At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead innovative water projects and connect with external partners for impactful solutions.
- Company: Join Anglian Water, a leader in sustainable innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, generous pension contributions, private healthcare, and 26 days annual leave.
- Other info: Inclusive workplace committed to diversity and personal growth.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in water innovation while developing your career in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in leading innovation initiatives and strong stakeholder management skills required.
The predicted salary is between 51750 - 63250 £ per year.
Circa 50,202 dependent on skills and experience. Permanent, full time (37 hours) with flexible working options in Peterborough.
Dive into a world of opportunity, and join our team! We are looking for a Water Innovation Fund Lead to join our Research and Innovation team! This role is accountable for using the Ofwat Innovation Fund as a strategic route to build Anglian Water innovation capability, shape high-value opportunities and accelerate learning from sector-wide collaboration. In this role you will act as the connector between business challenges, external innovation partners, Ofwat-funded activity, and internal adoption pathways. You will help Anglian Water gain maximum value from projects where we lead, partner or observe, ensuring learning is captured, shared and converted into future bids, adoption opportunities and investment decisions.
Key responsibilities:
- Oversee funded innovation activity using an experimentation mindset, focusing on proof of feasibility, speed of learning, risk reduction and scalable business impact.
- Work with technical leads, project sponsors and partners to define learning questions, trial success criteria, assumptions, decision points and evidence requirements.
- Ensure Anglian Water's Innovation Fund projects are delivered to agreed safety, time, cost, quality and governance expectations.
- Ensure internal teams are engaged early and effectively so that successful innovation outputs have a clear route into business adoption, scaling or future investment.
- Maintain visibility of delivery progress, project risks, dependencies and emerging issues, escalating where appropriate.
- Represent Anglian Water professionally in external project forums, working groups, steering groups and industry discussions.
- Capture financial and non-financial benefits, including learning value, technical feasibility, regulatory insight, resilience, environmental outcomes and customer value.
We invest in our people - as a valued employee, you'll be entitled to:
- Personal private health care.
- Generous double match pension - contribute 7% and Anglian Water will contribute 14%, giving a total contribution of 21%.
- 24-hour Virtual GP service for you and your household.
- 26 days annual leave - rising with length of service and the ability to buy more.
- Life assurance (up to 8 x salary).
- Personal accident cover (up to 5 x salary).
- Excellent family friendly policies, such as 26 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave, as well as 4 weeks paid paternity/partner leave. Opportunity for shared parental pay.
- Bonus scheme.
- Flexible benefits and working culture to support your wellbeing and lifestyle.
What does it take to be successful?
- Experience leading innovation, transformation, or complex change initiatives involving multiple stakeholders.
- Experience working with external partners, suppliers, funders or collaborative delivery teams.
- Understanding of innovation delivery, trials, pilots, benefits tracking and adoption pathways.
- Strong stakeholder management skills, able to build effective relationships across different teams and organisations.
- Experience of preparing reports, presentations, governance updates or decision papers.
- Able to translate technical or complex project information into clear and engaging communications.
- Self-starter who takes ownership while working within agreed governance and assurance frameworks.
- Confident to challenge assumptions constructively and influence without direct authority.
Inclusion at Anglian Water:
Inclusion is for everyone and we are an equal opportunity employer, which means we'll consider all suitably qualified applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or beliefs, age, sexual orientation, disability status or any other protected characteristic. We recruit and develop our people based on merit and their passion for creating better outcomes, and we're committed to creating an environment where all our colleagues feel they belong.
Closing date: 20th August 2026. Interview date: W/C 7th September or W/C 14th September.
Water Innovation Fund Lead, Peterborough employer: Anglian Water
ANGLIAN WATER is an exceptional employer located in Bedford, offering a supportive work culture that prioritises employee well-being and development. With flexible working hours and a comprehensive benefits package including a competitive pension scheme and private healthcare, employees are encouraged to grow their skills while contributing to meaningful environmental initiatives. Join us to be part of a team that values innovation and sustainability in water recycling processes.
