Decarbonisation Lead

Are you passionate about sustainability and ready to lead impactful projects that make a real difference? Thames Water is on a mission to achieve Net Zero, and we’re looking for a Decarbonisation Lead to spearhead a range of innovative, environmentally focused initiatives.

In this exciting role, you’ll be at the forefront of identifying and delivering transformative low-carbon projects that support our environmental, community, and operational goals.

You’ll work closely with teams across the business and external partners to develop, manage, and implement projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For the last 30 years, we’ve been on a journey to reduce our carbon emissions. We’ve reduced our emissions by 495 ktCO2e since 1990 despite customer numbers increasing by over 4 million.

We’ve achieved this by: 

• Implementing innovative heat recovery and energy efficiency initiatives.
• Reducing our use of fossil fuels.
• Buying certified renewable energy to power our sites sustainably.
• In 2023/24, we self-generated 498GWh of renewable energy, covering 27.3% of our own energy needs.

What you’ll be doing as a Decarbonisation Lead

• Lead the identification and delivery of low-carbon projects, such as our transition from fossil fuels to low-carbon alternatives.
• Support the long-term strategy by identifying and assessing carbon impacts and using horizon scanning to identify approaches to manage risks and opportunities.
• Engage the business to increase awareness, engagement and capability to support the delivery of decarbonisation actions.
• Present cases for change in governance forums and manage escalations related to project risks, legal compliance, and regulatory matters.
• Drive projects from conception through to successful completion, ensuring alignment with business and environmental objectives and reporting progress along the way.
• Collaborate across teams (e.g. property, operations, commercial and suppliers) to coordinate inputs and expertise for each project.
• Champion cost-saving and revenue-generating opportunities and work with external partners to drive improvements.

This role is a hybrid role based out of Clearwater Court, Reading.

What you should bring to the role

• Passionate about carbon reduction and low-carbon technologies.
• Able to demonstrate ability to deliver projects to meet both commercial and operational objectives.
• Self-motivated and driven.
• Good communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Good planning and estimating skills.
• Strong presentation skills. (both creation and delivery)
• Problem identifier and solver.
• Practical and intuitive thinker.
• A driving licence is desirable but not essential.

What’s in it for you?

You’ll be part of a forward-thinking team dedicated to protecting the environment while delivering essential services to millions. You’ll have the opportunity to drive meaningful change, work on innovative projects, and contribute to a sustainable future.

• Competitive salary from £45,200 - £65,000 per annum depending on skills and relevant experience.
• Twenty-six days of holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service. (plus bank holidays)
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of your and your family’s health and well-being, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Find out more about our benefits and perks

Who are we?

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job, and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate people committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy fast-tracked career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.
Whether you’re interested in a role in one of our call centres or science labs, we’re looking for people like you with real passion and a burning desire to make things better.

So, if you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region and our planet.

The real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

Our overarching aim is to ensure that Thames Water is a great, diverse and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process. We aim to remove any real or perceived barriers to success, so if you need assistance, we’re here to help and support you.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business, meet colleagues and earn some extra money along the way.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.