Project Manager (Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme)

United Utilities; Warrington; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days holiday + bank holidays (rising to 30)

Up to 14% employer pension contribution

10.5% performance-related bonus

Company-funded private healthcare

Job summary

A major UK water utility company based in Warrington is seeking a Project Manager for the Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme. This role involves leading multi-disciplinary teams, developing project plans, and managing risks while ensuring stakeholder engagement and project governance. The ideal candidate will have a degree-level education, experience in complex projects, and strong communication skills. Benefits include a competitive holiday allowance and pension contributions, with a hybrid working model.

Qualifications

• Strong track record of delivering complex capital or engineering projects.
• Ability to manage risk and change effectively.
• Collaborative mindset and strong financial management capability.

Responsibilities

• Lead multi-disciplinary teams and supply chain partners.
• Develop project management and resource plans.
• Provide clear reporting to programme leadership.
• Build relationships with engineers, environmental specialists, regulators, local authorities, NGOs and community stakeholders.
• Provide reporting and insight to programme leadership to steer one of the UK’s major infrastructure programmes.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Project management

Financial management

Communication skills

Education

Degree-level education or equivalent

APM qualification or working towards

NEC3/4 experience or qualification

Tools

APM certification

NEC3/4 certification

Job description

Project Manager (Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme)

Join United Utilities at a pivotal moment in UK water engineering. We’re delivering the Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme (HARP), a once-in-a-generation scheme to upgrade the 110km aqueduct that supplies clean, reliable drinking water to 2.5 million people across Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria. First built in the 1950s and powered entirely by gravity, the aqueduct carries 570 million litres of water every day – the equivalent of nearly 250 Olympic swimming pools.

Warrington (Lingley Mere)

Hybrid (3 days per week in office)

With construction starting in 2026 and delivered through the UK water sector’s first Direct Procurement for Customers (DPC) model, HARP will see the replacement of six major tunnel sections using cutting‑edge tunnelling techniques. It is one of the largest and most complex capital delivery infrastructure programmes in Britain, set to create hundreds of jobs, build regional skills and strengthen water resilience for decades to come.

The Role

• Take ownership of key programme elements and deliver them safely, efficiently and to TCQi standards.
• Lead multi-disciplinary internal teams and supply chain partners within the DPC delivery model.
• Develop robust project management and resource plans, manage risk and change, secure statutory approvals and uphold project governance.
• Build strong relationships with engineers, environmental specialists, corporate affairs, regulators, local authorities, NGOs and community stakeholders.
• Manage assurance activities and monitoring procedures, liaising with the DPC partners.
• Provide clear reporting and insight to programme leadership, helping steer one of the UK’s most high‑profile infrastructure programmes.

About You

• Degree-level education or equivalent experience, plus APM and NEC3/4 (or working towards).
• A strong track record of delivering complex capital or engineering projects to challenging timelines.
• Excellent stakeholder, communication and influencing skills across technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong financial management capability and the ability to balance competing priorities.
• A collaborative mindset and the ability to think across functions and organisations.

Why Join United Utilities?

• 26 days’ holiday + bank holidays (rising to 30)
• Up to 14% employer pension contribution
• 10.5% performance-related bonus + recognition awards
• Company-funded private healthcare
• A rare opportunity to shape a major infrastructure legacy that will protect water supplies, support economic growth and set new standards for innovation in the water industry.

We may be unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

More details on HARP here: Landmark £3bn deal to overhaul 70-year-old aqueduct that supplies water to over 2.5 million custome…

Seniority level: Associate

Employment type: Full-time

Job function: Project Management. Industries: Utilities.

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