Head of Programmes (This is a key project management / co-ordinating role)
Email your cover letter and CV to judith.pons@britishwater.co.uk, by Thursday 15 May 2025
**Kindly note this is a key project management/co-ordinating role, therefore a cover letter is required as part of your application**
About British Water:
British Water is a dynamic, corporate membership body with a varied membership of companies covering all sectors of the water and wastewater industry. Our members design, build, operate, maintain, and provide critical solutions, technologies and research for water and wastewater assets at home and internationally.
We represent the interests of UK water and wastewater supply chain companies together with wider stakeholders across the sector, through our UK, Technical and International forums, connecting them to contacts to raise their profile, grow their business, and promote best practice. Our Water Industry Forum provides challenge-led, independent thought leadership, to tackle the challenges facing the sector.
Main Purpose Of The Job:
Strategic responsibility for the successful delivery and development of British Water’s services under the following forums – UK, Technical and International.
Contributing to the delivery of British Water’s strategy and for evaluating the forums performance in line with agreed objectives and key results in collaboration with the Chief Executive, other members of staff and the Board of Directors.
Planning, developing and implementing the programmes of the three forums (UK, Technical and International) in-line with BW’s strategy and ensuring they are delivered on time, within scope and budget.
Contributing to the strategic delivery, and development of forum services with the CEO bearing in mind any associated risks.
Responsiblities:
Responsible To:The Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Part A: Main Tasks Of The Job
- Deliver and review the services of the UK, Technical and International Forum to ensure they meet member requirements and are within budget
- Monitor and report on key developments on UK, International and Technical matters to the CEO, Board and BW Members when appropriate, to ensure forum activities remain relevant.
- Prepare and provide reports to the BW Board on the work of the UK, International and Technical forums
- Identify and implement opportunities for cross-forum collaboration to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort. (This will include bearing in mind the work of the fourth forum – the Water Industry Forum under the leadership of its Executive Director)
- Maintain and build relationships with key stakeholders (including within government and regulatory bodies) in the UK to represent the interests of UK water and wastewater supply chain companies and the wider industry. This will include connecting members to contacts to raise their profile, grow their business, and promote best practice
- Maintain and build relationship with international key stakeholders and partners and continually explore opportunities to build collaborative projects and relationships
- Develop commercial opportunities in collaboration with other members of staff and participate in the delivery of commercial (and non-commercial) events as appropriate
- Manage and develop the direct reporting of 3 technical staff, as well as any interns who work with you, to deliver forum services
- Responsible for helping to track public consultations, legislation, and policy updates related to UK, Technical and International opportunities
- Develop British Water’s forum services
- This role will include regular travel within the UK (around 2/3 times a month) and overseas (around 2-3 times a year) to meet key stakeholders, attend conferences, and represent the interests of British Water and its members. UK travel may sometimes include an overnight stay where attendance at a conference or meeting is required
Part B: Subsidiary Requirements
- This role will also encompass other duties associated with a technical programme brief within a trade association
The above job description contains the main duties and responsibilities for this position. However, in a small organisation such as British Water, the staff members are expected to show flexibility in their approach to work and be willing to undertake other tasks and missions that are reasonably allocated to them, but which are not part of their regular job description. Where any task becomes a regular part of an employee’s responsibility, the job description shall be revised in consultation with the employee and their direct line manager.
Skills, Knowledge, Attributes & Qualifications
Essential Requirements
- Must have a minimum of three years’ experience working in the UK water and wastewater sector
- Must be driven to influence positive, sector transformation for the benefit of customers and the environment
- Understanding of the UK regulatory, legislative and economic landscape of the UK water and wastewater sector
- Highly developed communication skills both verbally and in writing in English
- Must have strong interpersonal skills e.g. high emotional intelligence (EQ), able to develop relationships with a broad spectrum of people ranging from leaders to junior personnel
- Must be able to lead by example through being able to personally deliver positive outcomes whilst delegating as and when appropriate
- Highly organised and methodical, with strong project management and time management skills
- Ability to work to deadlines and under pressure, multi-task, and demonstrate flexibility
- Skilled and able to build stakeholder engagement with an understanding of or interest in multi-cultural economies and international markets
- Ability to bring unconventional and fresh ideas for growing service offerings and able to implement them successfully within an agreed budget
- Infectious motivation to drive and transformation in the water sector
- Ability to travel – we currently meet one day a month in the office in central London, and regular travel is required for events and to visit multiple client sites/stakeholders
Desirable Requirements
- Experience of managing a wide range of stakeholders, each with their own motivations, goals and timelines
- Track record of stakeholder engagement with supply chain, regulators, and government
- Experience in delivering outstanding results in project management
- Experience in developing and contributing to the development of policy
- Working experience within a member-based organisation
- Experience of working abroad or of international markets
- A UK driving license and the ability to drive is desirable with access to a reliable vehicle for work-related travel
- Wider experience around external influences especially in adjacent sectors (e.g. food and drink), international markets or finance and investment
About you
A strategic thinker and natural collaborator, you bring energy, professionalism and purpose to your work — consistently reflecting British Water’s values of being Collaborative, Authentic, Trusted and Approachable. You’re motivated by driving progress, engaging with stakeholders, and delivering tangible results for members and the wider water sector.
- A self-starting, action-oriented mindset with a strong focus on outcomes
- A commitment to high-quality, professional delivery across all workstreams
- A proven ability to build and maintain strong working relationships
- Excellent collaboration skills and fostering trust
- Proficiency and confidence in influencing and negotiating
Qualifications & Experience
- A degree in a relevant area (e.g. water/environment/civil engineering) and/or a minimum of three years water and wastewater sector experience
- Adept in the use of MS Office, particularly Excel and Word
- Ability to work across various digital and communications platforms (e.g. Teams, ZOOM and CRM/CMS systems)
- Language: English (Fully Professional). A second language is not essential
Candidate Must
- Have at least 3 years of experience in the water sector
- Be eligible to work full time and based in the UK
- Be able to travel to UK based meetings and travel Internationally
- Be able to work from home full-time and attend team meetings in London at least once a month
Benefits:
- A creative and innovative environment with a driven team that sits at the heart of the UK water and wastewater sector
- British Water staff operate as a hybrid team splitting time between working from home and meeting in London once a month, with occasional travel throughout the UK
- Opportunity for a discretionary bonus after working for British Water for one year
- Life Assurance
- Private healthcare
- 3 days off a year to undertake voluntary work
- Salary-sacrifice pension scheme
Interview Dates – Online from 1400-1600 on Wednesday 22 May and Thursday 23 May 2025
Shortlisted candidates will be required to prepare and provide at interview a 5-minute presentation outlining the services of British Water’s UK, Technical and International Forum during their interview
Presentations will be assessed on the candidate’s:
- Understanding of British Water
- Capability to grasp British Water’s main services
- Ability to concisely present information
- Skill to present information in an engaging and influencing way
