Distribution Manager - Kent

South East Water Limited; Maidstone; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Holiday allowance

Flexible annual leave

Volunteer days

Cycle to work

Health cash plan

Life assurance

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

South East Water Limited is seeking a Distribution Manager to lead a team of technicians and manage a segment of our clean water network, ensuring reliable supply to customers. You will drive performance, be the first line for complex queries, and participate in out-of-hours rotas while guiding field activities during incidents.

You will uphold health and safety standards, manage contractors, and oversee an operational budget, forecasting spend and identifying risks and opportunities to improve

Qualifications

• Must have good numeracy and literacy skills.
• Proven ability to build strong relationships with stakeholders.
• Strong communication skills to articulate objectives and outcomes.
• Knowledge of water regulations and highway legislation relevant to utility works.
• Ability to work with internal/external customers and contractors.
• Experience managing an operational budget and leading a team.

Responsibilities

• Team Leadership and Development: performance manage, develop, and engage the team to maximise efficiency.
• Health and Safety and Contractor Management: embed a strong health and safety culture and ensure contractor quality.
• Operational Service Delivery: maintain reliable water supply and meet regulatory targets; participate in after-hours rota.
• Process Improvement and Resilience: review processes and drive changes to boost efficiency and resilience.
• Technical Support: provide support to technicians for complex enquiries.
• Financial Management: manage the operational budget and forecast spend.

Skills

Strong leadership & mentoring

Excellent communication

Stakeholder relationship management

Numeracy & literacy

Regulatory knowledge (water regs)

Collaborative working

Education

Secondary education

Job description

Summary

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

Grow a career with a meaningful purpose.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Compensation package

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

Grow a career with a meaningful purpose.

We supply top-quality drinking water to 2.3 million customers in the southeast of England. Through a network of 9,000 miles of pipe, we deliver 544 million litres of water every day. It's the skill and expertise of our employees that ensures our water meets the highest standards. We make sure we can meet the needs of our customers both now and in the future.

Grow a career with a meaningful purpose.

• Come to work to be safe, valued, and trusted.
• We'll encourage you to create and pursue new opportunities for personal growth.
• A place to be the real you, build deeper connections and enjoy a sense of belonging.
• Be invested in helping us to create a sustainable water supply for now, and in the future.