Senior Project Manager

South East Water Limited; Snodland; On-site; GBP 81,000 - 99,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

Holiday entitlement

Flexible leave

Volunteer days

Cycle to work

Health plan

Life assurance

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

South East Water Limited is seeking a Senior Project Manager to lead a flagship water infrastructure workstream worth around £500m. You will govern NEC contracts, manage complex stakeholder relationships, and drive on-time, on-budget delivery from concept through completion.

You will coordinate multi-disciplinary teams, align regulators and contractors, and ensure rigorous risk and quality management with a strong HSE focus in line with CDM 2015.

Qualifications

• Degree in Civil/Mechanical Engineering, Construction/Project Management or equivalent.
• NEC3/NEC4 Project Manager Accreditation (ECC) or extensive NEC3/NEC4 ECC project management experience.
• PM qualification (APM PMQ/PPQ, PMP, PRINCE2) and/or Chartered Status (ICE, IMechE).
• Proven track record delivering large infrastructure projects on time and within budget.
• Strong understanding of HSE regulations with CDM 2015 experience.
• Strong planning, organizing and scheduling skills using MS Project to meet deadlines.
• Budget management, cost control, and financial forecasting for large CAPEX/OPEX projects.
• Experience in infrastructure or Major projects, preferably water utilities.

Responsibilities

• Direct the entire project lifecycle (initiation to closure) of a major clean water program.
• Liaise with regulatory bodies, contractors, customers, and local authorities; secure governance approvals.
• Lead administration of NEC contracts, including compensation events, early warnings, and final accounts.
• Identify and mitigate risks; ensure deliverables meet technical and quality specs; uphold HSE culture.

Skills

NEC Contracts

Stakeholder mgmt

Budget management

Risk management

MS Project

Leadership

HSE/CDM2015

Planning & scheduling

Contract governance

Water sector experience

Education

Engineering degree

APM PMQ/PPQ or PMP or PRINCE2 Practitioner

Chartered status (ICE/IMechE)

Tools

MS Project

Contract management tools

Job description

Summary

Are you an experienced Senior Project Manager ready to head a major flagship water infrastructure project? Do you have the expertise to manage a £500m+ portfolio across complex PPP/PFI frameworks and NEC contracts? We are seeking a Senior Project Manager to take ownership of a major workstream within a landmark clean water infrastructure scheme, encompassing a new reservoir, water treatment works, pipelines, and pumping stations. Reporting directly to the Head of Major Projects, you will be fully accountable for driving safe, on-time, and on-budget delivery across a portfolio valued at approximately £500m. This role demands strong commercial and contractual acumen—specifically in administering NEC contracts and navigating PPP/PFI finance structures—alongside technical assurance skills to oversee planning, resourcing, and quality from concept to completion. In addition to day-to-day contract governance and technical oversight, you will act as the principal lead for complex risk management and high-level stakeholder engagement. You will align multi-disciplinary engineering teams, contractor partners, and regulatory bodies to ensure rigorous quality standards, clear resource forecasting, and smooth operational integration at every stage of the project lifecycle.

Main Responsibilities

• Project Leadership & Delivery: Strategic Project Leadership & Execution: Direct the entire project lifecycle (initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure) of a multi-faceted clean water infrastructure program. This encompasses defining the comprehensive project scope, developing and maintaining robust integrated schedules, rigorously tracking and reporting on progress, financial performance, risks, and critical issues to the executive management team.
• Stakeholder Management & Governance: Strategic Stakeholder Management & Corporate Governance: Effectively liaise with a wide range of critical internal and external stakeholders (e.g., regulatory bodies, key contractors, customers, and local authorities). Lead multi-disciplinary delivery teams, provide unwavering assurance for the gated regulatory submission process, and secure corporate approval for all project business cases.
• Expert NEC Contract Management: Expert NEC Contract Management & Governance: Lead the administration and strategic governance of contracts (primarily from the NEC4 suite of contracts). This involves proactively managing all contractual obligations, including the submission and resolution of Compensation Events, Early Warnings, programme submissions, and final account negotiation to ensure rigorous compliance.
• Risk, Quality, and Safety: Risk, Quality, and Safety Stewardship: Proactively identify, assess, and strategically mitigate project risks (including ownership of the Early Warning process). Ensure all deliverables meet stringent technical and quality specifications, and champion a non-negotiable Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) culture in full compliance with regulations such as CDM 2015.

You will need

• A degree in a relevant field (e.g., Civil/Mechanical Engineering, Construction/Project Management) or equivalent demonstrable practical experience.
• NEC3 or NEC4 Project Manager Accreditation (ECC) OR extensive, hands‑on experience successfully managing multiple projects as a Project Manager under NEC3/NEC4 ECC conditions.
• Professional Project Management qualification (e.g., APM PMQ/PPQ, PMP, PRINCE2 Practitioner) and/or Chartered Status (e.g., ICE, IMechE).
• A demonstrable history of successfully delivering large infrastructure projects on time and within budget.
• A strong understanding and commitment to Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) regulations, with an in‑depth practical understanding of CDM 2015.
• Strong skills in planning, organising, and executing tasks efficiently using tools like MS Project to meet strict deadlines.
• Proficiency in budget management, cost control, and financial forecasting for a £500m CAPEX/OPEX project.
• Proficient in identifying, assessing, and mitigating project risks and proactively seeking project opportunities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills, coupled with the ability to lead, motivate, and coordinate multi‑disciplinary teams.
• Strong analytical, decision‑making, and sound engineering judgment to implement effective solutions under pressure.
• Extensive experience managing infrastructure or Major projects, preferably within the water industry, utilities, civil engineering, or construction sectors.
• Prior working experience as a Project Engineer or in a water distribution/similar industrial environment is highly desirable.
• Employees are required to be flexible and to be prepared to perform duties and other tasks within their capabilities.
• The nature of our business is such that the contents of any job profile are subject to change from time to time.

Benefits package

• Excellent Stakeholder pension scheme, up to 10% employer contribution.
• 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays per annum, increasing to 6 weeks with length of service.
• Flexible annual leave policy to buy or sell holiday leave.
• Paid volunteering days.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Health cash plan.
• Life assurance.
• Wellbeing related benefits.

Compensation package

Up to £90,000 p.a. dependent on experience. Plus car allowance.

Eligibility and background checks

The candidate must have the legal right to work in the UK when they begin employment with South East Water. Additionally, as part of the employment offer, the candidate will need to pass background, identity, and employment referencing checks.

Company culture

Grow a career with a meaningful purpose.

We know the communities we serve are diverse.

We recognise creativity comes from diversity not similarity.

That’s why we are enthusiastic about creating inclusion across age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion and identity.

You will experience our dedication to equal opportunities and fair treatment for all: through your recruitment, employment and career progression with South East Water.

We supply top-quality drinking water to 2.3 million customers in the southeast of England.

Through a network of 9,000 miles of pipe, we deliver 544 million litres of water every day.

It's the skill and expertise of our employees that ensures our water meets the highest standards.

We make sure we can meet the needs of our customers both now and in the future.

• Come to work to be safe, valued, and trusted.
• We’ll encourage you to create and pursue new opportunities for personal growth.
• A place to be the real you, build deeper connections and enjoy a sense of belonging.
• Be invested in helping us to create a sustainable water supply for now, and in the future.

Be you, belong and valued.