Senior Innovation Project Manager

Lingley Mere, Warrington (Hybrid) Permanent | Full Time

Competitive Salary | Annual Bonus + £5,000 Car Allowance

At United Utilities, we don't just deliver water, we deliver a better future for the North West. Our mission is to provide high-quality, sustainable water services that support a greener, healthier and more prosperous region.

Ranked #4 in The Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers
, we are proud of our commitment to diversity, innovation and creating a workplace where people can truly thrive.

As we significantly increase our investment in innovation over the next five years
, there has never been a more exciting time to join us.

We're looking for a highly experienced Senior Innovation Project Manager with a strong technical and engineering background to lead the development, trial and deployment of innovative technologies across our Commercial, Engineering and Capital Delivery (CEC) functions.

This role is ideal for someone who combines strategic project leadership with the technical credibility to challenge, influence and guide engineers, operational teams, delivery partners and suppliers through the successful adoption of new solutions.

You will lead complex programmes that introduce emerging technologies into operational environments, taking innovation from concept and proof-of-value through to large-scale deployment. Working across a c.£7bn capital programme, you'll play a key role in delivering measurable improvements in efficiency, carbon reduction, operational performance and customer outcomes.

We are expanding our award-winning Innovation and Out performance team at United Utilities, bringing together innovation, decarbonisation and standardisation to drive step-change improvements in cost and carbon performance.

Our team explores innovations that deliver value and drives the deployment of these solutions at scale to unlock out performance against our ambitious targets.

• Lead and deliver a diverse portfolio of complex, technically focused innovation projects and programmes
• Take ideas from concept through to operational adoption, ensuring measurable benefits, scalability and real-world impact
• Assess, challenge and validate emerging technologies, ensuring technical feasibility, operational suitability and value for money
• Work closely with engineering, operational and capital delivery teams to successfully deploy innovative solutions into live operational environments
• Manage pilot projects, proof-of-concept trials and large-scale deployments involving multiple stakeholders, contractors and suppliers Provide credible technical leadership and challenge to internal teams, consultants and technology partners
• Drive efficiency, sustainability and carbon reduction outcomes across the business
• Inspire and mentor project managers, championing agile thinking, innovation and continuous improvement
• Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders, shaping decisions and influencing outcomes
• Collaborate with external partners and funding bodies including Ofwat, Innovate UK and Horizon Europe
• Manage delivery across risk, governance, resources and commercial performance
• Promote innovation across the business, increasing visibility, engagement and adoption of new technologies and ways of working
• Lead the safe introduction of new technologies, processes and suppliers into operational environments, ensuring robust risk assessment and effective governance Ensure outstanding Health & Safety performance, operating within CDM and DSEAR frameworks whilst maintaining the highest standards of operational safety

• Be at the forefront of a rapidly expanding international innovation programme
• Work on cutting-edge technologies and engineering solutions from around…