Wastewater Treatment Strategic Compliance Manager

Southern Water; Worthing; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK water utility company is seeking a Wastewater Treatment Strategic Compliance Manager to enhance environmental standards and ensure compliance across operations. This strategic role will involve developing plans, monitoring KPIs, and collaborating with teams to foster a culture of operational excellence. The ideal candidate will have proven experience in the water industry and strong analytical and communication skills.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in wastewater or industrial process management, ideally within the water industry.
• Experience in root cause analysis and corrective action implementation.
• Ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence strategic change.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead strategic plans to improve environmental performance.
• Monitor and report on KPIs including permit breaches.
• Own overall process for investigations into compliance failures.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Process management

Education

Degree in Environmental Science, Chemistry, Engineering, or related field

Tools

GIS

SCADA

Digital compliance tools

Job description

Are you passionate about environmental protection and strategic leadership? We're looking for a Wastewater Treatment Strategic Compliance Manager to lead our environmental performance across wastewater treatment operations. This pivotal role will drive compliance with regulatory requirements, enhance environmental standards, and foster a culture of operational excellence. You'll work collaboratively across the organisation, influencing key areas such as people, training, asset standards, and systems thinking. This is a strategic leadership role with the opportunity to shape the future of wastewater treatment—and is also a development role within the succession plan for the Head of Wastewater Treatment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead strategic plans to improve environmental performance and performance against final effluent quality standards.
• Monitor and report on KPIs including permit breaches, leading indicator statuses and proactive leading measures.
• Own overall process for investigations into compliance failures and environmental incidents, ensuring that the processes are followed to the required standards and that the outputs provide strategic learning points.
• Manage internal audits and governance frameworks to identify risks and improvement opportunities.
• Collaborate with operational teams and capital delivery to embed environmental requirements.
• Produce data-driven compliance reports for senior management and regulators.
• Champion a culture of environmental responsibility and continuous improvement.
• Drive implementation of digital monitoring systems and analytics.
• Build strong relationships with regulators and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in wastewater or industrial process management, ideally within the water industry.
• Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience in root cause analysis and corrective action implementation.
• Project and process management expertise.
• Ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence strategic change.

Knowledge & Desirable Qualifications

• In-depth understanding of UK environmental legislation particularly the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) and other regulations relevant to wastewater treatment and discharge.
• Understanding of environmental compliance frameworks and regulatory permit requirements.
• Familiarity with environmental performance metrics and KPIs such as permit breaches, pollution incidents, and sludge quality.
• Knowledge of regulatory bodies' roles and processes, especially the Environment Agency and local authorities.
• Desirable: a degree in Environmental Science, Chemistry, Engineering, or related field.
• Chartered membership (e.g., CIWEM, IEMA), Lean Six Sigma training.
• Experience with GIS, SCADA, and digital compliance tools.