Head of Wastewater Strategy and Investment Planning

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

Salary and benefits:  We are offering a competitive salary – up to £115,000, dependent on experience + generous pension + 25 days holiday per annum, plus a wellness day (excluding bank holidays) + Executive Incentive Plan + Company Car Lease + Private Health Insurance (for self and partner if applicable)

Location: Regionally based, flexible hybrid working with a mix of home working and working from one of our regional offices.

Working Hours: 37 hours per week Monday to Friday, expectation to participate in a standby rota

We have an exciting opportunity for a senior leadership role within the Asset Management Team at Yorkshire Water and be a part of helping Yorkshire Water to provide the best service to our customers. 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 our ambition to create a thriving Yorkshire means that this is an exciting time to discover opportunities within the water industry. The Asset Management team forms the strategic backbone of our business. Our purpose is unambiguous: to deliver safe, reliable water and wastewater services for customers, protect the environment, and build resilience for future generations. 

Reporting to the Executive Director, Asset Management, the Head of Wastewater Strategy and Investment Planning will lead a high-performing team to deliver resilient, efficient, and environmentally sustainable wastewater services across Yorkshire. In this role, you will set and deliver the tactical sponsorship of the £3.8bn 2025–2030 plan for wastewater and bioresources, ensuring that in-year capital projects are prioritised and delivered to achieve performance, compliance, and customer outcomes. You will oversee the development, approval, and execution of the AMP capital programme, with accountability for the wastewater strategy and alignment with AMP8, PR29, and future regulatory cycles. The role drives ongoing improvement to meet evolving regulatory, environmental, and customer standards, including delivery of the Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan (DWMP), the Storm Overflow Action Plan (SOAP), and the development of the wastewater Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP).

Where you fit in:

As our Head of Wastewater Strategy and Investment Planning, you will have;

• Extensive leadership experience in asset management or a related field, ideally within the water or utilities sector.
• Deep understanding of wastewater and bioresources systems, regulatory frameworks, and capital delivery.
• Demonstrable experience in strategic planning, transformation, and performance improvement at a departmental or organisational level.
• Strong skills in programme sponsorship, governance, risk management, and stakeholder engagement.
• Passion for sustainability and innovation

What skills & qualifications you will need:

• Proven leadership experience in asset management, with a track record of delivering results through high-performing teams.
• Strong understanding of asset lifecycle planning, risk management, and investment optimisation.
• Proven experience in delivering regulated long-term strategic plans, including the Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan (DWMP).
• Experience in regulatory engagement and business planning, including Ofwat price reviews.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Relevant degree (e.g., Engineering, Environmental Science) and professional accreditation (e.g., IAM, CIWEM, ICE) desirable

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership:

• Set and deliver the long-term strategy for wastewater asset management, ensuring alignment with AMP8 and PR29 and beyond.
• Drive transformation to meet evolving regulatory, environmental, and customer standards. 
• Delivery of the Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan (DWMP), the Storm Overflow Action Plan (SOAP) and the development of the wastewater Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP).

Sponsorship of the capital programme 

• Sponsor £3.8bn 2025 – 2030 wastewater and bioresources capital programme, providing oversight and accountability for both in-year and in AMP delivery but also multi-year AMP investment cycles. Through ensuring in-year capital projects are prioritised and delivered to achieve performance, compliance, and customer outcomes and overseeing the development, approval, and execution of the AMP capital programme.

Performance and Compliance:

• Oversee delivery, proactively identify and mitigating risks, against asset investment planning linked to pollutions, floodings, permit compliance, and environmental performance metrics, ensuring robust reporting to the Executive and Board and external regulators (Ofwat, EA). 

Innovation & Digital Enablement

• Champion innovation in asset health monitoring, lifecycle planning, and digital transformation.
• Leverage data and technology to improve performance, resilience, and sustainability.

Cross-functional Collaboration:

• Work closely with Capital Delivery, Regulation, Operations, and external partners to deliver integrated outcomes.
• Represent the business at governance forums and with regulators.

Leadership & Development

• Mentor and develop future leaders in asset management and environmental resilience.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and accountability.

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 have senior-level experience in asset management and want to help us deliver outstanding service for our customers while protecting the environment, we encourage you to apply today and discover what a career with Yorkshire Water can offer.

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.

We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that requires changes to the recruitment process, please include this information in your application. We will then discuss any reasonable adjustments required.

Kelda Group reserve the right to close this position before the published closing date (December 5th), should the need occur. We therefore advise that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible.

No agencies please