Equality Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) Partner

Hello! Thanks for stopping by. Let us tell you about all the great reasons to join us here at Yorkshire Water:

• We offer a competitive salary – up to £70k per annum,  depending on experience
• Car or cash allowance of £2,500 per year
• Annual bonus of up to 10% of your salary
• Private health care for you
• Attractive pension scheme with up to 10% company contribution
• Life assurance cover of 4 times pensionable salary
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays – plus an extra wellness day!
• A flexible benefits package– choose from health cash plan scheme, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, life assurance flex and partner cover. 
• Great savings on your shopping through our retail savings scheme 
• Online GP service, cycle to work scheme, gym membership discounts and many more!

Location:  A hybrid working arrangement is in place for this role, a mix of homeworking and working in our Head Office at  Bradford, typically  2 x days per week.

Work type: This is a permanent role, working full time -  37 hours per week, Monday – Friday.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Equality Diversity & Inclusion Partner to join the People team at Yorkshire Water and lead on the development and delivery of our ED&I strategy, working closely with our Executive and Senior Leaders to drive our progress in ensuring we are a leading employer that is representative of our Yorkshire communities. Could this be you?

What we do:

Everyone has an idea of what a water company does. Here in Yorkshire, we make sure that over 5.4 million people living in the region and the millions of people who visit our region each year, can rely on our services, and have clean and safe drinking water on tap and that their wastewater is taken away. But for us, it’s so much more than this.

We look after communities, protect the environment, and plan to look after Yorkshire’s water, today, tomorrow 24/7, 365 days a year. We provide essential water and wastewater services to every corner of the Yorkshire region, and play a key role in the region’s health, wellbeing, and prosperity.

New environmental legislation, unprecedented levels of investment and changing expectations from customers means that this is an exciting time to discover opportunities within the water industry.

Where you fit in:

As our ED&I Partner you will  lead on the development and delivery of our ED&I strategy, working closely with our Executive and Senior Leaders to drive our progress in ensuring we are a leading employer that is representative of our Yorkshire communities. 

The ED&I strategy is a critical driver for change, enabling transformation in areas such as resourcing, reward and recognition, performance & talent development, well-being & engagement, delivering measurable improvements to belonging, trust and inclusion and building a workforce that is truly diverse.  As ED&I Partner, as well as shaping strategy you are accountable to target action to where it can make the biggest long-term difference, and to drive change working in partnership with colleagues from the People team and across the business.

As our Equality Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) Partner you will - 

• Lead the delivery and embedding of a future-fit, leading practice aligned and data-driven ED&I strategy including underlying initiatives, activities and interventions
• Partner with SMEs/Project Leads to inform, shape, and deliver revised people processes and policies to address inequity and meet short and longer-term ED&I goals
• Continue and build on the inclusion narrative throughout Yorkshire Water, collaborating with communications (internal and external) to campaign on key issues and provide networks/champions with required collateral, empowering colleagues to create their own stories and drive inclusion in their teams
• Ensure that leaders, managers, and colleagues are equipped with learning opportunities to improve their knowledge and performance in respect of the ED&I agenda
• Lead the ED&I Working Group, engaging internal and external stakeholders in moving the agenda forward, ensure the views of stakeholders from all equality dimensions are well represented
• Work with the Yorkshire Water Executive Team, ensuring demonstrable support and endorsement for ED&I initiatives and exemplars of inclusive leadership.
• Create and sustain a mechanism for ED&I networks and Working Group members, ensuring all members of the Yorkshire Water community have a voice that is heard.
• Lead ED&I submissions to internal or external surveys, benchmarks and any reporting (Investing in Ethnicity, Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap Reporting etc and subsequent actions plans)
• As a leader within the Organisational Effectiveness team, ensure team members are inspired, supported and challenged to be their best and perform effectively
• Work closely with peers in the Organisational Effectiveness team who are leading on Culture & Behaviour Change, Leadership and Behavioural Development, Talent, Succession and Careers and more

What skills & qualifications you will need:

• Highly experienced subject matter expert in the field of ED&I, up to date with current thinking and external debates on ED&I along with an in-depth and up-to-date understanding of relevant legislation (e.g. the Equality Act 2010) and codes of practice
• Proven impact-led experience of leading and delivering on ED&I Strategy in organisations of similar size to Yorkshire Water or larger
• Significant experience in leading out, co-creating, delivering and embedding ED&I initiatives that facilitate change to policies, procedures, behaviours and ways of working
• Exceptional leadership, stakeholder management, engagement, and influencing skills, comfortable engaging at all levels across the Yorkshire Water community up to Board level and with regulators, partners, and other stakeholders
• Highly skilled written and verbal communicator who can create impact through a range of media/channels and with the ability to present compelling arguments and engage senior leaders in the agenda
• Analytical and critical thinking, confident with data analysis, adept at working with data to inform decision making and an ability to present evidence in a compelling way
• Commercially minded, results-oriented and self-motivated with excellent prioritisation skills and the adaptability to pivot as things change
• Has the courage & social skill to effectively challenge issues of trust, behaviour and social dynamics

Although we operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it’s important to us that we support flexible working patterns and job share options (when we can), to help you make the best of both your work and home life. We know that juggling childcare responsibilities or getting that ideal work/life balance isn’t always easy!

Do we sound like your cup of tea?  

If you’ve got experience in driving strategic change in the space of Equality Diversity & Inclusion and want to be part of our team, then be sure to apply today.  If you could please complete the online application process and submit a covering letter and CV outlining your suitability for the role.

We are proud to serve the Yorkshire region and are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment that is reflective of the communities we serve. We strongly encourage candidates of all different backgrounds to apply.

Recruitment Process

Closing date – 17th October, 2024

If successful for the role, you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks that will include a Basic Disclosure Check, carried out through a Third-Party Company, prior to commencing employment. Depending on the role, you may also be required to go through the security vetting process for either a Counter Terrorist Check or Security Check clearance.

 All our roles are subject to a medical questionnaire, and further medicals when required.

Kelda Group reserve the right to close this position before the published closing date, should the need occur. We therefore advise that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible.

No agencies please.