Head Of Operations

Anglian Water Services; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; Hybrid; GBP 68,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private health care

Pension scheme with generous employer*

Travel allowances

Job summary

Alpheus, part of the Anglian Water Group, is seeking an experienced Head of UK Operations to lead the delivery of O&M across the UK. You will drive safety, quality and profitability while strengthening strategic relationships with major customers.

You will manage a senior team, champion continuous improvement, mobilise new contracts and travel UK-wide. The role combines commercial leadership with operational excellence and sustainability.

Qualifications

• Degree qualified (or equivalent) in environmental, mechanical or electrical engineering.
• IOSH RAMS and operational activity management qualification or equivalent.
• Significant senior leadership experience in operations, utilities or related sectors.
• Proven experience managing large-scale operational contracts and multi-million-pound budgets.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience in performance, profitability and customer relationships.
• Demonstrable success developing trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and customers.
• Experience leading, developing and motivating high-performing operational teams.
• Excellent communication, organisational and stakeholder management skills.
• Willingness to travel extensively across the UK.

Responsibilities

• Lead the operational delivery of all Alpheus O&M contracts across the UK, ensuring safe, compliant and customer-focused performance.
• Provide strategic leadership to operational teams, aligning resources and capability with business objectives.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with senior customer stakeholders, positioning Alpheus as a strategic partner.
• Drive health, safety, quality, environmental performance and process safety across all operations.
• Lead and develop the O&M Managers and Business Compliance Lead, building capability and succession.
• Ensure governance, compliance and continuous improvement across the portfolio.
• Take ownership of financial performance, budgets and profitability.
• Conduct performance reviews, identify risks and implement corrective actions.
• Support business development through identifying opportunities and shaping bids.
• Lead mobilisation and implementation of new contracts; ensure delivery.
• Represent Alpheus with customers, regulators, suppliers and stakeholders.
• Drive innovation and best practice across sites.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Communication

Problem solving

Travel readiness

Health & safety focus

Commercial acumen

Team development

Education

Engineering degree (environmental/mechanical/electrical)

Job description

Salary: From £75,000 + Bonus + Car Allowance

Permanent, Full Time, 37.5 hours per week
Base Location: Osprey House, Huntingdon (Hybrid working with UK travel)

At Alpheus, we deliver innovative water and wastewater solutions that make a real difference to our customers and the environment. We're looking for an experienced and inspiring Head of UK Operations to lead the safe, compliant and commercially successful delivery of our Operations & Maintenance (O&M) portfolio across the UK.

As a key member of the leadership team, you'll be responsible for ensuring Alpheus consistently delivers high-quality services while strengthening strategic relationships with major customers, driving operational excellence and identifying opportunities for sustainable growth. You'll lead a team of operational leaders, champion a culture of safety and continuous improvement, and help shape the future direction of our O&M business.

This is an exciting opportunity for a commercially minded operational leader to influence business strategy, develop high-performing teams and play a pivotal role in delivering sustainable water and wastewater solutions across the UK.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the operational delivery of all Alpheus O&M contracts across the UK, ensuring safe, compliant and customer-focused performance.
• Provide strategic leadership to operational teams, aligning resources, priorities and capability with business objectives.
• Develop and maintain strong, trusted relationships with senior customer stakeholders, positioning Alpheus as a strategic partner.
• Drive excellence in health, safety, quality, environmental performance and process safety across all operational activities.
• Lead and develop the Northern O&M Manager, Southern O&M Manager and Business Compliance Lead, building capability and succession across the business.
• Ensure robust governance, compliance and continuous improvement processes are embedded throughout the operational portfolio.
• Take ownership of financial performance, budgets, profitability and commercial outcomes across the O&M portfolio.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, identify risks and implement corrective actions to protect contract performance and profitability.
• Support business development activities by identifying opportunities, shaping solutions and contributing to high-quality bid submissions.
• Lead the mobilisation and implementation of newly awarded contracts, ensuring successful and efficient delivery.
• Represent Alpheus externally with customers, regulators, suppliers and key stakeholders, promoting our values and operational excellence.
• Drive a culture of innovation, continuous improvement and operational best practice across all sites.

Requirements

• Degree qualified (or equivalent experience) in environmental, mechanical or electrical engineering.
• IOSH qualified in RAMS and operational activity management, or equivalent experience.
• Significant senior leadership experience within operations, engineering, utilities or a related sector.
• Proven experience managing large-scale operational contracts and multi-million-pound budgets.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience managing contractual performance, profitability and customer relationships.
• Demonstrable success developing trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and customers.
• Experience leading, developing and motivating high-performing operational teams.
• Excellent communication, organisational and stakeholder management skills.
• Strategic thinker with strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.
• Willingness to travel extensively across the UK.

Desirable

• IOSH Process Safety qualification or equivalent.
• Experience within water and wastewater operations, utilities, environmental services or infrastructure sectors.
• Knowledge of a broad range of water and wastewater treatment technologies, including AD, MBR and biogas systems.
• Experience winning, mobilising and delivering new operational contracts.

We invest in our people - as a valued employee, you'll be entitled to:

• Personal private health care
• Generous double match pension - contribute 7% and Anglian Water will contribute 14%, giving a total contribution of 21%
• 24-hour Virtual GP service for you and your household
• 25 days annual leave
• Life assurance (up to 8x salary)
• Personal accident cover (up to 5x salary)
• Excellent family friendly policies, including enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity leave
• Annual bonus scheme
• Flexible benefits and working culture to support your wellbeing and lifestyle
• Opportunities for professional development and career progression

Why Alpheus?

As part of the Anglian Water Group, Alpheus is committed to delivering sustainable, innovative water and wastewater solutions that provide lasting value for our customers and the environment.

As Head of UK Operations, you'll play a critical role in shaping the future of our Operations & Maintenance business. You'll lead a national portfolio, influence strategic decision-making, build lasting customer partnerships and drive operational excellence across the UK. Joining Alpheus means becoming part of a business that values safety, innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement while making a meaningful impact on critical infrastructure and environmental sustainability.

Closing Date: 13/11/2026