Project Manager - Transformation Office

idibu; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading water utility provider is seeking a Project Manager to lead transformation projects in operational change. The successful candidate will manage stakeholder relationships, maintain project governance, and ensure timely delivery of initiatives. Experience in regulated industries is desirable. This role offers a hybrid working pattern with a competitive day rate.

Qualifications

• Experience in applying structured and adaptive project delivery approaches.
• Strong communication skills, including verbal and written interactions with senior stakeholders.
• Proven track record in delivering change projects on time and within budget.

Responsibilities

• Lead internal teams and third-party partners to deliver project initiatives.
• Maintain governance through risk tracking and reporting.
• Ensure smooth transition of project deliverables into operational service.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Communication

Project delivery

Data interpretation

Tools

MS Project

Jira

Teams

SharePoint

Job description

Are you a confident and collaborative Project Manager with a passion for governance, stakeholder engagement, and delivering business change? Thames Water is looking for a contractor to lead strategic transformation projects—not in IT service delivery, but in operational and organisational change that drives real impact.

What you’ll be doing as a Project Manager - Transformation Office

As aProject Manager, you’ll be responsible for delivering high-impact change initiatives across the business. You’ll lead internal teams and third-party partners, manage stakeholders up to Director level, and ensure projects are delivered to time, cost, and to quality—while maintaining strong governance and communication throughout.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading and coordinating project teams using structured and adaptive delivery approaches.
• Managing stakeholders effectively, influencing at all levels.
• Maintaining robust governance, including risk and issue logs, RAID tracking, and reporting.
• Communicating clearly and confidently with senior stakeholders, tailoring updates to audience needs.
• Ensuring a smooth transition of project deliverables into operational service.
• Tracking project costs and forecasts, working closely with finance and supplier teams.

Contract details

• Location: Hybrid/Reading.
• Working pattern: Full time - 36 hours per week.
• Contract length: 12 weeks.
• Day rate: £450–£500 per day. (dependent on experience)

What you should bring to the role

• Skilled in applying structured and adaptive project & change delivery approaches.
• Comfortable using collaboration tools like Teams and SharePoint.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills (verbal and written), including interactions with senior audiences (up to Director and Head of Department level).
• Proven experience delivering change projects on time, on budget, and to quality.
• Ability to interpret data, KPIs, and financials to support decision-making.

Desirable:

• Experience in regulated industries or utilities.
• Familiarity with ERP, CRM, or asset management systems.
• Proficiency in MS Project, Jira, or equivalent tools.

Who are we?

At Thames Water, our purpose is crystal clear - to deliver life’s essential service so our customers, communities and planet can thrive.

Water is life’s great leveller. Every living thing needs it, every single day. From people to plants, birds to bees, farms to factories, we all need it to thrive, and we’re committed to taking care of it for us all.

But keeping water flowing is becoming harder. From scorching summers to wetter winters, extreme weather affects everything from our pipes to our local rivers. We need to keep millions more kettles boiling, public services operating, washing machines spinning, showers running and more, so every drop is more precious than ever. Are you ready to play your part?

Working at Thames Water

At Thames Water, we recognise that people are at the heart of our business. To help us succeed in providing life's essential services, we need a range of skills and capabilities, representative of society throughout our business.

We seek to attract and retain a cultural mix of people who can offer different but complementary attitudes, values, talents, and knowledge. We understand the importance of appreciating and harnessing the unique skills, experiences, background, and differences that each individual brings.

Our overarching diversity and inclusion aim is to ensure Thames Water is a diverse and inclusive great place to work. We encourage applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process.

Find out more about working at Thames Water.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business, meet colleagues and earn some extra money along the way.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.