Water jobs in United Kingdom

£130-140k per annum dependent on skills and experience

37 hours per week

Permanent

Location: Lincoln

Our newly created, Operational Services business stream sits at the centre of our core business. They provide 24/7 services to our operational business units who deliver safe, clean drinking water and water recycling services to over 7 million customers. We're looking for a visionary leader ready to shape the future of operational excellence in the water industry. Reporting to the ExCo Director of Customer & Operational Services, the Operational Services Director will lead and transform our centralised operational support services.

This is a pivotal role, leading the delivery of services to our customers with 24/7 operational control room management and event response, workforce planning and deployment, management of the operational technology that underpins our core business and delivery of our industry leading smart meter installation programme.

You'll be responsible for driving strategic transformation and leading a multi-disciplinary team to deliver day to day operational excellence.

In this role, you will:

• Lead a multi-disciplinary department of 650+ professionals delivering resilient, efficient, and compliant operations
• Develop and implement a strategic vision for Operational Services aligned with AMP8 and beyond
• Drive the delivery of our smart metering programme and operational performance targets (ODIs & PCDs)
• Shape and execute a new Target Operating Model to centralise and streamline services
• Champion the use of operational data and technology to enhance efficiency and customer experience
• Foster a high-performance culture, develop talent pipelines, and lead strategic workforce planning
• Represent Anglian Water with regulators (DWI, EA, Ofwat), government bodies, and industry forums
• Promote a culture of safety and wellbeing through our "Safer Every Day" initiative

We're looking for someone with:

• A strategic leader with significant experience in senior operational roles within large, complex organisations with the ability to operate at both a tactical and visionary level
• Proven ability to lead transformation, manage risk, and deliver measurable performance improvements
• Strong commercial acumen, excellent communication, and powerful influencing skills
• A commitment to innovation, continuous improvement and delivering value for our customers
• A collaborative mindset with the ability to build trust across internal and external stakeholders
• Experience working with regulators and external stakeholders at a senior level
• A passion for developing people and fostering inclusive, high-performing teams
• Ideally a business or leadership qualification
• IOSH or equivalent Health & Safety qualification would be desirable
• A broad understanding of the regulatory and operating environment

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

• 30 days holiday plus bank holidays (with flexibility for religious holidays)
• Car Allowance
• Personal private health care
• Life cover - 8x annual salary
• Competitive pension scheme - we double-match your contributions up to 6%
• Annual bonus scheme and lifestyle benefits

Why Join Us?

At Anglian Water, we're more than just a water company. We're a purpose-driven organisation committed to environmental sustainability, innovation, and making life better for our communities. As Operational Services Director, you'll play a key role in shaping the future of water services in the UK.

Closing date: 20 July 2025