flexible approach to tasks and budget management is required.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to lead a team and develop staff.
• Experience managing an operational budget.
• Knowledge of water regulations and highway legislation.
• Ability to work out of hours and manage incidents.
• Strong communication with internal and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Team leadership and development to maximise efficiency.
• Health and safety culture and contractor management.
• Maintain reliable water supply and meet regulatory targets.
• Drive process improvements to improve customer journeys and network resilience.
• Provide technical support to technicians.
• Manage operational budget and forecast spend.
• Be flexible for other tasks as required.

Skills

Team leadership

Budget management

Health & safety

Stakeholder relations

Communication

Water networks

Contractor management

Operations management

Problem solving

Education

Secondary education

Job description

Summary:

Are you a driven and experienced in water supply operations and ready to take the next step in you career?

As Distribution Manager, you will be leading a team of technicians and manage an area of our clean water network to ensure a wholesome water supply for our customers.

You will be responsible for performance management and ensuring maximum efficiency from your team. You’ll also be first point of contact when technicians have complex queries or need support with operational tasks. As such, you are happy to participate in an out of hours rota and take the lead on field activities during operational incidents.

You understand health and safety regulations and can ensure that your team and any contractors in your area of management are adhering to these at all times. You will be responsible for contractors delivering safe, quality work.

You’ll be comfortable working with an operational budget, including forecasting spend and identifying risks and opportunities. Ideally, you have knowledge and experience around the water networks and can help review operational processes and drive change initiatives to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Main responsibilities :

• Team Leadership and Development: Performance manage, develop, and fully engage the team to maximise efficiency, effectiveness, and reliability of service through methods like team briefs and one-to-ones.

• Health and Safety and Contractor Management: Imbed a strong health and safety culture within the team, ensuring safe people and safe working. This includes ensuring contractors deliver safe, quality works in line with strategy.

• Operational Service Delivery: Maintain a reliable water supply for customers, meeting regulatory targets for service delivery and water quality. This involves participating in an out-of-hours rota, leading field activities during operational incidents, and escalating as needed.

• Process Improvement and Resilience: Review operational processes and drive change initiatives to continuously improve customer journeys and drive efficiency. Identify and implement works to improve network resilience and contribute to proposed capital/planned maintenance works.

• Technical Support: Provide technical support to technicians to efficiently resolve complex customer operational enquiries.

• Financial Management: Manage the operational budget, including forecasting spend and identifying financial risk and opportunity.

• Employees are required to be flexible and to be prepared to perform duties and other tasks within their capabilities. The nature of our business is such that the contents of any job profile are subject to change from time to time.

You’ll need:

• Good standard of secondary education and able to demonstrate a good standard of numeracy and literacy skills.

• Proven ability to foster strong relationships and deliver exceptional service to internal and external stakeholders.

• Good level of communication skills to effectively articulate operational objectives and performance outcomes.

• Knowledge of relevant legislation, preferably including water regulations and experience with highway legislation as it pertains to utility works and infrastructure maintenance.

• Proven ability to collaborate with both internal and external customers.

• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and meet timescales.

• Experience in managing a network system and leading a team.

• Experience in managing an operational budget.

• Experience in diagnosing and resolving complex operational challenges within water distribution networks, with a demonstrated focus on implementing process improvements and driving continuous efficiency gains.

Grow a career with a meaningful purpose.

We know the communities we serve are diverse. We recognise creativity comes from diversity not similarity. That’s why we are enthusiastic about creating inclusion across age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion and identity. You will experience our dedication to equal opportunities and fair treatment for all: through your recruitment, employment and career progression with South East Water.

Benefits package:

• Excellent Stakeholder pension scheme, up to 10% employer contribution.

• 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays per annum, increasing to 6 weeks with length of service.

• Flexible annual leave policy to buy or sell holiday leave.

• Paid volunteering days.

• Cycle to work scheme.

• Health cash plan.

• Life assurance.

• Wellbeing related benefits.

What can you expect from your recruitment?

• It is necessary for you to have the legal right to work in the UK when you begin employment with South East Water.

• Additionally, as part of the employment offer, you will need to pass background, identity, and employment referencing checks.

South East Water kindly asks that recruitment agencies refrain from submitting CVs to our employees or associates without explicit invitation from our HR Resourcing team. CVs sent on a speculative basis will not be acknowledged and will not assume any responsibility for fees or commissions in the event that we hire a candidate who applied directly or subsequently introduced by an instructed agency.

Compensation package:

Starting from £47,152.35 + £6,254 car allowance + managerial standby allowance