Customer & Events Specialist South West Water · Customer and Community · Exeter

Powered by Water, Driven by Purpose. South West Water keeps the South West flowing with safe, reliable drinking water and wastewater services across some of the UK’s most stunning landscapes. We’re proud to be part of Pennon Group, a leader in the UK water sector, working towards a greener future.

Our goals? As well as lowering our carbon footprint, we’re working with partners to plant 300,000 trees, restore peatlands and support farmers and landowners to improve water quality and wildlife.

Whether you’re starting out or seeking a new challenge, our scale and ambition create opportunities for you to shape your own career. Ready to make a splash? Join our team today.

Are you passionate about delivering exceptional customer service and making a real difference during critical customer events? We're looking for a Customer & Events Specialist to join our Operational Service Delivery team and play a vital role in ensuring our customers receive industry-leading support when they need it most.

About the Role: Domestic Customer Services (DCS) is responsible for delivering outstanding customer service across South West Water and Bournemouth Water, helping us achieve our business objectives, customer commitments, and Outcome Delivery Incentives (ODIs). As a Customer & Events Specialist, you will take ownership of operational customer contacts, helping to manage customer communications during operational events and incidents while delivering a first-class customer experience. Acting as an advocate for our customers, you'll ensure they remain informed through timely, accurate, and proactive communications across multiple channels.

This is a dynamic and rewarding role where no two days are the same. You'll work closely with operational teams, field staff, partners, and stakeholders across the business to ensure customers receive the highest level of support during planned and unplanned service events. Due to the nature of the role, you will participate in a rotational shift pattern and provide standby cover when required. Flexibility to support the business outside of standard working hours during operational incidents is essential.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Deliver exceptional end-to-end customer service for operational enquiries and incidents.
• Act as a customer advocate, ensuring customers remain informed throughout events and service interruptions.
• Proactively identify opportunities to engage with customers, improve satisfaction levels, and reduce incoming contact volumes.
• Liaise with field teams, operational colleagues, and external partners to resolve customer issues efficiently.
• Handle incoming operational and field-based contacts, providing assistance and information as required.
• Maintain accurate customer records and ensure all interactions are recorded correctly within customer systems.
• Compose high-quality written responses that meet service standards and agreed timescales.
• Provide customers with real-time updates relating to operational incidents and events.
• Ensure event logs and operational records are completed accurately and on time.
• Resolve challenging customer situations confidently, escalating where appropriate.
• Collaborate effectively with colleagues to deliver excellent team and business outcomes.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, identifying opportunities to enhance processes and customer experience.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, governance requirements, and health and safety standards.

What We're Looking For: We're seeking a customer-focused professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and remains calm under pressure. You'll ideally have:

• Experience delivering outstanding customer service in a contact centre, operational, or customer-facing environment.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building abilities.
• The confidence to manage sensitive customer situations with empathy and professionalism.
• The ability to work collaboratively while taking ownership and accountability for outcomes.
• Strong organisational skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Experience working with multiple systems and maintaining accurate customer records.
• A commitment to delivering service excellence and achieving performance targets.
• A proactive mindset with a passion for continuous improvement.

Why Join Us? This is an exciting opportunity to become part of a team that directly impacts customer experiences during some of the most important moments of their journey with us. You'll work in a challenging, rewarding environment where your contribution helps shape customer satisfaction, supports business performance, and makes a genuine difference to the communities we serve.

If you're a customer-focused professional who enjoys problem-solving, building relationships, and delivering exceptional service, we'd love to hear from you.

Closing Date: 7th August 2026. We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Please note that the successful candidate will be subject to a mandatory DBS check as part of the on-boarding process. Be yourself, we like it that way. Together, we will build a culture of belonging, where inclusion is instinctive. Diversity is our strength and a reflection of our communities. We care, we value everyone, we celebrate uniqueness.

Our core values, which are essential to our success, are:

• Be Rock Solid - Build trust and be trusted. Be the one we all look to and can depend on.
• Be You - We want you to bring your best every day. Be yourself and make your mark in your individual way.
• Be the Future - Embrace change. Drive Progress. Own the challenge.

Competitive Salary – Based on experience and skills. Annual Bonus Scheme – Recognising company performance. Pension Scheme – Helping you plan for your future. Healthcare Benefits – Access to employee assistance programs. Employee Discounts – On various products and services. Generous Annual Leave – Take time to recharge with our holiday entitlement.