Leakage Team Manager

South West Water; Torquay; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

23 days holiday

Pension

Life assurance

Sharesave scheme

Health & wellbeing resources

Employee discounts

Cycle to Work

Learning & development

Standby allowance

Job summary

South West Water in Torquay is seeking a Leakage Team Manager to lead a team of leakage technicians and contractors, driving leakage reduction in the distribution network while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance. You will plan and deploy detection resources, coach and develop staff, manage performance and leave processes, and work with planners to prioritise backlog and improvement opportunities.

This role requires strong leadership, stakeholder collaboration and a proactive approach to

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading operational teams.
• Ability to drive performance improvements and handle challenging conversations.
• Strong coaching and people development skills.
• Experience setting objectives, measuring performance and giving feedback.
• Excellent organisational and planning abilities.
• Strong stakeholder management and collaboration skills.
• Full UK Driving Licence.
• Willingness to participate in standby rota.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of leakage technicians and contractors to achieve leakage reduction targets.
• Ensure health, safety and environmental standards are upheld at all times.
• Manage deployment of leakage detection resources to maximise efficiency.
• Coordinate with Leakage Process Analysts for acoustic logging and leak detection.
• Conduct competency and performance reviews for leakage technicians.
• Provide training, coaching and mentoring on site and in the office.
• Collaborate with Network Services Managers, Planners and Schedulers on priorities.
• Manage employee matters including annual leave, absence, performance and disciplinary processes.
• Identify opportunities for pressure management and network investment to improve leakage performance.
• Promote continuous improvement and investigate unaccounted-for water beyond traditional leak detection methods.
• Participate in the Operations Duty Functional Manager standby rota.

Skills

People leadership

Performance coaching

Planning & organising

Stakeholder management

UK Driving Licence

Operational standby rota experience

Job description

Powered by Water, Driven by PurposeSouth West Water keeps the South West flowing with safe, reliable drinking water and wastewater services across some of the UK’s most stunning landscapes.

Powered by Water, Driven by PurposeSouth West Water keeps the South West flowing with safe, reliable drinking water and wastewater services across some of the UK’s most stunning landscapes.

We’re proud to be part of Pennon Group, a leader in the UK water sector, working towards a greener future. Our goals? As well as lowering our carbon footprint, we’re working with partners to plant 300,000 trees, restore peatlands and supporting farmers and landowners to improve water quality and wildlife.

Whether you’re starting out or seeking a new challenge, our scale and ambition create opportunities for you to shape your own career.

Ready to make a splash? Join our team today.

About The Role

As a Leakage Team Manager, you will play a vital role in reducing water leakage across our distribution network. Leading a team of leakage technicians and contractors, you will ensure leakage detection activities align with our long-term leakage and demand management strategy. This is a highly visible leadership role that combines technical expertise, people management, and operational planning to help protect one of our most valuable resources.

What You'll Be Doing

• Leading a team of leakage technicians and specialist contractors to achieve leakage reduction targets.
• Ensuring health, safety and environmental standards are upheld at all times.
• Managing the deployment of leakage detection resources to maximise efficiency and performance.
• Working closely with Leakage Process Analysts to coordinate acoustic logging and leak detection activities.
• Conducting regular competency and performance reviews for leakage technicians.
• Providing structured training, coaching and mentoring both in the office and on site.
• Collaborating with Network Services Managers, Planners and Schedulers to support operational priorities.
• Managing employee matters including annual leave, absence, performance and disciplinary processes.
• Identifying opportunities for pressure management and network investment to improve leakage performance.
• Promoting a culture of continuous improvement and encouraging investigation of unaccounted-for water beyond traditional leak detection methods.
• Participating in the Operations Duty Functional Manager standby rota.

What We're Looking For

Essential Experience & Skills

• Proven experience leading and developing high-performing operational teams.
• Ability to drive performance improvements and manage challenging conversations when required.
• Strong coaching, mentoring and people development skills.
• Experience setting clear objectives, measuring performance and providing constructive feedback.
• Excellent organisational and planning abilities.
• Strong stakeholder management and collaboration skills.
• Full UK Driving Licence.
• Ability to participate in an operational standby rota.

Desirable

• Experience within water distribution, leakage management or utility operations.
• Knowledge of leakage detection techniques and demand management strategies.
• Understanding of network operations and asset management principles.

What's in it for You?

• 23 days holiday plus bank holidays to support a healthy work-life balance.
• Competitive contributory pension to help you plan for the future.
• Life assurance cover providing financial protection for you and your family.
• Sharesave scheme giving you the opportunity to share in our success.
• Health and wellbeing support including a range of physical, mental and financial wellbeing resources.
• Employee discounts across a variety of retailers and services.
• Cycle to Work scheme promoting healthier and greener travel.
• Learning and development opportunities to support your career growth.
• Standby allowance for participation in the operational standby rota.

Closing Date: 30th Sept 2026

We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Please note that the successful candidate will be subject to a mandatory DBS check as part of the onboarding process.

Be yourself, we like it that way. Together, we will build a culture of belonging, where inclusion is instinctive. Diversity is our strength and a reflection of our communities. We care, we value everyone, we celebrate uniqueness.

Our core values, which are essential to our success, are:

Be Rock Solid - Build trust and be trusted. Be the one we all look to and can depend on.

Be You - We want you to bring your best everyday. Be yourself and make your mark in your individual way.

Be the Future - Embrace change. Drive Progress. Own the challenge.