Minor Works Project Manager

South East Water; Snodland; On-site; GBP 66,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Holiday entitlement

Flexible annual leave

Volunteer days

Cycle to work

Health plan

Life assurance

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

South East Water is seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead the delivery of a portfolio of essential minor works projects across our water infrastructure, including treatment works upgrades, pipeline installations, reservoir maintenance and pumping station improvements.

You will own the full project lifecycle, manage NEC3/NEC4 contracts, control budgets and schedules, assess risks, and coordinate with operations teams, consultants, contractors, regulators and local authorities.

Qualifications

• Degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrable NEC3/NEC4 ECC contract experience essential.
• Proven track record managing infrastructure projects end-to-end.

Responsibilities

• Deliver projects on time, within budget and to required quality across water infrastructure.
• Administer NEC contracts, handle compensation events and NEC processes.
• Define scope, develop schedules and monitor progress with corrective actions.

Skills

Project management

NEC expertise

Contract management

Stakeholder engagement

Budgeting

HSE awareness

Team leadership

Education

Civil Engineering degree

Construction/Project Management degree

Job description

Summary

Do you want a role where your expertise in project delivery and contract management truly matters? We're looking for an experienced and proactive Project Manager to join our team and drive the successful delivery of a diverse portfolio of essential minor works projects. This is a brilliant opportunity to apply your skills across vital infrastructure, from treatment works upgrades and pipeline installations to reservoir maintenance and pumping station improvements. If you're a seasoned professional looking for meaningful work and ready for your next big challenge, this exciting role offers autonomy, complexity, and clear purpose.

Main Responsibilities

You will be responsible for the safe and successful delivery of your project portfolio to Time, Cost, and Quality. Key responsibilities include:

• Project Delivery: Managing the full project lifecycle—initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, control, and closure for assigned clean water infrastructure projects.
• Contract Management (NEC Focus): Leading the administration of contracts, primarily under the NEC3/NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC) framework. This includes managing contract award, proactively handling communication, compensation events, early warnings, programme submissions, payments, and dispute resolution in line with NEC procedures.
• Scope & Schedule Management: Defining project scope and deliverables, developing detailed project schedules, tracking progress, and implementing corrective actions.
• Budget & Cost Control: Developing project budgets, monitoring expenditure, forecasting costs, and managing financial performance.
• Risk & Opportunity Management: Identifying, assessing, and mitigating project risks, proactively managing the early warning process, and identifying opportunities for project enhancement.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Liaising effectively with internal and external stakeholders, including operations teams, consultants, contractors, regulatory bodies, customers, and local authorities.
• Health, Safety & Environment (HSE): Championing a strong HSE culture, ensuring project activities comply with company policies, CDM regulations, and relevant environmental legislation.
• Team Leadership & Coordination: Coordinating multi-disciplinary teams (internal staff, consultants, contractors) to foster a collaborative and performance-driven environment.

What you’ll need

Qualifications & Accreditation: A Degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management) or equivalent demonstrable experience. A full Driving Licence is required.

Skills & Experience: Contract Management (NEC Expertise): Demonstrable, in-depth understanding and practical application of the NEC3/NEC4 ECC suite is essential. You must have the ability to interpret contractual requirements and manage contractual processes effectively and fairly.

Project Management: Proven ability to manage complex infrastructure projects through the entire lifecycle, with strong planning, organisational, and time management skills. Significant, proven experience managing infrastructure projects, preferably within the utilities, civil engineering, or construction sectors of the water industry. A proven track record of successfully delivering projects on time and within budget.

Technical Acumen: Good understanding of civil engineering, M&E, or process principles.

Financial Management: Strong budget management, cost control, and financial forecasting skills.

HSE Awareness: Strong understanding and commitment to health, safety, and environmental regulations and best practices, including CDM regulations.

Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to build strong relationships, effectively influence, and negotiate with diverse stakeholders.

Employees are required to be flexible and to be prepared to perform duties and other tasks within their capabilities. The nature of our business is such that the contents of any job profile are subject to change from time to time.

Grow a career with a meaningful purpose. We know the communities we serve are diverse. We recognise creativity comes from diversity not similarity. That’s why we are enthusiastic about creating inclusion across age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion and identity. You will experience our dedication to equal opportunities and fair treatment for all: through your recruitment, employment and career progression with South East Water.

Benefits package

• Excellent Stakeholder pension scheme, up to 10% employer contribution.
• 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays per annum, increasing to 6 weeks with length of service.
• Flexible annual leave policy to buy or sell holiday leave.
• Paid volunteering days.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Health cash plan.
• Life assurance.
• Wellbeing related benefits.

It is necessary for you to have the legal right to work in the UK when you begin employment with South East Water. Additionally, as part of the employment offer, you will need to pass background, identity, and employment referencing checks.

Compensation package

Up to £73,000 p.a. dependent on experience, plus car allowance.

We supply top-quality drinking water

We supply top-quality drinking water to 2.3 million customers in the southeast of England. Through a network of 9,000 miles of pipe, we deliver 544 million litres of water every day. It's the skill and expertise of our employees that ensures our water meets the highest standards. We make sure we can meet the needs of our customers both now and in the future.

Additional Information

• Come to work to be safe, valued, and trusted.
• We’ll encourage you to create and pursue new opportunities for personal growth.
• A place to be the real you, build deeper connections and enjoy a sense of belonging.
• Be invested in helping us to create a sustainable water supply for now, and in the future.