Strategic Communications Manager

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water utility company in the UK is seeking a Strategic Communications Manager. This role will involve crafting and delivering strategic communications plans focused on sustainability and water resource management. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in communications, exceptional stakeholder management skills, and a collaborative mindset. This position offers a competitive salary and numerous benefits, providing an opportunity to make a significant impact in water conservation efforts and community engagement.

Benefits

Annual Leave - 26 days holiday plus bank holidays

Generous Pension Scheme

Personal Medical Assessments

Access to health and well-being benefits

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in communications or marketing with a sustainability focus.
• A good collaborator, adept at working across teams.
• Ability to work at pace and manage competing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Deliver an integrated communications plan for water resources.
• Define and evolve the narrative around water conservation.
• Engage audiences through insight-led campaigns and collaborate with teams.

Skills

Strong written and verbal communication skills

Experience managing senior stakeholders

Digital communications experience

Collaboration skills

Job description

Job title Strategic Communications Manager Ref 44013 Division Strategy & External Affairs Location Hybrid - Clearwater Court - RG1 8DB Contract type Permanent Full/Part-time Full-time Salary £50,000 - £65,000 per annum depending on experience Job grade B Closing date 10/02/2026

We’re looking for a Strategic Communications Manager to bring our water resources story to life. This is a new opportunity where you’ll lead the delivery of our strategic communications plan, helping people understand where our water comes from, how we’re responding to more extreme weather, and what we can all do to use water more efficiently.

Working closely with our Strategic Resource Options team and across media, marketing, employee communications, public affairs and local engagement, you’ll deliver clear, coordinated campaigns. You’ll also support incident teams with drought and wet weather communications and explore new ways to engage stakeholders as climate pressures on water availability increase. We’re looking for a confident, collaborative communicator with a passion for sustainability and bold ideas.

What you will be doing as Strategic Communications Manager

• Deliver an integrated communications plan for water resources.
• Define and evolve the narrative around water resources, crafting clear, impactful messaging on the importance of water and the action we’re taking to preserve it
• Engage audiences (including customers, regulators, MPs, and employees) through insight-led, multi-channel campaigns
• Collaborate with media, internal communications, public affairs, marketing, social media and engagement teams to deliver campaigns
• Manage communications and engagement plans during water restrictions (e.g., hosepipe bans), including complying with regulatory requirements
• Deliver a water resources digital content strategy for Thames Water
• Develop a social media plan, working with the marketing and social team, to seek new ways of engaging to amplify key messages
• Engage with regulators, environmental NGOs, employees, retailers and other key stakeholders on water resource initiatives.
• Strengthen relationships and collaboration with stakeholders

Location - Hybrid, Reading

What you should bring to the role

• Extensive experience in communications or marketing, ideally with a sustainability focus combined with an interest in the importance of water
• Experience managing senior stakeholders, internally and externally
• A good collaborator, with experience of working across teams to deliver joint goals
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• An ability to work at pace and juggling competing priorities
• A strategic mindset
• Digital communications experience preferable
• Experience of working with NGOs and government would also be beneficial

What’s in it for you?

An opportunity to join a company that offers its employees a rewarding career path, allowing individuals to reach their full potential. This is an exciting time to join Thames Water as we continue to deliver our innovative transformation plan.

• Competitive salary of £50,000 - £65,000 per annum, depending on your experience.
• Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (Plus bank holidays)
• Performance-related pay is directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year.
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of your and your family’s health and well-being, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

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.

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’rehere 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.