Regional Operations Manager (Water Production)

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 £74,771 depending on experience
• Car Allowance
• Annual incentive related bonus (up to 15% of annual salary)
• Private health care (Self and partner, if applicable)
• Attractive pension scheme (up to 12% company contribution)
• Life assurance cover of 4 times pensionable salary
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays - plus an extra wellness day!
• A great benefits package - choose from health cash plan scheme, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, life assurance flex and partner cover. 
• Retail savings scheme 
• Online GP service, cycle to work scheme, gym membership discounts and many more!Location across your area in Yorkshire

Location : North West Yorkshire (covering Leeds, Dales, Keighley, Halifax, Raw & Maintenance).

Work type: Permanent. 37 hours per week, Monday - Friday.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Regional Operation Manager to join the Water Production - Water Service Delivery 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 changing expectations from customers means that this is an exciting time to discover opportunities within the water industry.  Our Water Production - Water Service Delivery team are a key part of how we plan to meet the changing expectations of customers and regulators. 

The Regional Operations Manager (Water Production) will be responsible for driving business performance to ensure the safe, compliant and efficient collection and production of water. This will be carried out through role model leadership, demonstrating the evolved company behaviours, whilst delivering first class asset and operational management across all Water Production assets.

You will manage and lead a team of Production & Maintenance managers who in turn manager highly skilled operational colleagues across raw water, water production and maintenance striving for 100% compliance, 100% of the time. You will drive excellent standards and performance in health and safety, process safety, public health and risk management ensuring compliance with the YW Safety Policy and associated management procedures. The ideal candidate will have a clear focus on health and safety excellence, regulatory compliance for public health and the environment, operational resilience, efficiency, and financial performance.

Delivery of safe and sufficient water will be at the forefront of the individuals mind whilst also managing our environmental compliance obligations all of the time. You will also ensure that the company complies with the Reservoirs Act (1975) and mitigate all associated risks effectively and efficiently. 

You will be responsible for implementing and adhering to the Asset and Operational Management plan which will require the individual to effectively manage and balance all asset risks in their area, both from a proactive and reactive perspective, to make your assets as reliable and resilient as possible. You will have a real time understanding of key asset and operational performance, risks and priorities in your area, maximising asset availability to enable an efficient Water Resource Allocation Plan to be implemented.

Where you will fit in.

As our Regional Operations Manager (Water Production) you will:

• Lead the team to deliver excellent performance by setting clear and effective expectations linked to business targets.
• Work as part of the Water Production management team to deliver excellent performance by understanding how their individual performance links into achieving the departments wider objectives and strategy.
• Demonstrate exemplary Health, Safety & Wellbeing in a proactive manner, including management of the team Safeguard audits, actions, Process Safety, Training compliance and adherence to PSG01.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory and quality assurance requirements through effective planning, monitoring, control, operation and optimisation. Highlight and manage strategic risks in your area and ensure they are kept updated on the company's strategic risk register (4Risk).
• Ensure that all proactive and reactive activity on the water production asset base is completed in line with Above Ground Maintenance (AGM) principles and in accordance with all YW Health and Safety policies and procedures.
• Manage incidents to minimise compliance impact or failure, restoring service as quickly and effectively as possible, whilst developing robust mitigation plans.
• Lead service or asset escalation (Bronze CIMP) to ensure a consistently high level of service during extreme weather conditions, major asset failure or environmental impact.
• Responsible for ensuring that all incidents and events (e.g. safety, WQ, environmental) are investigated thoroughly across the area.
• Operate as part of the Water Production Leadership Team supporting the Head of Water Production to deliver the strategy and direction of the function.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with external stakeholders.
• To support delivery of the department purpose, to drive performance from our assets to deliver service and performance aligned to achieving our performance commitments.
• You will take part in a regional standby rota (Bronze level)

What skills & qualifications you will need:

• Detailed working knowledge and experience of an operational environment in the utilities sector, preferably the water industry.
• Experience of managing and leading a remote team with a proven track record of driving sustainable performance against challenging business and regulatory targets.
• Is able to demonstrate the ability to work in a team and under your own initiative.
• Experience of supporting and embedding change, able to influence and drive the right culture and behaviours.
• Experience of Health and Safety management processes and systems.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to communicate with colleagues at all levels across the business, including senior leaders and the Executive team.
• Experience of understanding where a role and/or team fits within a business plan and then developing ways to deliver the outputs with efficiencies.
• Develops and maintains effective internal and external relationships, clearly demonstrates the Yorkshire Water company values and behaviours.
• Budget and P&L management experience is a must.

You will also benefit from having:

• Previous experience in a regulatory environment, with some elements of raw water, water treatment or maintenance operations a benefit.
• Previous experience gained within the water or waste water sectors or within the broader utilities, process or manufacturing industry sectors.
• Good understanding of water operational structures and processes.
• Understanding of the regulatory requirements and measures for WASCs,
• Experience of setting up new functions and teams that covers process, systems and people.
• Degree or equivalent in Science or Engineering preferred.
• Good understanding of the regulatory framework, including Ofwat, DWI and EA.
• An understanding of the requirements of the Reservoirs Act (1975).

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! There is an expectation that you spend time each week on an operational site working closely with the management team.

Do we sound like your cup of tea?

If you've got experience in a regulatory environment, with some elements of raw water, water treatment or maintenance operations and want to help us deliver great service for our customers whilst looking after the environment, then be sure to apply today to find out what a career with Yorkshire Water can offer you.

Closing date - 13th June 2025

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, should the need occur. We therefore advise that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible.

No agencies please.