Innovation Project Manager

idibu; England; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water and wastewater company in the UK is seeking an Innovation Project Manager to drive the implementation of innovative projects. The role requires strong project management skills, excellent communication abilities, and a commitment to high-quality standards. Candidates should have experience managing complex projects, building stakeholder relationships, and must be knowledgeable in project management tools. This position offers a competitive salary and generous benefits, including 26 days of holiday and a pension scheme.

Benefits

Competitive salary

26 days holiday annually

Generous Pension Scheme

Access to health and wellbeing benefits

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience managing complex projects from initiation to closure.
• Experience with innovation or change management projects.
• Strong relationships with diverse stakeholders including technical teams.

Responsibilities

• Manage multiple projects across the innovation portfolio.
• Define and control project scope.
• Assess and manage project risks and issues.

Skills

Project Management

Stakeholder Management

Analytical Skills

Problem Solving

Communication Skills

Education

Project Management Certification (e.g., PRINCE2, APM)

Tools

Microsoft Project

Asana

Jira

Job description

This exciting role is pivotal in driving innovation and as the Project Manager you will lead the implementation and execution of ground-breaking projects, ensuring timely delivery within budget and to the highest quality standards.

What you’ll be doing as an Innovation Project Manager

• Manage multiple projects and work streams across the innovation portfolio.
• Define and manage project scope, ensuring clear boundaries and effective change control.
• Proactively assess, mitigate, and manage project risks and issues.
• Optimise resource allocation across projects, including budget, personnel, and equipment.
• Ensure adherence to quality standards and implement quality assurance processes.
• Support project assurance reporting both internally and externally, and monitoring through project reviews/health-checks, making adjustments as necessary to ensure the successful completion of the project.
• Ensuring the projects remain in scope and aligned to the innovation portfolio aims and goals.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement within the Innovation PMO, seeking opportunities to optimise processes and enhance efficiency.
• Stay informed about emerging technologies and industry trends relevant to Thames Water.

Base location: Hybrid – Reading (STW) – RG2 0RP

Working pattern or hours: 36 hours, Monday‑Friday (Please note this is a 10‑12 month fixed‑term opportunity).

What you should bring to the role

• Demonstrable experience of successfully managing complex projects from initiation to closure, within budget and agreed timelines.
• Specifically, experience with projects involving a degree of innovation or change management.
• Extensive experience in building and maintaining strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, including technical teams, business stakeholders, and senior management.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to identify and address complex challenges.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to effectively communicate complex information to diverse audiences.
• A good understanding of engineering, science, or other technical disciplines related to Thames Water’s operations.
• Experience using project management tools (e.g., Microsoft Project, Asana, Jira) to plan, track, and report on project progress.

Additional skills and experiences would be great to have:

• A recognised project management certification, such as PRINCE2 Practitioner, APM (Association of Project Managers), or equivalent

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary from £50,000 to £60,000 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
• 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.

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.

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.