Process Excellence Manager

Southern Water; Durrington; Hybrid; GBP 47,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

Southern Water seeks a Process Excellence Manager to lead the Operational Excellence team within Water Operations, driving initiatives that deliver £3.5 million in operational expenditure efficiencies and meaningful improvements across sites. You will lead a team of specialists, build strong relationships across the business, and champion continuous improvement through people and collaboration.

Regular travel across the Southern Water region is required, with hybrid working options.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and stakeholder management across levels
• Excellent communication and influencing skills
• Experience managing multiple projects and programmes
• Knowledge of change management approaches
• Ability to coach and develop teams

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of Process Excellence specialists, supporting performance, engagement and future team growth.
• Build strong relationships across Water Operations and wider business functions to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Lead multiple improvement projects and programmes, ensuring successful delivery of objectives and benefits.
• Facilitate workshops and collaborative sessions to identify, design and implement process improvements.
• Develop process maps, improvement plans and business cases to support operational change.
• Drive process standardisation and best practice across locations and departments.
• Analyse operational performance and costs to identify efficiency opportunities.
• Present recommendations, progress updates and improvement outcomes to senior managers and Directors.
• Act as a champion for continuous improvement and operational excellence across the Water Directorate.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

Project management

Change management

Education

Project Management qualification

Lean/Six Sigma knowledge

Tools

PowerPoint

Microsoft Loop

Microsoft Lists

Excel

Job description

Closing Date 2026-09-04

Job Title: Process Excellence Manager

Location: Southern Water region with regular travel across operational sites

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 37 hours per week

Salary: up to £52,000 per annum depending on skills and experience

About the role:

We have an exciting opportunity for a Process Excellence Manager to join our Operational Excellence team within Water Operations. This is a critical role with direct responsibility for identifying and delivering initiatives that support Southern Water in achieving £3.5 million of operational expenditure efficiencies.

The role sits at the heart of our Operational Excellence function and plays a key part in improving performance, reducing waste and driving continuous improvement across the Water Directorate.

You will lead a team of process excellence specialists and help shape the future growth of the team. Success in this role will come from your ability to build strong relationships across the business, understand operational challenges and identify opportunities that deliver measurable value.

Regular travel across our operational region will be required. You will spend time working closely with colleagues, building rapport, understanding how work is delivered and uncovering opportunities to improve processes and reduce costs.

This role offers excellent visibility across the organisation, including opportunities to present findings and recommendations to senior leaders and Directors. It is an ideal opportunity for someone who enjoys leading change, influencing stakeholders and delivering business improvements through people and collaboration.

What you will be responsible for

• Lead and develop a team of Process Excellence specialists, supporting performance, engagement and future team growth.
• Build strong relationships across Water Operations and wider business functions to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Lead multiple improvement projects and programmes, ensuring successful delivery of objectives and benefits.
• Facilitate workshops and collaborative sessions to identify, design and implement process improvements.
• Develop process maps, improvement plans and business cases to support operational change.
• Drive process standardisation and best practice across locations and departments.
• Analyse operational performance and costs to identify efficiency opportunities.
• Present recommendations, progress updates and improvement outcomes to senior managers and Directors.
• Act as a champion for continuous improvement and operational excellence across the Water Directorate.

Additional requirements specific to the role

• Regular travel across Southern Water operational sites.
• Full UK driving licence preferred.
• Hybrid working available, with site presence required to support operational engagement and stakeholder collaboration.

What you'll bring to the role:

Essential

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to build rapport and credibility with stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience influencing and engaging colleagues across different teams and functions.
• Confidence presenting information and recommendations to senior leaders.
• Experience managing multiple projects, programmes or improvement initiatives simultaneously.
• Experience leading, coaching or developing individuals and teams.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Excellent communication, facilitation and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft 365, including:
• PowerPoint presentation development and delivery.
• Microsoft Loop.
• Microsoft Lists.
• Excel and other Microsoft productivity tools.

Desirable

• Project Management, Programme Management or Change Management qualification.
• Lean, Continuous Improvement or Six Sigma knowledge.
• Experience working in operational, utility, engineering or service delivery environments.

Progression opportunities

This role provides significant opportunities for personal and professional growth. You will have exposure to senior leaders and Directors, lead business-critical improvement programmes and help shape the future direction of the Process Excellence team.

We particularly welcome applications from internal colleagues who have leadership potential, ambition and a passion for continuous improvement. Whether your background is in Operations, Project Management or Change Management, this role offers an exciting pathway into Operational Excellence and the chance to make a lasting impact across Southern Water.

About Southern Water

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 professionals can make a meaningful impact, influence major strategic decisions and drive long-term value creation.

"At Southern Water, we believe diverse perspectives drive innovation. If you're passionate about making a positive impact and think you can bring value to our team, we'd love to hear from you-even if you don't tick every box. Your unique skills and experiences could be exactly what we need."

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 Water's 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.