Project Manager - Strategic Partnerships

Southern Water; Worthing; Hybrid; GBP 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water utility company is seeking a Project Manager for Strategic Partnerships to join their Clean Rivers & Seas Task Force. You will ensure timely project delivery while collaborating with stakeholders. The ideal candidate will have strong planning, data handling, and communication skills, with experience in Agile methodologies being a bonus. This role offers a salary up to £50,000 and a variety of benefits including generous leave and pension contributions.

Benefits

Generous pension up to 11%

25 days annual leave

Life assurance equal to 4x salary

Salary sacrifice electric car scheme

Health Cash Plan

Fully funded eye tests

Two paid volunteering days a year

Occupational health service

Discounts with over 800 retailers

Digital GP service

Study support for job-related qualifications

Competitive maternity leave

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• High level of planning and scheduling skills.
• Good data handling, analytical and Excel skills.
• Effective communications skills at all levels.
• Ability to remain positive and find pragmatic solutions.
• Experience in Agile and/or Waterfall advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget.
• Promote good practice in project planning and control.
• Drive continual improvements related to ways of working.
• Utilize influencing skills to promote change and ensure adherence to standards.

Skills

Planning and scheduling

Data handling

Effective communication

Influencing and persuasion

Problem-solving

Agile methodologies

Tools

Excel

Job description

Overview

Closing Date: 2025-10-10

Job Title: Project Manager (Strategic Partnerships)

Location: Durrington, West Sussex (hybrid, 1-2 days per week)

Contract Type: Full-time

Hours: 37 hours, Monday - Friday

Salary: circa £50k, depending on skills and experience

Storm overflows are provocative to our customers and stakeholders. We are leading the Clean Rivers & Seas Task Force to create pioneering and industry-leading solutions to reduce spills and reliance on overflows while enhancing the environment for our communities. The programme has been successful and we are expanding the team to deliver a larger programme of sustainable and innovative interventions to reduce the use of storm overflows.

A brand-new position has been created to join our Clean Rivers & Seas Task Force as a Project Manager – Strategic Partnerships.

Job Overview

As project manager you will be responsible for ensuring that your projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to appropriate quality standards. Your projects will mainly relate to grants and partnerships. You will promote good practice in terms of project planning and control, in collaboration with the team as well as internal and external stakeholders.

• Drives continual improvements related to ways of working.
• Attention to detail as projects may be related to regulatory requirements and targets.
• Utilising influencing skills to promote change and ensure project deadlines are met, and governance standards are adhered to.

About You

The work we are doing is industry leading, so we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences who feel they can work as part of an agile, dynamic and innovative team.

• High level of planning and scheduling skills, ensuring the complex activities of interrelated project teams are controlled, coordinated and linked into the overall programme.
• Good data handling, analytical and Excel skills.
• Effective communications skills at all levels, ability to work effectively as part of a team. Strong influencing and persuasion skills required, e.g. to promote change and ensure governance.
• Ability to remain positive, with a ‘can do’ attitude and the ability to find pragmatic solutions to challenges.
• Experience in Agile and/or Waterfall advantageous.
• Regulated industry exposure is a bonus.

This is a unique opportunity to join a high performing and highly engaged team delivering a large, innovative programme in partnership using sustainable and nature-based approaches to reduce the use of storm overflows and improve the environment.

Package & Benefits

This role is full time, Monday to Friday with a hybrid approach between our Durrington office and home. Salary up to £50,000 per annum, dependent on skills and experience, plus the following benefits:

• Generous pension up to 11% company contribution
• 25 days annual leave
• Life assurance equal to 4x salary
• Salary sacrifice electric car scheme (after 6 months service)
• Health Cash Plan
• Full funded eye tests
• Two paid volunteering days a year
• Occupational health service
• Discounts with over 800 popular retailers
• Digital GP service
• Study support may be available for job-related qualifications
• Competitive maternity leave and flexible return to work options
• Cycle to work scheme

Join our Clean Rivers & Seas Task Force and see how far your career could progress with a company committed to career progression, training and development opportunities, our customers and the environment.

Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. All our employees understand the importance of out-of-hours incident support, and 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.

Privacy & Eligibility

Please note: If you are an existing Southern Water employee, you will need to confirm within your application that your Manager is aware of your application.

All applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK. You will need to provide evidence of eligibility (e.g., a passport or long birth certificate and proof of NI) and current proof of address (dated within the last 3 months) as part of the recruitment process. If you do not meet these criteria, your application will not be considered.