WINEP Strategic Planning Manager

Yorkshire Water; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Bonus up to 15%

Pension up to 12%

25 days leave + wellness days

Health and life cover

Retail savings scheme

Online GP

Cycle to work

Gym discounts

Job summary

Yorkshire Water is seeking a WINEP Strategic Planning Manager in Leeds to lead the development and delivery of the Water Industry National Environment Programme submissions. You will coordinate SMEs, liaise with the Environment Agency and Ofwat, and shape regulatory strategy across multiple Asset Management periods.

The role is permanent, 37 hours per week with hybrid working. You will influence national policy, identify risks and opportunities, and help balance environmental outcomes with

Qualifications

• Experience in strategic planning for environmental/regulatory programmes.
• Ability to develop investment business cases and secure support.
• Strong stakeholder engagement with regulators and external bodies.
• Understanding of how regulation drives investment and environmental outcomes.
• Experience translating regulatory requirements into long-term strategies.
• Ability to work across multiple teams and manage complex programmes.

Responsibilities

• WINEP programme leadership: manage development and delivery of WINEP submissions.
• Regulatory leadership: act as SME for WINEP with Environment Agency and regulators.
• Strategic influence: shape national content of WINEP with stakeholders.
• Regulatory delivery: ensure submissions and deadlines are met across teams.
• Risk & opportunity: identify risks and leverage opportunities from regulation.
• Nature First: support Yorkshire Water’s Nature First ambitions within WINEP.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Regulatory leadership

Programme coordination

Strategic thinking

Investment cases

Education

Degree level in relevant field

Job description

Hello! Thanks for stopping by. Let us tell you about all the great reasons to join us here at Yorkshire Water:

• We offer a competitive salary, 3b, depending on experience, £65-£70,000
• Annual incentive related bonus up to 15% of salary
• Attractive pension scheme up to 12% company contribution
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, plus two extra wellness days!
• A great benefits package, with options including health cash plan scheme, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, life assurance flex and partner cover
• Retail savings scheme
• Online GP service, cycle to work scheme, gym membership discounts and many more!

Location: Leeds Valley Park, with flexibility to work across the Yorkshire Water region. Typically, one office day per week, minimally.

Work type: Permanent. 37 hours per week and hybrid working

We have an exciting opportunity for a WINEP Strategic Planning Manager to join our Asset Management function at Yorkshire Water and play a leading role in shaping one of our most significant environmental investment programmes. Could this be you?

What we do

Everyone has an idea of what a water company does. Here in Yorkshire, we make sure that over 5.4 million people living in the region and the millions of people who visit our region each year can rely on our services, and have clean and safe drinking water on tap and that their wastewater is taken away. But for us, it’s so much more than this.

We look after communities, protect the environment, and plan to look after Yorkshire’s water, today, tomorrow, 24/7, 365 days a year. We provide essential water and wastewater services to every corner of the Yorkshire region and play a key role in the region’s health, wellbeing and prosperity.

New and emerging environmental requirements are driving significant change across the water industry. Our Water Industry National Environment Programme, or WINEP, is fundamental to how we respond, bringing together the investment and interventions needed to meet environmental regulatory requirements whilst delivering our longer-term strategic ambitions.

Our PR24 WINEP programme was approximately £2.5bn, with the PR29 programme currently expected to be significantly larger at around £5bn. As our WINEP Strategic Planning Manager, you’ll be at the centre of developing this programme, bringing together expertise from across Yorkshire Water and working closely with the Environment Agency, Ofwat, Defra and wider industry stakeholders.

Where you fit in

As our WINEP Strategic Planning Manager, you will:

Take responsibility for programme managing the development and delivery of Yorkshire Water’s WINEP submission, ensuring we meet regulatory requirements, key milestones and our wider environmental ambitions.

You’ll act as Yorkshire Water’s specialist on WINEP development and Single Point of Contact with the Environment Agency, coordinating Subject Matter Experts from across the business and ensuring information from regulators is effectively interpreted, communicated and translated into action.

This is also a highly influential role. You’ll work at a national level to help shape the future direction of WINEP, maximise opportunities within the regulatory framework and ensure Yorkshire Water’s interests are effectively represented as the regulatory landscape continues to develop.

Core Responsibilities

WINEP Programme Leadership: Programme manage the development and delivery of Yorkshire Water’s WINEP, coordinating Subject Matter Experts from across the organisation to deliver environmental regulatory targets and strategic ambitions.

Regulatory Leadership: Act as Yorkshire Water’s specialist on WINEP development and Single Point of Contact with the Environment Agency, ensuring regulatory information and requirements are effectively managed across the business.

Strategic Influence: Influence regulators and wider stakeholders at a national and regional level to help shape the future content of WINEP and ensure Yorkshire Water’s interests are clearly articulated and represented.

Regulatory Delivery: Work closely with our Business Risk and Investment Team and stakeholders across the organisation to ensure key regulatory requirements, submissions and deadlines are met.

Risk & Opportunity: Identify and mitigate the risks associated with new and tighter environmental standards, while maximising the opportunities created by emerging regulation and legislation.

Nature First: Drive and support Yorkshire Water’s Nature First ambition through development of the WINEP, including opportunities around Catchment Nutrient Balancing, Catchment Permitting and Nature Based Solutions.

Innovation & Research: Play a leading role in steering research, development, innovation and trials, drawing on national and international research and contributing to the development of policy in wastewater treatment.

Strategic Investment: Help develop a long-term and sustainable strategy capable of delivering across multiple Asset Management Periods, balancing regulatory drivers, environmental outcomes, operational requirements and investment priorities.

Collaboration: Work across all areas of Yorkshire Water, drawing together expertise and ensuring the WINEP programme minimises risk and maximises opportunities for the business.

Consultancy Management: Lead, direct and manage specialist external consultants where necessary to support strategy and programme development.

What skills & qualifications you will need

• Educated to degree level in a relevant subject area.
• Expert knowledge of wastewater treatment processes, techniques and initiatives.
• The ability to think both technically and strategically, with a strong appreciation of the links between investment, regulation and science.
• Strong relationship-building and influencing skills, including the ability to work effectively with external organisations such as other water
• companies, regulators and funders.
• The ability to develop compelling investment business cases and successfully build support for investment.
• An appreciation of the potential offered by new technologies and how these can be integrated into an existing asset base.
• The ability to influence internal stakeholders and help turn innovation and research findings into practical opportunities.
• The ability to think laterally and creatively, identifying new opportunities and approaches.
• Excellent organisation and coordination skills, with the ability to manage your own work while bringing together multiple teams, projects and stakeholders.
• The confidence to work alongside a range of technical experts, constructively challenging where appropriate and bringing together different areas of expertise.
• The ability to develop long-term strategies that can deliver across multiple Asset Management Periods and adapt as regulatory and environmental drivers evolve.

We also require you to have

• Strong stakeholder management skills and the confidence to operate as a key interface between Yorkshire Water and regulatory bodies.
• The ability to understand, interpret and respond to changes in environmental legislation and regulation.
• The ability to understand the risks and opportunities regulatory change creates for Yorkshire Water and translate these into appropriate strategic action.
• Strong programme coordination skills, with the ability to bring together contributions from Subject Matter Experts across a complex organisation.
• The confidence to influence at senior levels both internally and externally.
• The ability to connect different technical specialisms and balance environmental, regulatory, operational and investment considerations.
• A collaborative approach, working with colleagues across the organisation to achieve the best possible outcome.

You will also benefit from having

• Previous experience of the water industry Price Review process.
• A strong national or international professional profile within the field of wastewater treatment.
• An established network across the water industry and the ability to continue developing and extending this network.
• A good understanding of business processes, procedures and the interdependencies between different teams and stakeholders.
• Experience of engaging with or influencing the Environment Agency, Ofwat, Defra or other regulatory and industry stakeholders.
• Experience of translating environmental or regulatory requirements into long-term investment strategies and programmes.

Although we operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it’s important to us that we support flexible working patterns and job share options, when we can, to help you make the best of both your work and home life. We know that juggling childcare responsibilities or getting that ideal work/life balance isn’t always easy!

Accessibility

We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that requires changes to the recruitment process, please include this information in your application. We will then discuss any reasonable adjustments required.

Just a heads-up! We might start interviewing and close the position early based on the response. To make sure you’re considered, please send in your application as soon as you can.

Closing date is November 20th.

If successful for the role, you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks that may include a Basic Disclosure Check, carried out through a Third-Party Company, prior to commencing employment. Depending on the role, you may also be required to go through the security vetting process for either a Counter Terrorist Check or Security Check clearance.

All our roles are subject to a medical questionnaire, and further medicals when required.