Head of Civil Engineering

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 91,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water utilities company is seeking a Head of Civil Engineering to lead their development team in Reading. The role includes strategic oversight, technical assurance, and team development. Competitive salary from £80,000 to £91,000 per annum and a hybrid working model are offered. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in Civil Engineering, especially within the water industry, and must be a Chartered Engineer.

Benefits

26 days holiday per year

Performance-related pay plan

Generous Pension Scheme

Private Medical Health Care

Access to health and wellbeing benefits

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in Civil Engineering, preferably in the water industry.
• Understanding of the regulatory environment related to engineering.
• Passion for technical excellence.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of an industry-leading Civil Engineering team.
• Ensure the Civil Engineering team provides technical expertise.
• Develop and evolve the Civil Engineering community.

Skills

Leadership

Communication skills

Collaboration

Technical expertise in Civil Engineering

Education

Chartered Engineer (ICE)

Fellowship of the ICE

Job description

Job title Head of Civil Engineering Ref 42808 Division Asset Operations & Capital Delivery Location Reading - Clearwater Court - RG1 8DB Contract type Permanent Full/Part-time Full-time Salary Competitive salary from £80,000 to £91,000 per annum depending on experience. Job grade C Closing date 11/12/2025

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 a 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

The essential criteria to help you succeed in this role is:

• 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).
• 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 MORs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

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.

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.