Head of Civil Engineering

Pertemps; Old Warren; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 91,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water company in the UK seeks a Head of Civil Engineering to lead their Civil Engineering team. Responsibilities include implementing strategy, providing design governance, and ensuring technical expertise within the team. The ideal candidate should possess extensive leadership experience in Civil Engineering, preferably in the water industry, along with chartered engineer status. This role offers a competitive salary between £80,000 to £91,000 per annum, hybrid work arrangements, and various benefits.

Benefits

26 days holiday (increasing with service)

Car allowance

Generous pension scheme

Private medical health care

Access to various health and wellbeing benefits

Qualifications

• Experience in a leadership role within Civil Engineering.
• Understanding the regulatory environment for compliance.
• Experience in the water industry and excellent communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Civil Engineering team and implement strategic direction.
• Provide technical assurance during project processes.
• Manage the Civil Engineering team and develop capabilities.

Skills

Leadership

Communication skills

Collaborative influence

Passion for technical excellence

Education

Chartered Engineer status

Job description

We have a fantastic opportunity as the Head of Civil Engineering, where you will lead the development of an industry-leading Civil Engineering team that can create the technically intelligent client we as a business need to achieve its AMP8 ambitions and beyond.

What you’ll be doing as the Head of Civil Engineering

• Responsible for implementing the strategy, ensuring the Civil Engineering team in Thames Water has the ability to provide appropriate technical expertise on all Civil Engineering-related matters and be recognised as the technical authority.
• Provide advice to the business that can be trusted and used to make potentially high‑value decisions.
• Input and continuously improve technical asset standards, guidelines and standard designs so they contribute to delivering the best value solutions for Thames Water.
• Provide design sign‑off as the delivery stream dictates.
• Provide technical assurance during the design, delivery, commissioning, and handover of Assets.
• Keep abreast of current/innovative thinking and approaches in Civil Engineering
• Assist in setting the strategic direction of the Engineering team.
• Line management of the Civil Engineering team within Thames Water, developing the team's and individuals’ capabilities.
• Develop and evolve a Civil Engineering community, both internally and with our Partners, that enables all to gain sight of and access to all the specialist Civil Engineering skills required by Thames Water.
• Work closely with our Design Partners and internal Engineering Teams to ensure the suitability of the technical solutions.
• Provide design Governance and sign‑off to project delivery teams as the delivery stream dictates.

Base location: Reading: Hybrid (minimum 3 days per week in Clearwater Court (RG1 8DB) / on site.

Working pattern or hours

36 hours, Monday- Friday

What you should bring to the role

• A recognised leader in Civil Engineering, ideally with extensive experience, including experience within the water industry.
• An understanding of the regulatory environment is required to achieve compliance with our engineering regulatory requirements.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills, both internally and externally.
• Collaborative and able to influence senior colleagues.
• The ideal candidate will be a Chartership, and ideally a Fellowship, of the ICE.
• A passion for technical excellence.
• A desire to develop the Civil Engineering team to be recognised as a centre of excellence, both internally and externally.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary from £80,000 to £91,000 per annum, depending on experience.
• 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (plus bank holidays).
• Car Allowance.
• Performance‑related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• Private Medical Health Care.
• 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

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.

Working at Thames Water

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.