strategic-thinking System Planning Lead

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Reading; On-site; GBP 62,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water utility company in the United Kingdom is seeking a strategic-thinking System Planning Lead to lead the development of asset plans and oversee capital maintenance. This role involves managing a team to prioritize investments and drive long-term planning for water systems. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership experience, a solid understanding of asset management, and excellent communication skills. This position offers a competitive salary, benefits, and opportunities for career growth.

Benefits

Competitive salary from £62,215 to £75,000

26 days holiday increasing to 30

Car allowance

Annual bonus

Generous pension scheme

Private medical health care

Health and wellbeing benefits

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and management experience, able to inspire teams.
• Solid understanding of asset management and engineering practices.
• Good grasp of regulatory frameworks impacting water and wastewater management.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team to develop strategic and in-AMP Asset Plans.
• Oversee Capital Maintenance planning and risk mitigation.
• Drive long-term planning that supports price reviews.
• Influence strategic investment for asset planning.

Skills

Leadership and management experience

Asset management knowledge

Exceptional communication skills

Problem-solving abilities

Understanding of regulatory frameworks

Education

Degree qualification or equivalent experience

Job description

Responsibilities

• In this influential role, you'll lead a team to develop dynamic, system‑wide in‑AMP Asset Plans and Capital Maintenance plans, championing the work required to enable targeted investment prioritisation with Operations and wider stakeholders, ensuring decisions are driven by risk and outcome‑based thinking.
• Leading the development and delivery of strategic and in‑AMP Asset Plans at catchment, site and system levels.
• Overseeing the planning and justification of Capital Maintenance interventions and risk mitigation options to prioritise spend effectively.
• Ensuring your team maintains a deep understanding of asset risk positions and supports mitigation strategies across the lifecycle, from identifying needs to supporting delivery and handover.
• Driving long‑term planning that underpins future price reviews by surfacing critical asset risks.
• Influencing strategic investment and cultural transformation towards a proactive, lifecycle‑focused approach to asset planning.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and management experience, with the ability to inspire teams and drive meaningful cultural change.
• Solid understanding of asset management, engineering or related best practices.
• Exceptional communication skills, able to convey complex information and influence senior stakeholders.
• Proven ability to identify opportunities for improvement and proactively drive solutions.
• Good grasp of regulatory frameworks and external factors impacting water and wastewater management.
• Ideally, degree‑qualified or significant equivalent experience, with professional membership being an advantage.
• Driving licence and access to a car.

At Thames Water, every decision we make helps to shape the future of water for over 16 million people. Supplying billions of litres daily, we are committed to delivering vital services while protecting our environment and communities. Right now, we’re looking for a strategic‑thinking System Planning Lead to help us build resilient water systems for generations to come.

Joining Thames Water means becoming part of a supportive, innovative team where your strategic vision makes a tangible difference. You'll play a vital role in creating sustainable water management strategies, and gain significant career growth and professional recognition.

Benefits

• Competitive salary from £62,215 to £75,000 per annum, depending on experience.
• 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with length of service (plus bank holidays).
• Car allowance.
• Annual bonus.
• Generous pension scheme through AON.
• Private medical health care.
• Performance‑related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
• Health and wellbeing benefits: annual health MOTs, physiotherapy, counselling, Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers, and life assurance.

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.

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.