Project Manager

Southern Water group; Chatham; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Southern Water is seeking two Project Managers to lead major wastewater capital projects on the South Coast and at Whitfield. You will deliver safe, on-time, in-budget outcomes and manage complex stakeholder portfolios.

The role requires building strong governance, developing business cases and ensuring regulatory compliance while coordinating cross-functional teams and delivery partners in a hybrid working environment.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering complex capital projects or programmes, ideally in infrastructure/utilities/construction.
• Strong stakeholder management with diverse technical, commercial and regulatory groups.
• Proactive, solutions-focused with solid problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Experience contributing to business cases and investment approvals.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced setting.

Responsibilities

• Lead 2 significant wastewater WINEP projects on the South Coast (CAPEX > £50m).
• Manage Whitfield wastewater treatment works project within Ofwat's Large Scheme Gated programme.
• Deliver projects safely, on time, within budget and to required quality standards.
• Develop and maintain project plans, schedules and delivery strategies.
• Oversee governance, assurance activities and robust decision-making processes.
• Support business case development, investment approvals and funding submissions.
• Identify and mitigate risks, issues and opportunities.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams and manage delivery partners' performance.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Cost control

Risk management

NEC contracts

Budgeting

Planning

Regulatory compliance

Job description

Closing Date 2026-09-04 Job Title: Project Manager x 2 Location: Flexible – Within the Southern Water Region (Hybrid Working) Contract Type: Permanent Hours: 37 Salary: Competitive

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to join Southern Water's Wastewater Strategic Delivery Partner Non-Infrastructure team and play a key role in delivering Southern Water’s largest infrastructure and environmental investment programme to date. The team’s portfolio combines major wastewater improvements delivered through Strategic Delivery Partners (SDPs) and a single large project within Ofwat's Large Scheme Gated programme.

What you will be responsible for

• We are seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead 2 significant wastewater WINEP projects on the South Coast, each has a CAPEX value >£50m.
• Secondly, we are seeking another experienced Project Manager to manage the Whitfield wastewater treatment works project which is being delivered by Ofwat's Large Scheme Gated programme.
• Whether you bring experience from water, energy, transport, defence, utilities, construction or other major infrastructure sectors, this is an opportunity to deliver projects that will have a lasting impact on customers, communities and the environment.
• Lead the delivery of wastewater non-infrastructure (above-ground) projects, ensuring they are completed safely, on time, within budget and to the required quality standards.
• Manage project budgets ranging from tens to hundreds of millions of pounds, ensuring effective cost control, forecasting and financial reporting.
• Develop and maintain project plans, schedules and delivery strategies to achieve project objectives.
• Lead project governance and assurance activities, providing clear reporting and supporting robust decision-making processes.
• Support the development of business cases, investment approvals and project funding submissions.
• Identify, assess and manage project risks, issues and opportunities, implementing effective mitigation strategies where required.
• Balance scope, cost, quality and schedule requirements to deliver sustainable and value-driven outcomes.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including Ofwat, the Environment Agency, Local Planning Authorities, delivery partners and contractors.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams, fostering collaboration, accountability and effective communication across all project stakeholders.
• Manage the performance of delivery partners, ensuring contractual obligations, project outcomes and strategic objectives are achieved.
• Drive the successful realisation of project benefits and alignment with Southern Water's wider business objectives.
• Ensure compliance with CDM Regulations 2015 and all applicable legislation, regulatory requirements and internal governance standards.

What you’ll bring to the role

• Experience delivering complex capital projects or programmes, ideally within infrastructure, utilities, construction or other regulated industries.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and engage a wide range of technical, commercial and regulatory stakeholders.
• A proactive and solutions-focused approach, with strong problem-solving, analytical and decision-making skills.
• Experience developing or contributing to business cases and investment approvals.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and competing demands in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience managing project budgets, including forecasting, cost control, financial reporting and performance against forecast.
• Experience identifying and managing project risks, issues and dependencies.
• Resilience, adaptability and the ability to work effectively through ambiguity and change.
• Familiarity with NEC contracts or similar contract management frameworks.
• A UK Driving Licence & Vehicle.
• Desirable qualifications & experience Understanding of planning, permitting and environmental consenting processes.
• Experience working with a variety of procurement and delivery models.
• Experience delivering projects within a regulated environment.
• Experience within the wastewater sector is beneficial; however, we welcome applications from candidates with transferable skills and experience from other industries.
• Knowledge or experience of DBFOM, PFI or other privately financed infrastructure delivery models would be advantageous, particularly for our bioresources programme.
• Professional project management qualifications (e.g. APM, PRINCE2 or equivalent).
• NEC accreditation or relevant contract management qualifications.

Southern Water overview

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 mission is to protect and enhance life through water—and we need passionate people to help us achieve it.

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.

Our purpose and impact

Our purpose is big. Our impact is huge. And we know that every single one of us has the power, through our actions, to positively change society and the environment for good. It’s why careers with us have real meaning. Because, if you’re driven and ambitious, we can offer you huge opportunities for personal growth, professional development and constant innovation. Forever evolving. Forever focused on doing the right thing, we empower and encourage everyone to play to their strengths and to help us shape a fair and positive future for all. We believe in Water for Life. If you do too, Dive Right In. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, because delivering water for life is our core purpose. To achieve this, we need 24/7 support in place to resolve incidents quickly and efficiently. All our employees understand the importance of out-of-hours incident support – because when problems appear, fixing them is our top priority. That’s why our people join together and support when and however needed to make sure our customers get the service they deserve. Joining the Southern Water family means you’ll become part of our incident support team. During your interview, your manager will speak to you about any incident support rotas that apply to your position. Does this opportunity excite you but you’re not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that ‘normal’ office hours aren’t possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’ll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role.