About the role:
We are seeking an Operational Catchment Manager for a 12 months secondment/fixed term contract. Leading a team of three Catchment Scientists, you’ll be responsible for assessing risk within raw water catchments and storage reservoirs to deliver Drinking Water Safety Plan (DWSP) obligations.
Utilising expert knowledge in the area of catchment water quality, you’ll coach the team to develop and maintain a robust methodology for risk assessments. The team will manage a programme of catchment walkovers, collating information and interpreting it together with other, sometimes large, data sets to determine risk. They’ll also co-ordinate the identification of appropriate measures to mitigate the risks identified and monitor the delivery of these, whilst working with other teams to integrate catchment risk assessments into wider supply system outputs.
Your technical expertise will be required to support the business, for example, in the investigation of operational catchment issues and owning relevant policies and procedures.
In essence, as the Operational Catchment Manager, you’ll be responsible for ensuring risks to raw water quality are identified, suitably mitigated to protect drinking water supplies, and effectively reported.
Key Accountabilities:
- Lead a team of scientists to develop Thames Water’s catchment and raw water storage risk assessments in line with Drinking Water Safety Plan (DWSP) obligations.
- Manage a programme of catchment walkovers; collate and analyse the information obtained.
- Provide catchment input to the company’s Hazard Review programme designed to assess catchment and treatment risks in a holistic manner.
- Manage a programme of DWSP updates on the company’s bespoke DWSP IT system to meet regulatory requirements.
- Develop and maintain relevant procedures to comply with regulatory and accreditation requirements.
- Provide expertise and technical support for operational catchment-related issues/activities that impact on water quality. This includes evaluation of relevant risks, providing advice to internal and, where necessary, external stakeholders to support the design and implementation of relevant mitigation measures.
- Manage the company’s policy on pesticide use on sites.
- Manage a small team of scientists to deliver against internal and external targets, with a focus on performance management and health and safety.
- Develop the team to ensure a level of expertise is maintained in the field of catchment risk assessments and catchment management.
To be successful, you will have the following skills and experience:
- A graduate (or equivalent) in a relevant scientific discipline with chartership of a relevant awarding body (or working towards).
- Significant water industry experience in a relevant role is desirable.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills at all levels are crucial.
- Excellent reporting, organisation and workload management skills.
- Previous experience of managing a team would be beneficial, including a good knowledge of health and safety.
- Exceptional IT skills and an ability to learn new systems is important.
- A proactive, can-do attitude is key to success in this role.
What’s in it for you:
This is an exciting opportunity to manage a small team whose activities occupy a niche that underpins the company’s Drinking Water Safety Plans; in this role you’ll gain a wealth of experience in the area of catchment water quality. Within the wider Water Quality Risk team, you’ll join a team committed to reducing risk and improving water quality. With a breadth of duties, there will be opportunities to communicate with colleagues at all levels across the organisation.
Our competitive salary package includes an excellent contributory pension, 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with length of service and a wider benefits scheme. This includes an annual pay review, season ticket loans, voucher scheme giving you money off in major retail outlets, loyalty awards for continuous service plus much more, including our referral scheme, where you can receive £750 for helping someone get a permanent position within the company.
We’re also proud to be here for our local community, offering everyone two days paid volunteer leave a year, as well as proudly supporting a lot of local events and charities.
Click here to find out more about working at Thames Water
About us:
Thames Water is the UK’s largest water and wastewater company. We make a daily difference to millions of customers by supplying 2.7 billion litres of world-class water to around 10 million homes.
As our world changes, the need to take care of our most precious resource is greater than ever, both locally and globally. That’s why, at Thames Water, every one of our actions, big and small, matters every day. Water is essential to daily life, and that means our business is always open. We’re passionate about providing world-class tap water, now and for the future.
We’re also turning waste into power, self-generating 20% of the energy we use and, in turn, doing our bit for the planet. We’re reducing plastic waste by celebrating our tap water and rolling out an ambitious water fountain project. We’re using our voice to lobby for change and partnering with WaterAid to provide clean water to the world’s poorest communities.
Together, we’re building a better future for our customers, our region and our planet.
Thames Water is a unique, rewarding and diverse place to work. If you join our team, you’ll enjoy fast-tracked career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and unparalleled benefits. We’re also proud to be an equal opportunity employer, Stonewall Diversity Champion and Disability Confident Leader, welcoming individuals from all walks of life and leading the way with award-winning mental health and well-being strategy.