Strategic Production Lead

Every day, we balance water production, customer demand, asset availability, environmental constraints and regulatory obligations across a complex regional network. Production Planning brings that system together, helping us operate our assets with the discipline of a factory while keeping safe, wholesome water flowing to our customers. We're looking for a Strategic Production Lead to take that thinking further ahead. You will shape the long‑term strategy for how water is produced and moved across our increasingly connected regional network, bringing together operational, regulatory, environmental and financial priorities and turning them into clear choices, plans and action.

You will have the opportunity to influence important decisions, improve established ways of working and help build the Production Planning capability we will need as climate change, population growth and increasing system connectivity reshape the choices ahead.

• Shaping a long‑term strategy for how we produce and move water across our region, balancing customer demand, asset capability, cost, environmental commitments and regulatory requirements.
• Bringing together insight from across the business to identify future risks, constraints and opportunities, then turning them into clear priorities and practical plans.
• Influencing major operational and investment decisions so that choices made today support a resilient, efficient and sustainable water system for the future.
• Leading improvements to the way Production Planning works, creating clearer processes, better use of data and stronger connections between long‑term strategy and day‑to‑day operations.
• Building trusted relationships across operational, technical and strategic teams, resolving competing priorities and providing clear recommendations when difficult choices need to be made.
• Tracking performance and benefits to show whether the strategy is delivering the right outcomes for customers, the environment and the business.

Creating a safe, inclusive and improvement‑focused environment where people can challenge, share ideas and make well‑informed decisions. Our customers come from all walks of life, and we want our teams to reflect that. We consider all suitably qualified applicants and recruit and develop our people based on merit and their passion for creating better outcomes. We are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels they belong and is supported to succeed.

• Strategic thinking, with the ability to anticipate risk and opportunity and convert long‑term objectives into clear, actionable plans.
• Strong leadership, influencing and negotiation skills, including the confidence to bring together people with different priorities.
• Experience of working in a complex operational, infrastructure, manufacturing, utilities or regulated environment.
• The ability to understand connected systems, interpret data and explain complex strategic issues in clear, simple language.
• A track record of improving processes, establishing clear ownership and embedding new ways of working.
• Sound judgement when balancing service, risk, cost, environmental and regulatory outcomes.
• A full UK driving license, as the role includes travel across our region.

Water industry experience would be valuable, but it is not the only route into this role. We are equally interested in people who bring strong strategic planning, production planning, systems thinking or operational experience from another complex industry. You may be educated to degree level, or you may have developed equivalent capability through your career. What matters most is the quality of your thinking, your ability to influence and your…