Major Project Sponsor

Southern Water; Southease; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

Southern Water is seeking a dynamic Major Project Sponsor to lead and support strategic programmes, ensuring alignment with business goals to deliver intended benefits. The role is hybrid (Falmer) with two offices/sites and remaining WFH across multiple Southern Water sites.

The candidate will oversee governance, benefits and financial management, ensuring value for money and timely delivery of outcomes across major infrastructure projects.

Qualifications

• Experience in project or programme sponsorship within water/infrastructure sectors.
• Familiarity with governance processes and benefits management.
• Knowledge of investment appraisal and financing models.
• Experience with capital delivery of infrastructure projects.

Responsibilities

• Sponsor and oversee project delivery, ensuring objectives, timelines and benefits align with strategic goals.
• Develop and maintain robust business cases and secure investment approvals through governance.
• Provide financial oversight, budgets and forecasts aligned to plans.
• Monitor project performance and governance requirements across the lifecycle.
• Build relationships with regulators, internal and external stakeholders for effective engagement.
• Drive risk, opportunity and benefits management to optimise outcomes.
• Ensure timely regulatory submissions, project documents and assurance activities.

Skills

Project sponsorship

Governance

Benefits management

Financial management

Stakeholder engagement

Risk management

Education

Degree in numerate/technical discipline

Job description

Closing Date

30/10/2026

Job Title: Major Project Sponsor

Location: Falmer-Hybrid- 2 office/ site and remaining WFH across multiple Southern Water sites.

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: 37
Salary: Circa £55K depending on skills and experience

We are seeking a dynamic Major Project Sponsor to lead and support our strategic programmes, ensuring they are aligned with business goals to deliver the intended benefits. If you have experience in project and/or programme sponsorship, project governance, benefits and financial management within the infrastructure or utilities sector, this is an exciting opportunity for you.

Role Overview:

Reporting into the Strategic Programme Sponsor, the role holder will ensure the programme vision and programme level strategic objectives are translated to a project level. The Major Project Sponsor will be an advocate for the projects assigned, ensuring delivery teams remain in governance, holding them to account on project financial and schedule performance whilst assisting with appropriate risk management to ensure projects deliver the intended benefits expected of the wider programme.

Key Responsibilities:

• Sponsor and oversee project delivery, ensuring objectives, timelines, benefits realisation, and outcomes align with strategic business goals.
• Develop and maintain robust business cases, securing investment approval through governance processes and escalating significant risks or issues where required.
• Provide financial oversight, ensuring projects deliver value for money, remain aligned to approved plans, and effectively manage budgets and forecasts.
• Monitor project performance throughout the lifecycle, ensuring key milestones, governance requirements, and delivery commitments are achieved.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including regulators, ensuring effective engagement and transparent communication.
• Drive proactive risk, opportunity, and benefits management to optimise project outcomes and support informed decision-making.
• Ensure high-quality and timely regulatory submissions, project documentation, and assurance activities are completed to meet compliance requirements.

The successful candidate will be a strategic and customer-focused leader with strong decision-making and communication skills, capable of translating complex information into clear actions and influencing a wide range of stakeholders. They will be adept at resolving challenges relating to governance, funding, and project direction, while building effective relationships across delivery teams, PMO functions, regulators, and external partners. Highly organised and able to manage competing priorities, they will maintain focus on key outcomes, ensuring projects deliver long-term value, customer benefits, and successful business outcomes.

Knowledge & Experience:

• In-depth understanding of the project lifecycle, cost principles, and investment appraisals, either directly as Project Sponsor or via project delivery experience.
• Familiarity with project management practices, gated process reviews, benefits management and value-for-money appraisals.
• Experience in asset management and strategic risk identification and management.
• Exposure to large-scale infrastructure projects, preferably in the water/utilities sector, with knowledge of Regulated industries.
• Understanding of financing models such as DPC/PFI.

Essential

• Experience in project or programme sponsorship ideally within the water or infrastructure sector.
• Exposure to capital delivery of infrastructure projects/ programmes
• Understanding of whole life asset management principles
• A degree or equivalent qualification in a numerate or technical discipline.

Desirable

• Membership of a relevant professional body (e.g., Institute of Asset Management, Chartered Management Institute, RICS, Association of Project Management).

Southern Water is at the forefront of transforming Britain’s water industry, investing significantly to enhance resilience, sustainability, and service excellence. With £7.8bn planned investment for 2025-30, this is an unparalleled opportunity to join a business committed to delivering a generational shift in the way water services are managed.

You will be joining at a time of significant change, working alongside a highly skilled leadership team with a clear vision for the future. We offer an environment where senior professionals can make a meaningful impact, influence major strategic decisions, and drive long-term value creation

Our Commitment to Diversity

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or any other protected characteristic. If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Additional information:

In line with Southern Waters security requirements, successful candidates will be required to provide evidence of their identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record check (DBS) and verification of their employment and/or education history for the past three years.

Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of all pre-employment checks, including security vetting.

Please note that if a candidate does not meet the required security standards or fails to pass the vetting process, Southern Water reserves the right to withdraw the offer of employment.

Some positions may also require higher levels of security vetting, which may involve providing additional documentation.