Location
Reading

Hours
Full Time

Salary
Up to £75,000 per annum, depending on experience

About the Role
At Thames Water, we make a real difference for 16 million customers every day, supplying 2.6 billion litres of water through 32,000 km of pipes, keeping taps flowing and toilets flushing. We deliver life’s essential service so our customers, communities, and the environment can thrive. We’re looking for a Senior Project Manager to lead high-impact IT and digital transformation initiatives that drive Thames Water forward. In this role, you’ll be at the heart of delivering technology and business change that directly supports our organisational goals.

As a Senior Project Manager, you’ll take the lead on high-impact IT and digital initiatives, managing complex projects that involve multiple teams and delivery partners. Your responsibilities will include:
- Leading both internal teams and third-party partners, using a mix of line and matrix management approaches.
- Engaging and managing stakeholders at all levels, up to department heads, ensuring alignment and buy-in.
- Partnering with the Programme Manager and Head of Portfolio to develop the PM team, share best practices, and drive the adoption of agile principles, processes, and cultural improvements across the organisation.
- Proactively identifying, assessing, and managing project risks and dependencies, escalating issues when required.
- Creating and maintaining project cost models, challenging budgets to deliver maximum value.
- Leading project appraisals, kick-off meetings, closure reports, and lessons learned workshops, ensuring insights are applied to future initiatives.
- Managing complex projects with critical dependencies and timelines, confidently working independently and applying your expertise to drive successful outcomes.

Join us and play a key role in transforming Thames Water through digital and technology initiatives that make a tangible difference every day.

What’s in it for you?
- Competitive salary of up to £75,000 per annum, depending on experience.
- Annual leave starting at 26 days per year, increasing to 30 with length of service (plus bank holidays).
- Performance-related pay plan linked directly to company performance measures and targets.
- Generous pension scheme through AON.
- Access to a wide range of benefits to support your health, wellbeing, and finances, including annual health MOTs, physiotherapy, counselling, Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers, and life assurance.

Who are we?
We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, serving more than 16 million customers daily. We aim to build a better future for all by helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we need passionate, skilled people committed to making a difference and helping us achieve our goals for the years ahead.

Working at Thames Water
Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work where every day you can make a difference. We offer meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements, and excellent benefits. If you want a sustainable and successful career making a daily difference to millions of lives while protecting water resources for future generations, we’ll support you every step of the way.

Why choose us?
We are committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive employer. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure support throughout the recruitment process. If you require any adjustments, such as extra time or accessible formats, please let us know. As part of Team Thames, you’ll also have the opportunity to support customers on the frontline as an ambassador, with full training provided, offering a rewarding experience and a chance to learn more about our business.

Experience
- Extensive IT project management experience delivering complex projects involving multiple stakeholders and third-party suppliers.
- Experience with a range of delivery methodologies, including Agile and Waterfall.
- Proven ability to manage complex projects with a mix of internal and external teams.

About you
- Strong leadership skills with experience leading both internal teams and third-party partners.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, able to engage at all levels.
- Proactive risk and issue management.
- Collaborative approach, able to work with Programme Managers and senior leaders to drive best practices and cultural improvements.

Qualifications
- Industry-recognised project management qualification.

Desirable
- Agile Project Management / Scrum experience.
- Technical experience aligned with IT/digital project delivery.
- Experience managing platform replacements with significant business change impact.