Water Distribution Lead: Ops, Safety & Efficiency

South East Water; Maidstone; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

5 weeks holiday + bank holidays

Flexible annual leave

Volunteer days

Cycle to work

Health cash plan

Life assurance

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

South East Water is seeking a Distribution Manager to lead a team of technicians and oversee a section of the clean water network, ensuring a reliable supply and compliance with safety and regulatory targets. The role requires managing incidents, out-of-hours rotations, and driving efficiency through process improvements.

You will oversee performance management, budget forecasting, and contractor coordination, while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships to enhance customer outcomes.

Qualifications

• Good numeracy and literacy skills.
• Proven ability to foster strong relationships and deliver exceptional service to internal and external stakeholders.
• Good level of communication to articulate operational objectives and performance outcomes.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, preferably including water regulations and experience with highway legislation as it pertains to utility works and infrastructure maintenance.
• Proven ability to collaborate with both internal and external customers.
• Experience in managing a network system and leading a team.
• Experience in managing an operational budget.
• Experience in diagnosing and resolving complex operational challenges within water distribution networks, with a demonstrated focus on implementing process improvements and driving continuous efficiency gains.

Responsibilities

• Team Leadership and Development: Performance manage, develop, and fully engage the team to maximise efficiency, effectiveness, and reliability of service through methods like team briefs and one-to-ones.
• Health and Safety and Contractor Management: Imbed a strong health and safety culture within the team, ensuring safe people and safe working. This includes ensuring contractors deliver safe, quality works in line with strategy.
• Operational Service Delivery: Maintain a reliable water supply for customers, meeting regulatory targets for service delivery and water quality. This involves participating in an out-of-hours rota, leading field activities during operational incidents, and escalating as needed.
• Process Improvement and Resilience: Review operational processes and drive change initiatives to continuously improve customer journeys and drive efficiency. Identify and implement works to improve network resilience and contribute to proposed capital/planned maintenance works.
• Technical Support: Provide technical support to technicians to efficiently resolve complex customer operational enquiries.
• Financial Management: Manage the operational budget, including forecasting spend and identifying financial risk and opportunity.

Skills

Team leadership

Health & safety

Contractor management

Budget management

Operations management

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Regulatory knowledge

Water distribution

Problem solving

Education

Secondary education

Job description

South East Water is seeking a Distribution Manager to lead a team of technicians and oversee a section of the clean water network, ensuring a reliable supply and compliance with safety and regulatory targets. The role requires managing incidents, out-of-hours rotations, and driving efficiency through process improvements.

You will oversee performance management, budget forecasting, and contractor coordination, while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships to enhance customer outcomes.