Distribution Manager - Kent

South East Water; Maidstone; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

5 weeks holiday + bank holidays

Flexible annual leave

Volunteer days

Cycle to work

Health cash plan

Life assurance

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

South East Water is seeking a Distribution Manager to lead a team of technicians and oversee a section of the clean water network, ensuring a reliable supply and compliance with safety and regulatory targets. The role requires managing incidents, out-of-hours rotations, and driving efficiency through process improvements.

You will oversee performance management, budget forecasting, and contractor coordination, while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships to enhance customer outcomes.

Qualifications

• Good numeracy and literacy skills.
• Proven ability to foster strong relationships and deliver exceptional service to internal and external stakeholders.
• Good level of communication to 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.
• 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.

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.

Skills

Team leadership

Health & safety

Contractor management

Budget management

Operations management

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Regulatory knowledge

Water distribution

Problem solving

Education

Secondary education

Job description

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.
  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.

• 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.

Compensation package