At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic asset health and resilience initiatives in water services.
- Company: Join South West Water, part of Pennon Group, committed to a greener future.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, inclusive culture, and opportunities for career growth.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace that values your unique contributions.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on sustainable water management and community wellbeing.
- Qualifications: Degree in Engineering or related field; leadership experience in asset management.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 85000 £ per year.
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.
Role Purpose
To provide strategic leadership and single-point accountability for the company's approach to asset health, system risk and long-term resilience across water and wastewater services. The role is responsible for ensuring that asset deterioration, system vulnerabilities and resilience risks are understood, quantified and translated into effective investment and operational strategies. Working closely with Asset Management, Operations, Engineering, Regulation and Business Planning teams, the post holder will develop the evidence base, frameworks and insight required to support confident, risk-based decision making, ensuring the business can demonstrate a robust, defensible and future-focused approach to managing its asset base and delivering resilient services to customers.
Key Deliverables
- Asset Health, Risk & Resilience Leadership
- Own and continuously develop the organisation's asset health, risk and resilience frameworks across water and wastewater assets.
- Establish robust methodologies for assessing asset deterioration, criticality, performance and lifecycle risk.
- Ensure asset health and resilience strategies align with business objectives, regulatory requirements and industry best practice.
- Maintain a clear understanding of network and treatment vulnerabilities, critical dependencies and resilience risks across operational systems.
- Strategic Asset Planning & Investment Prioritisation
- Lead the development and application of risk-based investment frameworks that optimise expenditure across the asset lifecycle.
- Provide strategic direction on intervention planning, balancing performance, resilience, affordability and customer outcomes.
- Ensure asset health evidence effectively informs investment prioritisation, capital programmes and long‑term planning activities.
- Champion predictive and condition‑based approaches to asset management that improve decision quality and asset performance.
- Regulatory & Business Planning
- Lead asset health, resilience and risk contributions to Business Plans, Price Reviews and regulatory submissions.
- Develop compelling, evidence‑based investment cases that withstand internal and external scrutiny.
- Support engagement with regulators, assurance providers and industry stakeholders.
- Ensure asset health and resilience considerations are embedded within WRMP, DWMP and wider strategic planning activities.
- Analytics, Insight & Decision Support
- Develop and oversee asset health dashboards, predictive models, deterioration forecasts and risk‑based prioritisation tools.
- Drive the effective use of analytics, forecasting and emerging technologies to improve asset management outcomes.
- Translate complex technical data into clear and actionable insights for executives, boards and regulatory audiences.
- Ensure analytical outputs remain transparent, explainable and aligned to business decision‑making requirements.
- Leadership & Capability Development
- Lead and develop a high‑performing team of asset health, risk and resilience specialists.
- Build organisational capability in risk‑based asset management and resilience planning.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and evidence‑led decision making.
- Act as the organisation's recognised expert and advocate for asset health and resilience management.
What Previous Experience Is Required
Essential Experience
- Significant leadership experience within asset management, asset health, resilience, risk management or strategic investment planning.
- Experience working within a regulated utility, infrastructure or asset‑intensive environment.
- Demonstrable experience developing and implementing asset health frameworks, deterioration models and lifecycle planning approaches.
- Proven track record of enterprise‑level risk management and resilience planning across complex asset portfolios.
- Experience contributing to or leading regulatory business planning activities and evidence‑based investment submissions.
- Experience communicating complex technical information to executive, Board and regulatory audiences.
- Strong understanding of analytical tools, predictive modelling and decision‑support techniques within an asset management environment.
- Practical experience applying ISO 55001 principles and asset management best practice.
Desirable Experience
- Experience supporting Ofwat Price Reviews or equivalent regulatory submissions.
- Knowledge of resilience assessment methodologies and critical infrastructure planning.
- Experience developing advanced analytics, AI‑enabled decision support or predictive maintenance programmes.
- Exposure to water and wastewater network modelling, treatment asset performance or operational resilience planning.
Key Qualifications Required
- Degree qualification in Engineering, Asset Management, Risk Management, Data Analytics, Environmental Sciences or a related discipline.
- Chartered status, or working towards professional accreditation through a recognised institution (e.g. ICE, CIWEM, BCS, RICS or equivalent).
- Strong knowledge and practical experience of asset health modelling, risk management and resilience planning.
Closing Date: 14th Aug 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 onboarding 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.
Asset Health, Risk & Resilience Lead in Exeter employer: Bournemouth Water Ltd
At South West Water, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that champions sustainability and community engagement. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through our robust training programmes and opportunities for career advancement, all set against the backdrop of the stunning South West landscapes. Join us to be part of a forward-thinking team dedicated to making a positive impact while enjoying a supportive and inclusive environment.
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We think this is how you could land Asset Health, Risk & Resilience Lead in Exeter
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We think you need these skills to ace Asset Health, Risk & Resilience Lead in Exeter
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✨Brush Up on Core Engineering Principles
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