Water Resource & Resilience Planning Manager at Kelda Group · Leeds

Water Resource and Resilience Planning Manager

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, depending on experience, 3a, £75-80,000.
• A company car lease/allowance scheme (£600 per month/£7,200 per year).
• Annual incentive related bonus - up to 20% 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 two wellness days!
• 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: Leeds Valley Park, hybrid working, with regular travel to Yorkshire Water sites and external stakeholder meetings.

Work type: Permanent, 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday

We have an exciting opportunity for a Water Resource and Resilience Planning Manager to join the Water Resources team at Yorkshire Water and help shape the long-term future of water supply across the region.

The opportunity

As our Water Resource and Resilience Planning Manager, you will provide strategic leadership for the development of Yorkshire Water’s Water Resources Management Plan, Regional Plan, Drought Plan and Water Supply Systems Strategy.

You will lead the development and appraisal of demand and supply-side options, ensuring Yorkshire Water has a robust, evidence-based and deliverable portfolio capable of meeting customers’ future water supply needs. This includes helping Yorkshire Water achieve a resilient, affordable and environmentally sustainable supply-demand balance through to 2075.

You will also act as Project Sponsor for Yorkshire Water’s Strategic Resource Options programme, currently representing investment of more than £2 billion. You will provide clear accountability for ensuring these major schemes deliver their intended business outcomes, regulatory commitments and long-term benefits for customers.

Working in a complex and highly regulated environment, you will bring together engineering, water resources, environmental, drinking-water quality, commercial and operational considerations. You will work closely with regulators, neighbouring water companies, consultants, strategic partners and colleagues across Yorkshire Water to develop solutions that provide the best overall value for customers and the environment.

What you will be accountable for

• Ensuring Yorkshire Water has a robust, evidence-based and deliverable portfolio of demand and supply-side options supporting the Water Resources Management Plan, Regional Plan and Drought Plan.
• Providing senior sponsorship for Yorkshire Water’s Strategic Resource Options programme, ensuring investment delivers the required outcomes, benefits and regulatory commitments.
• Leading the review, development and maintenance of Yorkshire Water’s Water Supply Systems Strategy, ensuring it meets future resilience, operational and business requirements.
• Managing the water-resource options development programme, including consultant inputs, technical delivery, budgets, quality and timescales.
• Ensuring options are developed and appraised in accordance with relevant regulatory, government and industry requirements, including environmental, engineering, public-health and drinking-water-quality considerations.
• Building effective relationships with regulators, Water Resources North, neighbouring water companies, operational teams, delivery partners and major-project teams.
• Aligning water-resource planning with Major Projects, Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans, WINEP, Integrated Water Management, base-maintenance plans and other strategic investment programmes.
• Providing leadership, coaching and technical direction to a small team and colleagues across the wider Water Resources and Major Projects functions.
• Ensuring work is undertaken safely and that appropriate health, safety and wellbeing standards are maintained.

What you will bring

• A degree in a relevant discipline, preferably supported by a postgraduate qualification.
• Significant experience within the water sector or a relevant technical consultancy, ideally including water-resource planning and infrastructure development.
• Strong technical knowledge of water-supply systems, including treatment, production and distribution.
• Good knowledge of water-resource planning legislation and the ability to interpret and communicate its implications for the business.
• Knowledge of the RAPID Strategic Resource Option framework and major gated infrastructure-development processes.
• Experience of providing senior technical or project sponsorship, preferably within water resources or major infrastructure.
• Proven project-management experience, including responsibility for programmes, budgets, consultants and contractual arrangements.
• Strategic thinking and experience of developing and implementing long-term plans in a complex, uncertain and regulated environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce technical and non-technical reports and present complex information clearly.
• The ability to build effective relationships and influence senior leaders, regulators, delivery partners and external stakeholders.
• Experience of leading and developing people, including managing direct reports and coaching colleagues on technical matters.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret evidence, assess options and support effective investment decisions.
• Membership of an appropriate professional body would be advantageous.
• Experience of developing Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects would be advantageous.
• A full UK driving licence and the ability to travel to Yorkshire Water sites and external meetings.

We embrace a flexible working model, where our hybrid setup typically requires an average of two days per week in the office or on site. This could be slightly more when collaborative work, stakeholder meetings, training or business priorities require it.

Do we sound like your cup of tea?

If you are an experienced water-resources or strategic infrastructure professional and want to help shape Yorkshire’s future water supply, apply today to find out what a career with Yorkshire Water can offer you.

This is an opportunity to lead plans and investments that will support long-term water resilience, including the ambition to achieve 1-in-500-year drought resilience by 2040, while balancing affordability, deliverability, environmental impacts and customers’ expectations.

Accessibility

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 adjustments to the recruitment process, please include this information in your application and we will discuss any reasonable adjustments required.

Just a heads-up! We might start interviewing and close the position based on the response. To make sure you are considered, please send in your application as soon as you can.

If successful, you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks, including a Basic Disclosure Check. Depending on the role, additional security vetting may also be required.

All our roles are subject to a medical questionnaire, and further medicals when required.

No agencies please