Head of Water Networks

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Walthamstow; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading utility provider in the UK is seeking a Head of Water Networks to lead operations ensuring the delivery of safe drinking water to over 5 million people in North London. The ideal candidate will possess outstanding leadership experience, a track record of operational excellence, and financial management skills. This full-time position offers a competitive salary up to £100,000, alongside generous benefits including 30 days holiday and a pension scheme.

Benefits

26 days holiday per year increasing to 30

Performance-related pay plan

Generous Pension Scheme

Private Medical Health Care

Health and well-being benefits

Qualifications

• Outstanding leadership experience with engaging teams.
• Experience managing contractor relationships.
• Commercial acumen and prior budget management.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead the water business plan for North London.
• Ensure operational excellence and service quality.
• Manage health and safety standards in operations.

Skills

Leadership experience

Ability to influence

Negotiation skills

Change management

Cultural change driving

Education

NEBOSH qualification

Tools

LEAN methodologies

Six Sigma

Job description

Job title Head of Water Networks Ref 43205 Division Asset Operations & Capital Delivery Location Lea Bridge Depot - Walthamstow - E5 9RJ Contract type Permanent Full/Part-time Full-time Hours 36 hours Salary Competitive salary up to £100,000 per annum depending on skills and experience Job grade C Closing date 12/12/2025

What could be more professionally fulfilling than leading the team that provides a continuous supply of safe drinking water to our capital city? That’s the role that we now seeking to fill.

We’re looking for a strategic and dynamic person to join us to lead the water network team in our London area north of the River Thames. As Head of Water Networks in North London you will be responsible for providing drinking water to over 5 million people in North London, including the very heart of the iconic West End and the City all the way to Enfield in the north and Hampton and Earling in the West. It is truly an amazing opportunity to lead a highly motivated and high-performing team proving life’s essential service to north and central London.

Are you an inspiring leader with a passion for operational excellence and customer service? Thames Water is looking for a forward-thinking and experienced Head of Region to steer the performance and future resilience of our essential services.

What

• You will be responsible for developing, leading, and executing the business plan across your region, ensuring the efficient distribution of a continuous supply of safe wholesome water to customers in North London
• Continue the transformation in operational performance through your Field Operations team and external suppliers, helping us to reduce reactive incidents and improving leakage and customer service, ensuring all activities are delivered safely, efficiently, and on schedule.
• Lead the team providing exceptional service standards for our customers, undertaking and improving network performance, minimising disruption to customers and managing the repair of leaks whilst enabling our biggest ever capital investment programme – sustainably building for the future
• You will also proactively identify and respond to current and emerging risks to our network.
• Reporting to the Water Director, you will collaborate closely with internal and external stakeholders, overseeing forward planning and recommending improvements on critical regional issues.

Here’s what you’ll be responsible for:

• Health and Safety: Champion a safety-first culture, ensure all activities comply with Health and Safety regulations, and lead continuous improvement in safety behaviours and incident management.
• Operations: Oversee operational performance and its contributed transformation, resource allocation, and supplier management to deliver high-quality services. Drive continuous improvement initiatives and support long-term asset management planning.
• People: Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing regional team. Foster a culture of excellence, customer focus, and two-way communication.
• Finance: Manage regional budgets, ensuring value for money and commercial accountability. Challenge suppliers on cost and performance, keeping spend aligned with capacity plans.

Hours of work are Monday to Friday,36 hours a week.

What we are looking for you to have

To excel in this role, you’ll bring:

• Outstanding leadership experience with a track record of engaging, inspiring, and developing teams.
• Strong ability to influence, negotiate, and collaborate at all levels across a geographically diverse region.
• Experience managing contractor relationships and leading teams through change.
• Evidence of driving cultural change and continuous improvement within a regulated environment.
• Commercial acumen and previous responsibility for managing budgets.
• Exposure to LEAN, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies (desirable).
• NEBOSH qualification and knowledge of the Road and Streetworks Act (advantageous).

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary up to £100,000 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.
• 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.

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.