Head of Operational Excellence

We are looking for a Head of Operational Excellence to join Thames Water permanently.

This is an integral and influential role in our Water Operations team.
It is accountable for the development and delivery of continuous improvement plans with sustainable financial, efficiency, and performance outcomes.

This role is very purpose-driven and plays a key role in reducing the impact of the Water function on the environment through energy saving, emissions reduction, and pollution prevention.

The effective delivery of these outcomes will involve leading a team of technical and operational staff and active collaboration with internal teams and external stakeholders. Success will be the ability to interpret and articulate complex technical, risk and financial concepts, and both lead and influence to the desired outcome.

What will you be doing as a Head of Operational Excellence?

• Lead the development and delivery of sustainable efficiency plans and operational strategies for the whole Water business.
• Accountability for the health, safety and well-being of your team and those around you.
• Support the development and active financial management of the annual capital and operational budgets for Water alongside our Head of Finance and Water Sponsors.
• Financial accountability for Operational Excellence’s Totex budget and joint responsibility for Water.
•  Accountable for the directly managed capital spend for Water in collaboration with the Water Sponsors.
• Lead for corporate governance and risk management for Water assets across Thames Water.
• Provide technical support for water assets/operation and provide support to the delivery of process optimisation.
• Lead the continuous improvement approach for Water. Delivering operational excellence across our assets, people and processes.
• Through your team, lead the customer strategy, plans and performance reporting.
• Through your team lead ensure clear data and reports for use by the Water team to deliver outputs.

Base location: This role is hybrid, meaning you can work from a variety of our sites and partly from home.  You can be based at any of the following locations: Reading - Clearwater Court - RG1 8DB, Walthamstow - Coppermills - E17 7HE, Hampton - TW12 2ES, Cirencester - Latton- GL7 5QF,  Orpington - BR6 0SQ. Travel will be required weekly to other sites within our area.

Working hours: 36 hours per week Monday – Friday, your diary will be yours to plan and is flexible around core hours. If you would like to do this role in 4 days, please apply and discuss this with our recruitment team.

What should you bring to the role?

• Ability to think strategically, enabling you as an individual and through others, to generate and apply insights and opportunities into practical operational plans.
• Ability to work with ambiguity, under pressure and operate across all levels of the business.
• Strong financial acumen and experience managing large budgets, governance and decision-making.
• Experience in risk-based decision-making.
• A passion for collaborative problem solving, with excellent communication and facilitation skills.
• Passion for continuous improvement and change management and proven track record of delivery.
• Authentic leadership style and experience managing a team.
• Commercially minded with the ability to maximise operational performance at all levels.
• Ability to drive change, influence and win the hearts and minds of a team through periods of change and transformation.
• Operational experience and broad understanding of the water industry. (or similar sector/ transferrable skills)

What’s in it for you?

• Offering a salary up to £85,000 per annum depending on skills and experience.
• 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays)
• Car Allowance.
•  Annual Bonus.
• Private Health Care.
• 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.
• Generous Paternity Leave, including 4 weeks paid and an optional 2 weeks unpaid.
• Enhanced Maternity Leave, 26 weeks full pay and 13 weeks half pay!
• Ongoing performance development reviews to help you be your best and identify growth opportunities.

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 and skilled 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. Our aim is to remove any real or perceived barriers to success, so if you need assistance, we’re here to help and support.

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.