Field Operations Manager

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Kidlington; Hybrid; GBP 39,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days holiday (increases with length

Pension scheme

Health and wellbeing benefits

Cycle to Work

Life assurance

Job summary

Thames Water Utilities Limited is recruiting a Field Operations Manager to lead a frontline field engineers team in the Thames Valley clean water networks, covering the South Oxfordshire area. The role is hybrid with site visits and out-of-hours standby, delivering safe operation and excellent customer service 24/7.

You will develop stakeholder relationships, drive performance against targets, and ensure adherence to health and safety standards.

Qualifications

• A valid UK driving licence.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with stakeholders.
• Experience leading a front-line team of operational staff.
• Self-motivated with a can-do attitude and strong time management.
• Deliver exceptional service with a proactive approach.
• Knowledge of health and safety legislation.

Responsibilities

• Performance managing a field operations team to deliver maintenance and service targets.
• Monitor and drive performance against key metrics and respond promptly.
• Direct and develop technicians with measurable goals and development plans.
• Promote engagement and motivation within the team.
• Conduct regular site visits to assess work quality.
• Ensure safe working practices in line with company procedures.
• Identify and implement initiatives for operational efficiency.

Skills

Communication skills

Team leadership

Health & safety awareness

Time management

Motivation & drive

Customer service

Stakeholder relationships

Job description

Job title Field Operations Manager Ref 46164 Division Asset Operations & Capital Delivery Location Hybrid - Kidlington - OX5 1QT Contract type Permanent Full/Part-time Full-time Hours 36 Salary Salary up to £43,000 per annum depending on skills and experience. Job grade B Closing date 08/11/2026

We are currently recruiting for a Field Operations Manager to join the Thames Valley Clean Water networks team, in the South Oxfordshire area. This is a high-profile Operations role, where you will be responsible for leading a team of front-line field engineers to ensure the operational management of our clean water services to our customers, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

What you’ll be doing as a Field Operations Manager

This is an exciting opportunity in water networks to manage a frontline workforce. It is a wide-ranging role, with each day different from the last, posing unique challenges. Your role involves ensuring your team works safely to stringent H&S standards and deliver excellent customer service. You will develop strong working relationships with key stakeholders across the business including the planning teams, key contractors and other external stakeholders.

As part of your role, there is a requirement to participate in an out-of-hours coordinator standby rota where you will gain incident management experience – there will be an additional payment for this.

Key accountabilities:

• Performance managing a field operations team to deliver operational asset maintenance, customer service targets and supporting efficient completion of capital delivery projects
• Monitor and drive performance against key metrics to make sure all work is responded to promptly.
• Direct and develop technicians by setting measurable goals, holding team meetings, one-on-ones, completing the PDR process and creating individual development training plans.
• Promote a culture of engagement and motivation within the team.
• Conduct regular site visits to assess the quality of work being completed by your team.
• Take team responsibility for safe working practices which comply with company procedures.
• Identify and support the implementation of new initiatives to drive operational efficiency and customer service improvements.

Location:

Hybrid- Kidlington OX5 1QT, with visits to other sites and in the field with your team.

Working pattern or hours:

36 hours - Monday to Friday

Requirements for the role:

A valid UK driving licence.

What you should bring to the role :

To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need are:

• Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills to clearly interact with your field-based colleagues and key stakeholders.
• Previous experience in leading a high-performing front-line team of operational staff.
• Hunger, with a self-motivated and can-do attitude.
• Deliver exceptional service through an enthusiastic and positive approach.
• Manage your own time and work flexibly to meet your team's needs.
• Take Care of yourself and others, with a good working knowledge of health and safety legislation.

Additional skills and experience would be great to have/bring:

• Knowledge and understanding of the clean water network are desirable.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary up to £43,000 per annum depending on skills and experience.
• 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays)
• Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• 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.

Find out more about our benefits and perks (Please note different T&Cs apply if on secondment)

Who are we?

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 meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

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.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process . If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, 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.