Distribution Science Manager

South East Water; Pembury; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Holiday entitlement

Buy/sell annual leave

Volunteering days

Cycle to work

Health cash plan

Life assurance

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

South East Water is seeking a Distribution Science Manager to lead a specialist technical team responsible for protecting water quality from treatment works to the customer’s tap. You will balance operational demands with long-term maintenance strategies to optimise network resilience and ensure safe, wholesome drinking water.

You will provide leadership, develop proactive strategies, and collaborate across teams to drive improvements in water quality and network health while ensuring regulatory

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years' experience in water network distribution or water quality management is essential.
• Must have valid UK driving license.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Distribution Science team and oversee performance analysis of the distribution system.
• Develop proactive strategies to identify, control, and mitigate water quality risks within the network.
• Collaborate with operational teams on flushing programs, network maintenance and customer water quality contacts.
• Participate in the Duty Science Manager call-out rota on a 1 in 5 basis, providing phone-based escalation support.

Skills

Leadership

Water quality

Distribution science

Data analysis

Regulatory compliance

Risk management

Job description

Summary: As the Distribution Science Manager, you’ll lead a specialist technical team dedicated to protecting water quality from our treatment works right to the customer’s tap. Reporting directly to the Water Quality Manager, you’ll take ownership of network performance by proactively identifying potential risks before they impact supply and ensuring the continuous delivery of safe, wholesome drinking water. In this role, you will balance fast-paced operational demands with long-term maintenance strategies to optimise the network's overall resilience. You will bring proven experience in water quality or distribution science, strong leadership skills to guide technical experts, and a proactive, analytical approach to risk management that guarantees compliance and maintains customer trust.

Provide leadership and technical direction to the Distribution Science team, focusing on the monitoring and management of the water distribution network. Develop and implement proactive strategies to identify, control, and mitigate water quality risks within the network. Oversee performance analysis of the distribution system, using data to drive improvements in water quality and network health. Optimise team workload by effectively delegating tasks and streamlining workflows to reduce reactive pressures. Collaborate closely with operational teams on flushing programs, network maintenance, and the management of customer water quality contacts. Ensure all distribution activities align with regulatory requirements and internal quality assurance standards. Provide technical oversight and support during distribution-related water quality incidents, ensuring rapid and effective mitigation. Coach and mentor team members to build technical capability and ensure robust scientific support across the region. Act as a technical subject matter expert in network infrastructure and water quality projects. Evaluate and evolve standard operating procedures for network maintenance to minimize impact on water quality and consumer supply.

Requirements

• Minimum of 3 years' experience in water network distribution or water quality management is essential.
• Must have valid UK driving license.

Duty responsibilities

• Please note: This role includes participating in the Duty Science Manager call-out rota on a 1 in 5 basis, providing phone-based escalation support to the duty scientist.

Company culture

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.

Grow a career with a meaningful purpose.

Be you, belong and valued.

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.

Compensation package

• Up to £60,000 p.a. (dependent on experience)

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.

Why join us

• 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.