Senior Transformation Manager

Thames Water; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 66,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car allowance

Pension scheme

Private medical health care

26 days annual leave (+ up to 4 with/8

Performance-related pay

Cycle to work

Life assurance

Job summary

Thames Water, the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, is recruiting a Senior Transformation Manager in Reading to shape the End-to-End Operating Model for AO&CD and deliver strategic transformation initiatives. This hybrid role involves leading multi-functional teams, engaging senior stakeholders, and translating strategy into practical change.

The role requires strong experience in operating model design, capability development, and delivering measurable improvements, with a focus on

Qualifications

• Experience leading operating model and organisation design initiatives within a transformation environment.
• Experience developing new capabilities and improving ways of working.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability.
• Experience working with senior stakeholders and influencing decisions across complex organisations.

Responsibilities

• Lead workstreams that support the development and implementation of AOCD's operating model transformation.
• Evaluate current organisational, governance and operational capabilities to identify improvement opportunities.
• Design future-state operating models, governance frameworks, decision-making processes and ways of working.
• Facilitate workshops and working sessions with leaders and subject matter experts.
• Translate strategic objectives into practical and deliverable transformation plans.
• Work across multiple business functions to ensure integrated end-to-end solutions.
• Build compelling recommendations and executive-level outputs that support decision-making.
• Identify risks, dependencies and barriers to delivery and support the embedding of sustainable improvements that deliver measurable business outcomes.

Skills

Operating model design

Organisational change

Stakeholder influence

Strategy to delivery

Workshop facilitation

Communication & storytelling

Problem solving

Job description

We're looking for a Senior Transformation Manager to join our Strategic Operations & Transformation team within Asset Operations & Capital Delivery (AO&CD).

This is an opportunity to play a critical role in shaping how one of the UK's largest infrastructure organisations operates as we deliver the biggest upgrade in 150 years.

Working within our End-to-End Operating Model team, you'll help design and deliver strategic transformation initiatives that improve performance, strengthen capabilities and enable AO&CD to deliver for customers, communities and the environment. This team acts as the custodian of the AO&CD operating model, identifying opportunities to improve how we plan, govern, prioritise, deliver and improve our performance. We work with leaders across AO&CD and the wider organisation to turn strategy into practical organisational change.

The Senior Transformation Manager will be accountable for the successful delivery of key operating model transformation programmes. They will operate in a number of different environments. Sometimes leading a matrix team, sometimes supporting a matrix team and sometimes operating as an individual delivering a piece of work. The role holder will need to work with stakeholders across the business.

If you're passionate about solving complex business problems, influencing senior stakeholders and designing better ways of working, this is the role for you.

What you’ll be doing as a Senior Transformation Manager

As a Senior Transformation Manager, you will support the design and delivery of strategic operating model transformation initiatives across AO&CD.

You will:

• Lead workstreams that support the development and implementation of AO&CD's operating model transformation
• Evaluate current organisational, governance and operational capabilities to identify improvement opportunities
• Design future-state operating models, governance frameworks, decision‑making processes and ways of working
• Facilitate workshops and working sessions with leaders and subject matter experts
• Translate strategic objectives into practical and deliverable transformation plans
• Work across multiple business functions to ensure integrated end-to-end solutions
• Build compelling recommendations and executive-level outputs that support decision‑making
• Identify risks, dependencies and barriers to delivery and support the embedding of sustainable improvements that deliver measurable business outcomes

Base location:Hybrid/ Reading (with home working and occasional travel)

Working pattern or hours: Full-time– 36 hours a week

What you should bring to the role

We're seeking an ambitious transformation professional with experience in operating model and capability design, who combines strategic thinking with practical delivery. To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need is:

• Experience supporting or leading operating model and organisation design initiatives within a transformation environment
• Experience of developing new capabilities and improving ways of working
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving capability
• Experience working with senior stakeholders and influencing decisions across complex organisations
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills
• The ability to navigate ambiguity and bring structure to complex challenges
• Experience developing transformation plans or strategic recommendations
• Strong PowerPoint, data analysis and storytelling skills

Additional skills and experiences would be great to have/bring

• Experience within utilities, infrastructure, engineering, operations or capital delivery environments
• Knowledge of operating model design methodologies and organisational development approaches
• Experience of governance, performance management or capability development
• Consulting or internal transformation experience
• Relevant project, programme or change management qualifications

Please include a cover letter highlighting your proven experience in operating model design, business transformation, organisational change and strategic problem-solving, with clear examples of the impact you've delivered.

What success looks like in this role

• Shape the future AO&CD operating model
• Strengthen critical business capabilities
• Improve organisational performance and effectiveness
• Support AO&CD in achieving its strategic objectives for AMP8 and beyond
• Enable better governance and decision‑making
• Deliver sustainable improvements across the asset lifecycle.

This senior transformation role is ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguous environments and enjoys collaborating to deliver meaningful improvements.

What’s in it for you?

You’ll join a team where your ideas genuinely shape the direction of transformation, and where you can see the impact of your work directly.

• Competitive salary from £66,000 to £90,000 per annum, dependent on experience
• Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays)
• Car Allowance
• Performance‑related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON
• Private Medical Health Care
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Find out more aboutourbenefits and perks (Please note different T&Cs apply if on secondment)

Who are we?

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family.Why choose us? Learn more.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, we’re here to help and support.

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 and meet colleagues.

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.