Head of Household Customer Strategy

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Reading; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Thames Water seeks a Head of Household Customer Strategy for an initial 12-week contract to shape the strategic direction of the household customer proposition. You will lead cross-business initiatives, influence senior leaders and regulators, and oversee compliance to improve customer experience and outcomes.

Focus areas include regulatory engagement, affordability and vulnerability strategies, and delivering on commitments to customers who need additional help.

Qualifications

• Strategic leadership experience in a complex organisation.
• Strong understanding of regulatory frameworks in water/utilities or similar sectors.
• Ability to influence senior leaders, regulators and external bodies.
• Proven track record of customer-focused strategies and improving outcomes.
• Ability to collaborate across departments to translate strategy into action.
• Ability to translate data and insights into clear priorities and decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of Thames Water's household customer strategy.
• Provide strategic advice to leadership with clear implementation plans.
• Sponsor initiatives across customer service, regulatory compliance, efficiency and C-MeX performance.
• Monitor progress against priorities, challenge and support leaders to deliver outcomes.
• Shape affordability and vulnerability strategies and oversee commitments for customers needing help.
• Ensure compliance with licence conditions and regulatory requirements in household strategy.
• Respond to regulatory risks and promote Consumer Involvement Rule across the organisation.
• Engage with regulatory and consumer bodies like Ofwat and CCW to influence policy.
• Represent customer interests in external discussions on household matters.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Regulatory expertise

Senior stakeholder influence

Customer focus

Collaboration

Strategic thinking

Job description

Head of Household Customer Strategy 12-Week Contract Immediate Start.

Shape the future of customer experience at Thames Water

This is a high-impact leadership opportunity to shape the strategic direction of the household customer experience at Thames Water, influencing how we support, engage and deliver for millions of customers.

The role is initially offered on a 12-week contract or secondment, with the potential to become permanent, subject to business requirements.

As Head of Household Customer Strategy, you'll set the strategic direction for our household customer proposition, turning ambitious plans into meaningful improvements for customers. You'll lead complex, cross-business initiatives, influence senior leaders and regulators, oversee compliance, and use customer and performance insight to help shape future policy and regulatory thinking.

With a particular focus on customer experience, regulatory compliance and engagement and supporting customers who need additional help, you'll play a key role in delivering our long-term ambitions.

What you'll be doing

Leading our Household Customer Strategy

• Lead the development and ongoing delivery of Thames Water's household customer strategy, taking the Household Customer Plan into its next phase.
• Provide strategic advice and direction to organisational leadership, ensuring clear and effective implementation plans.
• Sponsor key initiatives across customer service, regulatory compliance, efficiency and C-MeX performance.
• Monitor progress against strategic priorities, challenging and supporting leaders to deliver agreed outcomes.
• Shape and determine Thames Water's affordability and vulnerability strategies and oversee the ongoing delivery of strategy commitments to support customers who need additional help.

Household Regulation

• Ensure our household customer strategy and activities comply with relevant licence conditions and regulatory requirements.
• Identify and respond to emerging regulatory risks, ensuring we can clearly demonstrate compliance.
• Support the implementation of the Consumer Involvement Rule across the organisation, strengthening customer governance, evidence, assurance and decision-making.
• Use customer, regulatory and business insight to help inform future policy and regulatory thinking.

External Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with regulatory and consumer bodies, including Ofwat, CCW and other industry stakeholders, building trusted relationships to help influence the future consumer policy landscape.
• Lead Thames Water's engagement with CCW, including quarterly meetings and responding to emerging issues and queries.
• Represent Thames Water's customer interests confidently in external discussions on strategic household customer matters.

You'll bring:

• Strategic leadership: Strong experience developing and delivering long-term strategies in a complex organisation.
• Regulatory expertise: A strong understanding of regulatory frameworks within water, utilities or another highly regulated environment.
• Senior stakeholder influence: The confidence and credibility to influence senior leaders, regulators and external stakeholders.
• Customer focus: A strong track record of developing customer-focused strategies and improving service or customer outcomes.
• Collaboration: The ability to work across organisational boundaries, bringing different teams together to turn strategy into action.
• Strategic thinking: The ability to interpret data, customer insight and regulatory developments, translating complexity into clear priorities and decisions.

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.

Learn more about our purpose and values

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.