Location
Reading, Thames Water catchment area

Hours
36 hours per week, Monday to Friday, Hybrid working: 2–3 days per week in the office and on-site

Salary
£80,000 to £89,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience
£5,800 per annum car allowance (full driving licence and personal transport required)

About the Role
Lead one of the UK’s most significant water and wastewater treatment infrastructure programmes, valued between £500 million and £1 billion. As a Programme Technical Manager, you will be at the heart of Thames Water’s capital delivery transformation, shaping technical strategy, building high-performing teams, and ensuring safe, sustainable, and efficient delivery of large-scale, multi-year infrastructure programmes. Your leadership will directly influence the modernisation of critical national assets and the long-term resilience of the communities served.

You will lead, mentor, and inspire a multi-disciplinary technical team ranging from Apprentices to Principal Engineers, fostering a positive culture centred on safety, development, and wellbeing. You will oversee the delivery of major water or wastewater treatment solutions from project inception through to handover to Operations, ensuring projects meet time, cost, and quality expectations.

Collaboration is key, working closely with internal teams, contractors, and consultants to proactively manage risk and drive successful programme outcomes. You will build strong relationships with senior leaders, partners, and regulators, influencing decisions and confidently tackling challenges. You will champion continuous improvement by challenging existing ways of working, sharing best practices, and fostering innovation across the programme.

This role is based at an office within the Thames Water catchment area and offers a hybrid working model with 2–3 days per week in the office and on-site.

Experience
- Significant leadership experience within technical, project, or construction environments, preferably in the water sector
- Proven ability to develop and embed processes relating to technical quality, documentation, and continuous improvement
- Experience in resource planning, productivity improvement, and driving teams to deliver to time, cost, and quality
- Strong commercial and contractual awareness with deep understanding of contractual considerations, risk/value management, and their impact throughout the project lifecycle
- Experience developing business cases and strategic Project Briefs
- Understanding of the regulatory environment and its influence on programme delivery

About you
- Strong leadership, communication, and coaching skills
- Strategic thinker with credibility and authority to influence senior stakeholders
- Driven by complex programme delivery and value-led decision-making
- Able to lead organisations through change and foster a positive, safety-focused culture

Qualifications
- Chartered Engineer (or equivalent) with membership of a relevant professional body