Strategic Systems Planner

Anglian Water Services; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading utility company seeks a Strategic System Planner to address the pressing challenges of water resources and sustainability in the East of England. This role involves critical analysis and planning, with responsibilities including evaluating supply-demand balances and preparing regulatory reports. The ideal candidate will have a degree in Geography or Environmental Sciences, project management experience, and effective stakeholder management skills. With a flexible hybrid working model, this position offers a competitive salary and perks including private healthcare and life assurance.

Benefits

Full private healthcare

26 days leave plus Bank Holidays

Competitive pension scheme

Life Assurance at eight times your salary

Personal Accident cover

Bonus Scheme

Great discounts

Qualifications

• Degree in Geography, Environmental Sciences, or a related field of strategic water and wastewater planning.
• Relevant post-graduate qualification preferred.
• Experience in managing stakeholders and consultants.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate performance of water and recycling systems for investment appraisal.
• Conduct technical analysis for water resources planning.
• Prepare regulatory submissions and annual performance reports.

Skills

Project management

Technical analysis

GIS

Report writing

Stakeholder management

Education

Degree in Geography or Environmental Sciences

Relevant post-graduate qualification

Membership of a professional body

Job description

Salary Circa £43k - £50k, salary depending on skills and experience

Permanent

Full-time, with flexibility for part-time

Location: Huntingdon, Peterborough, Lincoln, Colchester - Hybrid Working

Anglian Water offers a flexible approach, this role provides you with hybrid working. Your base location can be in any of our regional offices, depending on your location.

Join Our Team as a Strategic System Planner – Shape the Long-Term Future of water resources and Water Recycling Planning

The East of England is facing significant challenges in both water supply and water recycling, driven by population growth and the escalating impacts of climate change. By 2050, there is an expected 38% reduction in available water, necessitating innovative solutions such as desalination and advanced water recycling. Are you ready to make a lasting impact on how we shape and future‑prove our water resources and recycling services? If so, we’re on the lookout for a driven Strategic System planner with a passion for planning for the long‑term. In this role, you’ll play a pivotal role in tackling some of the biggest challenges facing our region, helping to develop plans that will deliver value for customers, protect the environment, and drive long‑term change in the East of England.

In this technical role as a Strategic System Planner, you’ll be reporting to the Supply Demand Strategy Manager, providing essential input into developing the Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP) and Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan (DWMP).

You’ll play a key part in investment appraisal, system modelling, data management, analysis, report writing, and regulatory submissions, all while collaborating closely with both internal teams and external stakeholders like regulators and other water companies.

This is your chance to make a real impact on the future of water resources and water recycling, driving forward solutions to one of the UK’s most pressing challenges. Join us and be part of a team that is shaping the future of water resources and Water Recycling Planning.

What will you be doing?

Here’s a summary of the key accountabilities:

System Appraisal: Evaluate the performance of water and recycling systems, focusing on supply‑demands balances, and performance indicators. This includes operating and enhancing models for investment appraisal (EBSD, C55) and system models (MISER, PyWR), to support investment decisions and refine existing needs.

Informing Decision Making: Provide technical analysis for the WRMP and DWMP, including input into regional water resources planning. This involves compiling and analysing GIS data at both the company asset level and the water environment catchment level to inform key decisions.

Annual Reporting: Contribute to the preparation of regulatory submissions for the Annual Performance Report (APR) and the annual reviews of the DWMP and WRMP.

As a valued employee, you’ll be entitled to:

• Full private healthcare with no excess
• 26 days leave, rising with service + Bank Holidays, with the option to swap Christmas and Easter holidays for those celebrated by your religion
• A flexible and friendly working culture
• Competitive pension scheme – we double‑match your contributions up to 6%
• Life Assurance at eight times your salary
• Personal Accident cover – up to 5x your salary
• Bonus Scheme
• Lots of great discounts

Qualifications & Experience:

• Degree in Geography, Environmental Sciences, or a related field relevant to strategic water and wastewater planning.
• Relevant post‑graduate qualification.
• Membership of a professional body.
• Experience in water resources and asset management, including:
  • Project management
  • Technical analysis
  • Report writing for internal and external audiences, including regulatory submissions
  • Strategic investment planning, including assessing investment needs, developing and evaluating options, and conducting cost‑benefit and multi‑criteria analyses
• Experience managing stakeholders and consultants on technical issues.

The ideal candidate will be an effective project and financial manager—preferably with experience using GIS —with strong technical and analytical abilities. They should be highly motivated, quality‑focused, and able to communicate and present ideas clearly. Initiative, resilience, and the ability to manage a demanding workload are essential to thrive in this role.

Why apply?

This is a fantastic opportunity to play a central role in shaping the future of water and wastewater planning in the East of England. As a Strategic Systems Planner, you'll directly contribute to addressing one of the region’s most pressing environmental challenges by using innovative modelling and analytical tools to influence major investment and policy decisions. You'll work in a collaborative, forward‑thinking team, liaising with technical experts, regulators, and stakeholders—making a real impact while developing your strategic, technical, and leadership skills.

Closing date: 11 January 2026