Head of Water Networks North

NWG (Northumbrian Water Group); Durham (CO); On-site; USD 135,000 - 156,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday entitlement starting

Car allowance

Private healthcare

Performance bonus up to 15%

Job summary

Northumbrian Water is seeking a strategic Head of Water Networks North to lead and shape operations across the North East, delivering safe, resilient and efficient services for customers and the environment.

You will drive performance, transformation and data-led decision making, managing large budgets and leading diverse teams, with strong collaboration across functions and partners to meet AMP8 ambitions.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of delivering results through people, partnerships and transformation in a complex environment.
• Experience leading large, geographically dispersed multi-functional teams delivering sustained performance and change.
• Strong commercial and financial judgement with experience managing significant budgets.
• Experience in asset management, operational resilience, regulatory environments, data-led performance management and digital technologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead water network operations across the North East to deliver safe, resilient, and efficient services.
• Drive performance and transformation to meet operational, customer and regulatory commitments.
• Oversee assets including reservoirs, trunk mains and critical infrastructure.
• Champion data-led decision making using analytics and digital tech to improve performance.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

Regulatory experience

Budget management

Data-driven decisions

Job description

Location: Pity Me, Durham

from £100,000 plus car allowance and private healthcare and bonus of up to 15%

About The Role

Are you a strategic and inspiring operational leader who is passionate about delivering exceptional services for customers, communities and the environment?

As our Head of Water Networks North, you will lead and shape water network operations across the North East, with accountability for delivering safe, resilient and efficient services for our customers. This is a significant leadership opportunity to influence the future of our water networks as we transform our operations and deliver the ambitions of AMP8 and beyond.

You will lead the performance and continued transformation of our Water Networks function, delivering stretching operational, customer and regulatory commitments while ensuring our operating model, capabilities, partnerships and infrastructure are fit for the future.

You will take ownership of key performance commitments, including leakage, interruptions to supply and network water quality, alongside Water Networks’ contribution to demand management. You will also oversee the performance and resilience of our strategic and distribution network assets, including reservoirs, trunk mains and other critical infrastructure.

Working across Water, Asset Investment, Service Planning, Water Quality, Commercial and other functions, you will bring together operational delivery, investment and long‑term planning to deliver sustainable outcomes for customers, the environment and the business.

You will champion data‑led decision‑making, using analytics, smart technologies and network intelligence to improve performance, efficiency and customer experience, while continuing to evolve our operating model and drive transformation, innovation and continuous improvement.

As a visible and inclusive leader, you will lead through a team of senior leaders, creating a high‑performance culture where people are empowered to succeed. You will also build strong relationships with contractors, delivery partners, regulators and industry stakeholders to drive performance, innovation and value.

About You

We’re looking for an experiential and inspiring senior leader with a proven track record of delivering results through people, partnerships and transformation within a complex operational, infrastructure, regulated or asset‑intensive environment.

You will have experience of leading large, geographically dispersed, multi‑functional teams, delivering sustained performance and organisational change through senior leaders and their teams. You will be able to provide clarity and direction, translate ambitious goals into practical delivery and bring people together behind a common purpose.

You will have a track record of delivering significant performance improvement while balancing operational delivery, customer outcomes, resilience, investment and risk. Experience of leading complex operational incidents, business continuity or emergency response arrangements would also be valuable.

Alongside strong commercial and financial judgement, you will have experience of managing significant budgets, prioritising investment and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and performance. You will be a collaborative and influential leader, comfortable operating across organisational boundaries and building trusted relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.

Previous water industry experience would be beneficial, but it is not essential. We are particularly interested in the leadership capability and transferable experience you can bring from other complex operational, regulated or critical infrastructure environments. Experience of asset management, operational resilience, regulatory environments, data‑led performance management, digital technologies and continuous improvement would be advantageous.

Most importantly, you will share our commitment to delivering excellent outcomes for customers, communities and the environment, developing our people and shaping the future of a service that millions of customers rely on every day.

About Us

Here at Northumbrian Water, we embrace and value Diversity, Inclusion and Equity, and encourage all colleagues to bring their most authentic self to work.

Our colleague network groups include our Rainbow Support Network (LGBTQIA+), REACH (Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage), WiSTEM (Women in STEM) and Thisability (disability and neurodiversity) networks. They provide a safe space for colleagues from diverse backgrounds, welcoming all colleagues regardless of their personal characteristics to participate in valuable conversation that improves our organisational awareness, understanding and inclusivity.

We encourage and welcome all applications, as we strive to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to having diverse communities represented within all our teams, structures, and organisation.

NWG are an inclusive employer who support the rehabilitation of offenders, we will not, however consider candidates who have certain unspent convictions to ensure our commitment to fostering a safe and secure working environment for all OR colleagues, suppliers, customers and third parties.

Please note this role will require a DBS to be completed prior to employment.

NWG At a Glance:

Our purpose at NWG is caring for the essential needs of our communities and environment, now and for generations to come.

We do this by providing reliable and affordable water and wastewater services for our customers.

We make a positive difference by operating efficiently and investing prudently, to maintain a sustainable and resilient business.

Our vision is to be the national leader in the provision of sustainable water and wastewater services. To support us in achieving our vision, we have five core values which are the guiding principles, defining who we are, what we do and how we do it.

Our Benefits

• Generous holiday entitlement starting 28 days increasing to 32 after 6years service, plus bank holidays and additional time off on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. There’s also the option to buy or sell holidays.
• Company pension scheme, where we’ll double match your contributions up to an employer contribution of 10%.
• Free access to local attractions.
• A fantastic discount scheme, with savings on days out, shopping, travel and more.
• Award winning ‘Living Well’ wellbeing support, including access to a digital GP service for you and your family members.
• Support with sustainable travel – through salary sacrifice cars and a cycle to work scheme.
• Financial wellbeing support – access our community savings scheme, financial education and low cost loans through Salary Finance. We also provide 4 x Life Assurance and an Income Protection Scheme.
• Support with your development – we offer a range of development opportunities, can support you through an interest free qualification loan and we’ll even pay for any relevant professional body subscription.

This role has also been defined as a safety or security critical role and as a condition of a formal offer of employment you’ll be required to undergo a drug and alcohol test.

Prospective employees and agency workers in defined safety and security critical roles will be required to undertake a drug and alcohol test after the job offer has been made. This will be prior to or within four weeks of their start date.

Prospective employees and agency workers who fail a pre‑employment urine drug screen will have their sample analysed by the Company appointed laboratory as a matter of course. Failing a pre‑employment drugs or alcohol test may lead to the job offer being revoked

About Us

NWG (Northumbrian Water Group) provides water and sewerage services to 2.7 million people in the North East of England as Northumbrian Water, and water services to 1.5 million people in the South East of England as Essex & Suffolk Water.

We are proud to serve our customers and we’re committed to delivering great service, putting our customers at the heart of everything we do.