Water Network Manager

Where strategy meets success, join our team.

About us

Salary - £59,159

Work Type - Onsite

Job Location - Warrington North Wastewater Treatment Works, Gatewarth Industrial Est, Off Liverpool Road, Sankey Bridges, Warrington, WA5 1DS

Role Type - Permanent

Employment Type - Full Time

Working Hours - 37

United Utilities’ (UU) purpose is to deliver great water for a stronger, greener and healthier North West of England. We are committed to providing our services in a way that respects the environment, supports the economy, and benefits society.

We value diversity, inclusion and innovation in our workplace, and we foster a culture where our people can grow, excel, and be themselves.

We uphold our ethics, values and business model to fulfil our mission and, by setting clear goals and objectives, we create sustainable long-term value for our colleagues, customers and communities. Whether you work with a team that shares your vision or join a network of peers with similar interests, you will find a welcoming and supportive organisation to be part of.

We’ve got a lot to offer. You’ll be part of a thriving FTSE 100 company and will enjoy a range of core benefits that reflect your value and value contribution.

Benefits

• A generous annual leave package of 26 days, which increases to 30 days after four years of service (increases one day per year), in addition to 8 bank holidays
• A competitive pension scheme with up to 14% employer contribution, 21% combined, and life cover
• Up to 10.5% performance-related bonus scheme, as well as recognition awards for outstanding achievements
• A comprehensive healthcare plan through our company-funded scheme
• MyGymDiscounts - gym and wellness benefit that offers up to 25% off on gym memberships and digital fitness subscriptions
• Best Doctors
• Salary Finance
• Wealth at Work courses
• Deals and discounts
• EVolve Car Scheme
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Mental health first aiders
• ShareBuy
• MORE Choices flexible benefits
• Enhanced parental leave schemes

Job Purpose

We have a great opportunity for a Water Network Manager to join our team.

You’ll provide leadership and clear performance management to the Water Network team and be accountable for the overall operational performance of your area.

You’ll manage and develop your team effectively to provide the technical service required to ensure Water Networks can meet its Outcome Delivery Incentive (ODI) and ensure all regulatory performance requirements are met both safely and efficiently.

You’ll ensure that all operational activities undertaken by the Network team are in line with United Utilities (UU) operational policies and practices, and lead a safe working environment within UU.

To lead a delivery focused team to ensure the operation and maintenance of all assets (infrastructure and non-infrastructure) within a designated County hub. To ensure we deliver on our key operational and customer performance metrics and outcome delivery incentives including: supply interruptions, mains repairs, leakage, taste, smell and appearance and low pressure all delivered in a safe, efficient and customer focused way whilst balancing the challenging financial targets.

Accountabilities & Responsibilities

• Direct management of a team of Water Network Technicians within a defined geographical area of our water network.
• Undertaking specific projects or initiatives requiring line management leadership as directed by the Water Network Delivery Manager.
• Monitoring and effectively managing performance of the Network team on safety, service, quality, efficiency and network maintenance and inspection via regular field visits.
• Managing resource availability to ensure delivery against statutory and regulatory compliance, the inspection of Pumping Stations, Service Reservoirs, mains and valves, non-core maintenance projects and capital schemes; this may include managing adherence to schedules and monitoring network teams' work bank, and work collaboratively with the ICC teams.
• The geographical area budget for both Opex and Capex, setting the budget, forecasting spend while maximising opportunities to control costs and maintain the effectiveness of our people, partners and performance, including approval of overtime, expenses, and the appropriate capitalisation of costs.
• Managing and controlling over promotion of partner work volumes by monitoring work promotion from the Network Team.
• Approving all planned network interventions that pose a risk to our service delivery standards, ensuring risk assessments and detailed contingency plans are in place; to include where necessary the sanction of resources to support the planned activity and the approval of out-of-hours work and overtime.
• Attending any Post Incident/event Reviews and approving the Post Incident Report.
• Ensuring the Water Network Team meet regulatory commitments, post incident actions and Airline actions.
• All HR activities relating to the management of your team, including regular team briefs, 1-2-1s and performance reviews, owning the teams succession plan, identification of essential training, managing sickness, absence, health and safety, and, when appropriate, disciplinary matters.
• Ensuring the health and safety of employees and promote safe working practices
• with our partners by meeting all relevant safety standards with the delivery and compliance with the H&S Manager's Guide.

Managing the successful delivery of network maintenance and inspection activities across the asset base of pumping stations, Service Reservoirs, pipe lines and valves ensuring assets are secure, operated and maintained in accordance with agreed quality standard and procedures

Technical Skills & Experience

To be considered for this role you’ll need to be confident, self-motivated and capable of operating independently. You’ll have significant leadership experience in a utility and/or mobile workforce environment and have a proven ability to motivate and coach a team to deliver high performance across a 24/7 service.

You’ll also have:

• Qualified to degree level or previous operational management experience
• Strong knowledge of the market place, technologies, emerging innovation trends and latest developments facing the UK utilities industry
• Experience of managing an operational team with a demonstrable track record of customer performance, financial, resource and business performance management
• People management skills with the ability to recruit, build and develop high performing teams
• Resilient with the ability to cope with pressure and demands of an operational role
• Strong communication and engagement skills to effectively manage internal and external stakeholders
• Financial awareness and commercial understanding including those for internal costs and also for our NMS Partners
• Strong change management experience and change delivery experience, ideally in a unionised workforce
• Confident, self-motivated and capable of operating independently in a face paced environment
• Awareness of the UU operational environment

Qualifications

Essential Qualifications

• Qualified to degree level or previous operational management experience
• Full UK Driving Licence

Other

We rely on every employee to ensure our customers receive the best possible service, day in, day out. In return, we ensure that you will be well rewarded for your efforts, from an excellent salary through to development opportunities that will really kick start a thriving career here at UU.