Clean Water System Planning Lead Job Reading area,England UK,Engineering

Overview

At Thames Water, every decision we make helps to shape the future of water for over 16 million people. Supplying billions of litres daily, we’re committed to delivering vital services while protecting our environment and communities. Right now, we’re looking for a strategic-thinking System Planning Lead to help us build resilient water systems for generations to come.

What you’ll be doing

In this influential role, you’ll lead a team to develop dynamic, system-wide in-AMP Asset Plans and Capital Maintenance plans to feed into our business plan for PR29. You’ll champion the in-AMP work required to enable targeted investment prioritisation with Operations and wider stakeholders, ensuring decisions are driven by risk and outcome-based thinking.

Key responsibilities

Leading the development and delivery of strategic and in-AMP Asset Plans at catchment, site, and system levels.
Developing a bottom-up investment plan for PR29.
Overseeing the planning and justification of Capital Maintenance interventions and risk mitigation options to prioritise spend effectively.
Ensuring your team maintains a deep understanding of asset risk positions and supports mitigation strategies across the lifecycle, from identifying needs to supporting delivery and handover.
Driving long-term planning that underpins future price reviews by surfacing critical asset risks.
Influencing strategic investment and cultural transformation towards a proactive, lifecycle-focused approach to asset planning.

Base Location

Hybrid working from Clearwater Court

Working Pattern

Full-time, Monday–Friday (36 hours per week)

What you’ll bring to the role

Strong leadership and management experience, with the ability to inspire teams and drive meaningful cultural change.
Solid understanding of asset management, engineering, or related best practices.
Exceptional communication skills, able to convey complex information and influence senior stakeholders.
Proven ability to identify opportunities for improvement and proactively drive solutions.
Good grasp of regulatory frameworks and external factors impacting water and wastewater management.

Extra qualities that would be a great fit

Ideally, degree-qualified or significant equivalent experience, with professional membership being an advantage.
Driving License and access to a car.

What’s in it for you?

Joining Thames Water means becoming part of a supportive, innovative team where your strategic vision makes a tangible difference. You ll play a vital role in creating sustainable water management strategies. Alongside career growth and professional recognition, you’ll receive:

Competitive salary up to £75,000 per annum, depending on experience.
26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays).
Annual Bonus.
Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
Private Medical Health Care.
Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
Access to benefits supporting health, wellbeing, and finances (e.g., health MOTs, physiotherapy, counselling, Cycle to Work, vouchers, life assurance).

Find out more about our benefits and perks. Please note different T&Cs apply if on secondment.

Who are we?

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, serving more than 16 million customers daily. We aim to build a better future for all, helping customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. Thames Water is a diverse place to work, offering meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.

Additional notes

We’re committed…