Senior Manager Network Services

Bristol Water plc; West of England; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

23 days annual leave

Competitive pension scheme

Life assurance

Enhanced family leave

Employee share schemes

24/7 Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to Work

Free onsite parking

Canteen facilities

Volunteer day

Retail discounts

Job summary

Bristol Water plc is seeking a Senior Manager Network Services to drive strategic direction across our water network and deliver high-performance operations. You will lead managers, technical specialists, and delivery colleagues to enhance safety, quality and customer outcomes, while developing in-house labour capabilities.

You will shape network construction, lead replacement programmes, hydrant maintenance and performance initiatives, partnering with regulators and local authorities to deliver

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience within utilities or infrastructure.
• Proven track record leading large operational teams.
• Strong health, safety, and governance knowledge.
• Experience managing large budgets and contractor relationships.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to drive change and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for Network Services and set direction.
• Develop high-performing teams and culture of accountability.
• Oversee network construction, lead replacement, and hydrant maintenance.
• Grow in-house direct labour capability and resilience.
• Manage budgets, resources and contractor performance.
• Collaborate with regulators, authorities, and partners.
• Use data to drive productivity and customer outcomes.
• Represent Network Services at senior leadership forums.

Skills

Strategic leadership

People management

Stakeholder management

Health and safety governance

Budget management

Contractor management

Commercial awareness

Job description

Powered by Water, Driven by Purpose

At Bristol Water, we've been serving generations of families since 1846. Ensuring people in our communities have access to healthy water is paramount, which is why we work around the clock testing our water hundreds of times a day.

We're proud to be part of Pennon Group, a leader in the UK water sector, working towards a greener future. Our goals? As well as lowering our carbon footprint, we're working with partners to plant 300,000 trees, restore peatlands and supporting farmers and landowners to improve water quality and wildlife.

Whether you're starting out or seeking a new challenge, our scale and ambition create opportunities for you to shape your own career.

Ready to make a splash? Join our team today.

The Role

We're looking for an experienced and inspirational leader to join Bristol Water as our Senior Manager Network Services. This is a high impact leadership role responsible for the strategic direction, operational performance, and continuous improvement of network services across our water network.

Leading a team of managers, technical specialists, and operational delivery colleagues, you'll drive excellence across network construction, lead replacement programmes, fire hydrant maintenance, and network performance activities. You'll play a key role in developing our direct labour workforce, improving productivity and service delivery while ensuring the highest standards of safety, quality, and customer experience.

As a senior leader within the business, you'll help shape the future of our network operations, ensuring we meet regulatory requirements, deliver value for customers, and support Bristol Water's long-term ambitions.

What You'll Be Doing

• Providing strategic leadership for Network Services, setting direction and delivering operational excellence.
• Leading and developing high-performing teams, creating a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.
• Championing health, safety, and wellbeing, ensuring safe working practices are at the heart of everything we do.
• Overseeing the delivery of network construction, lead replacement, and operational programmes.
• Growing and developing Bristol Water's direct labour capability to increase in-house expertise and resilience.
• Managing budgets, resources, contractor performance, and commercial activities to deliver value for money.
• Building strong relationships with internal stakeholders, regulators, local authorities, and delivery partners.
• Using operational data and performance insights to drive improvements in productivity, customer outcomes, and network performance.
• Representing Network Services at senior leadership forums and contributing to wider business objectives.

What We're Looking For

• Significant leadership experience within utilities, civil engineering, construction, infrastructure, or operational service environments.
• A proven track record of leading large operational teams and delivering high-performance outcomes.
• Strong understanding of health, safety, and operational governance.
• Experience managing significant budgets, resources, and contractor relationships.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• The ability to lead change, drive operational improvements, and develop high-performing teams.
• Commercial awareness with a focus on delivering customer and business value.

What We Offer

• 23 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), increasing with length of service, with the flexibility to buy or sell additional leave.
• Competitive pension scheme with company contribution matching.
• Life assurance and group income protection for added financial security.
• Enhanced family leave, including maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave.
• Opportunity to participate in employee share schemes and share in the company's success.
• Access to a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme supporting wellbeing, financial and lifestyle needs.
• Cycle to Work and Car Share schemes to support more sustainable commuting.
• Free onsite parking and subsidised canteen facilities at our Bristol headquarters.
• A paid volunteering day to support causes that matter to you.
• Access to a wide range of retail discounts and employee offers.
• The opportunity to build your career in a business committed to investing in its people, communities and the future of water services.

Closing Date: 6th November 2026

We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Please note that the successful candidate will be subject to a mandatory DBS check as part of the onboarding process.

Be yourself, we like it that way. Together, we will build a culture of belonging, where inclusion is instinctive. Diversity is our strength and a reflection of our communities. We care, we value everyone, we celebrate uniqueness.

Our core values, which are essential to our success, are:

• Be Rock Solid - Build trust and be trusted.
• Be the one we