Project Manager – Innovation and Change

Affinity Water; Hatfield; Hybrid; GBP 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water utility company is seeking a Project Manager based in Hatfield who will lead business change initiatives while fostering innovation in the water sector. The ideal candidate should possess strong project management skills with a background in managing transformation projects. Responsibilities include partnering with teams to prioritize changes, engaging with external partners, and driving initiatives that improve operations. This role offers a competitive salary and includes a hybrid work model.

Benefits

Salary: £65,000 dependent on skills and experience

Hybrid work model, based in Hatfield 3 days a week

Car allowance

Annual leave rising with length of service

Access to Wellbeing Centre

Life Assurance

Qualifications

• Strong project management experience delivering change or transformation projects.
• Comfortable working across both structured delivery and less defined innovation work.
• Experience of working with multiple stakeholders at different levels.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Asset Strategy and Capital Delivery teams to identify and prioritise change.
• Lead and deliver business change and transformation projects end-to-end.
• Build and maintain relationships with partners, suppliers, regulators and industry bodies.

Skills

Strong project management experience

Collaboration

Problem-solving

Project delivery skills

Stakeholder management

Agile and Waterfall adaptability

Education

Project management qualifications (APM, PRINCE2, Agile, Lean, Six Sigma)

Job description

At Affinity Water, we’re proud to supply safe, reliable water to millions of customers - but we know standing still isn’t an option. The challenges facing the water sector demand new thinking, collaboration, and meaningful change and that’s where you come in!

This is a high-energy, people-centred role where you’ll spend roughly 50% of your time driving business change and 50% leading innovation and external engagement across the water sector.

You’ll work closely with our Asset Strategy and Capital Delivery teams, helping them identify, prioritise, and deliver change that genuinely improves how we operate. At the same time, you’ll act as one of Affinity Water’s innovation ambassadors, building relationships, spotting opportunities, and making sure we’re in the right conversations at the right time.

This is a role for someone who loves collaborating with others, tackling challenges head-on, and bringing positive energy to every situation. If you’re driven, curious, and ready to make an impact, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

What you’ll be doing

Driving business change

• Partner with Asset Strategy and Capital Delivery teams to identify and prioritise change

• Lead and deliver business change and transformation projects, end-to-end

• Create clear change roadmaps and keep momentum moving

• Facilitate workshops, interviews and problem‑solving sessions with stakeholders (including senior leaders)

• Track benefits, manage risks, and ensure changes are embedded and deliver real value

• Bring structure, pace and clarity to complex change initiatives

Leading innovation & external engagement

• Act as a representative of Affinity Water across the wider water sector and innovation community

• Build and maintain relationships with partners, suppliers, regulators and industry bodies

• Identify innovation opportunities and help position Affinity Water at the forefront of new ideas

• Lead and support Ofwat Innovation Fund bids, from shaping ideas through to submission

• Attend and contribute to industry forums, events and networks

• Make sure we’re talking to the right people, at the right time, about the right things

Who we’re looking for

This role is as much about how you think and work as what you’ve done, we’re looking for someone who:

• Is naturally collaborative and enjoys working with others

• Brings energy, enthusiasm and positivity to everything you do

• Is confident building relationships and influencing across different teams and organisations

• Enjoys problem‑solving and turning ideas into action

• Is outgoing, curious, and comfortable representing the organisation externally

• Can juggle multiple priorities while keeping delivery on track

Skills & experience

• Strong project management experience — delivering business change or transformation projects

• Experience working in complex organisations (sector experience doesn’t have to be water)

• Comfortable working across both structured delivery and less defined innovation work

• Ability to flex between Agile and Waterfall approaches

• Experience of working with multiple stakeholders at different levels

• Project management qualifications (e.g. APM, PRINCE2, Agile, Lean, Six Sigma) are welcome, but experience is essential

You don’t need water industry experience — if you bring strong project delivery skills, organisational change experience, and the right energy, we want to hear from you!

Closing date: 12th January 2026

Benefits:

• Salary: £65,000 (dependant on skills and experience)

• Hours of work: 8.30am-5.00pm (Mon - Thurs) and 8.30am - 4.30pm (Friday)

• Hybrid - Based in Hatfield 3 days a week

• Car allowance

• Learning and development opportunities, including mentoring and a range of formal courses and open learning resources.

• Entry into the company annual bonus scheme.

• Annual leave from 26-30 rising with length of service, and the option to purchase up to 5 extra days.

• A ‘Celebration Day’ in addition to public holidays that people can use to celebrate a religious festival or other occasion that is important to them.

• A generous 'double match pension scheme' that doubles the contributions you make (company contribution capped at 12%)

• We offer a range of family benefits including enhanced Maternity, Adoption, Paternity, Shared Parental Leave, Fertility Support Leave and up to 5 full or 10 half days of paid Carers Leave.

• Menopause policy and Reasonable Adjustment policy to help everyone perform at their best.

• Access to our Wellbeing Centre with support for looking after your physical and mental health.

• Discounts at a Range of Retail Outlets and on Dental and Medical Insurance through our Tap4Perks scheme.

• Up to 4 Affinity days a year to volunteer in the community.

• Life Assurance.

Disability Confident

As a Disability Confident employer, we’re committed to offering interviews to disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria and opt in on the application form. Ask the Talent Acquisition lead for the full job description to see all the criteria. If we have a very high volume of applicants and we’re not able to offer interviews to all, we’ll take a fair and proportionate number of disabled candidates through.

Affinity Water recognises the benefits of greater diversity in our workforce to better reflect the communities we serve. We are committed to building a more inclusive culture where every member of our workforce can thrive.

You can find out what it’s like to work at Affinity Water through our career site https://www.affinitywatercareers.co.uk/ where our colleagues share their career development stories and you can get a feel for our company culture.