Water Utilities Director

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Please note candidates can be based from any of our UK offices.

At Arup we recognise the critical role water plays in sustaining life, enabling economic growth and regenerating the natural environment. We aim to work with others to shape a new future for the water sector, influencing policy agendas, building supporting frameworks, enabling investment in water infrastructure, and enhancing water resilience and nature recovery.

Our UK Water Business has grown rapidly over the past five years, expanding services, client reach, and influence. We work closely with most UK water companies, building a strong pipeline and securing multiple routes to market across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

This is a region‑level leadership role focused on leading UK water utility market‑facing activities, driving collaboration, and supporting growth. You will work as part of a small Senior Leadership Team, reporting directly to the Regional Water Business Lead, Catherine Wenger.

You will drive client and partner relationship activities, ensure accurate market understanding, represent the firm externally, and contribute to global business success through collaboration and best‑practice sharing. You will promote a client‑centric culture, set strategic priorities, advise on investment, shape marketing activities, and lead communications and work‑winning initiatives. Staying ahead of market trends, advocating on key issues, and ensuring we maximise value from existing and new frameworks will be essential.

You will be a motivated, enthusiastic, curious, and competent individual with a strong track record of delivery through building excellent client and partner relationships, with the ability to maximise opportunities and routes to market and engage and motivate across a large organisation.

You will require the following knowledge, skills and attributes:

• Good understanding of the political, regulatory and industry context that water companies operate within.
• Strong network of senior c‑suite contacts across the UK utility market—both with partner and client organisations—to convene and influence for optimal understanding, insight, visibility, positioning and delivery.
• Ability to ‘future‑gaze’ and provide credible advice grounded in a strong understanding of the sector.
• Experience of working successfully to maximise opportunities within a framework.
• Enthusiasm to consider new ways of working and champion digital and data‑enabled insights recognising that working patterns and requirements will change dramatically over the lifetime of frameworks.
• Willingness to challenge constructively both internally and externally in a manner that brings clarity and introduces novel and innovative approaches to resolve issues.
• Be inquisitive and motivated to continuously learn and question the status quo both in a technical and broader social context, canvassing opinions, sourcing new ideas and proactively bringing those into discussions.
• Ability to build followership and understanding to help enthuse and empower members.

Education to degree level; chartership at a relevant professional body.

At Arup, we care about each member’s success, fostering growth together. Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognises the contribution of each member to our shared success. This includes competitive, fair and equitable pay, benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities, and many possibilities to have an impact through the work you do.

We also provide private medical insurance, life assurance, accident insurance, and income protection cover. Flexible benefits help you look after all aspects of your wellbeing and give you freedom to find the best solutions for you, your family, and your individual needs.

Arup is an equal‑opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender…