At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic planning and shape the future of Welsh Water with innovative insights.
- Company: Join a not-for-profit company dedicated to environmental care and customer trust.
- Benefits: Enjoy 34 days annual leave, flexible working, and a range of employee perks.
- Other info: Hybrid work model with at least 3 days in the Cardiff office.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on long-term strategies that influence the water sector.
- Qualifications: Degree in strategy, business, or related field; experience in regulated industries required.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 70000 £ per year.
- Salary
- £70,000
- Location
- Cardiff - Hybrid 3+ days office based
- What you’ll be responsible for
Reporting to the Strategy Director, the Senior Strategy Manager plays a central role in shaping Welsh Water’s strategic direction by leading the development of strategic content, coordinating long-term business planning, and liaising with stakeholders on strategic issues.
The role is responsible for supporting the end-to-end strategy and business planning processes, ensuring that long-term pathways, choices and trade-offs are clearly articulated, credible and grounded in evidence.
The postholder brings together horizon scanning, insight and organisational inputs to develop coherent strategic narratives that inform Executive and Board decision-making.
Key responsibilities of the role
1. Play a leading role in development and oversight of Dŵr Cymru’s long-term corporate strategy.
2. Develop and articulate long-term planning pathways and directional choices, supporting clarity on options, dependencies and implications over 5, 10 and 25-year horizons.
Lead and coordinate horizon scanning activity across political, regulatory, environmental, technological and societal domains, translating emerging trends into strategic insights and implications.
4. Manage strategic planning frameworks and governance, ensuring alignment between corporate strategy, business planning and asset investment.
5. Prepare high-quality written materials for Executive and Board consideration, including strategy papers, long-term plans and options narratives.
6. Work closely with Regulation, Finance, Asset Planning, Customer and Operations teams to ensure long-term plans are informed by evidence.
Contribute to the ongoing development of tools to promote a strong strategic culture across the organisation, encouraging long-term thinking, collaboration and evidence-based decision-making
About you
The following are essential requirements for the recruitment of the role:
Qualifications
- Degree or equivalent professional qualification in strategy, business, economics, public policy, social science or a related discipline.
Experience
- Experience operating in regulated, infrastructure companies.
- Proven experience leading or supporting structured strategy development processes and multi-year business planning, from early thinking through to Executive and Board sign-off.
- Strong track record of authoring high-quality strategy documents, long-term plans or position papers for senior decision-makers.
- Experience synthesising inputs from multiple disciplines (e. g. insight, regulation, finance, operations) into coherent long-term narratives.
- Experience undertaking or coordinating horizon scanning and translating emerging trends into strategic implications.
- Significant senior-level experience working in strategy development, regulatory policy or business planning within a complex, preferably regulated, organisation.
- Knowledge & Skills
- Deep knowledge of the UK water sector, regulatory environment, government policy drivers and price reviews.
- Strong understanding of strategy development methodologies, including long-term planning and pathway-based approaches.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate complex data and insight into strategic recommendations.
- Exceptional written communication and document authorship skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively across different parts of an organisation, forming strong networks.
- Strong critical thinking, synthesis and judgement.
- Ability to work effectively with senior stakeholders across organisational boundaries.
- Good to know
Whilst this role can be worked hybrid, there's a requirement for at least 3 days office (Linea/Cardiff St Mellons office).
This role will close when a suitable candidate has been found. Please submit your application ASAP.
Benefits
As well as a market competitive salary, 34 days annual leave (pro rata, including public holidays), we offer a range of employee benefits and rewards including:
- Variable pay schemes
- Enhanced employer pension contributions – Up to 11% employer contributions
- Several internal employee networks including Embrace, LGBT+, Neurodiverse, Disability, Women of Welsh Water, Parents, Wellbeing and many more...
- Enhanced family friendly policies
- Progression opportunities, including the ability to apply for funded training and coaching and mentoring programmes
- Reduction on high street & online shopping
- Cycle to work scheme/Car-leasing scheme
- Online GP service
- Voluntary private healthcare
- Free mortgage brokering service
- An employee assistance programme for employees and their immediate family
- Free Headspace App to support your wellbeing
- Colleague matched fundraising scheme up to the value of £500 per year for your chosen charity
- 20% off all Welsh Water visitor attraction centres and gift shops
- Flexible working patterns
- We also recruit our own volunteer Wellbeing Champions (on an annual basis) - successful recruits will receive full i-act and St Ra W training
Whilst also working for a not-for profit company that truly cares about earning the trust of customers everyday, and about looking after our beautiful environment.
Locations
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Strategic Planning Manager in Newport, Wales
✨Dive Into Corporate Strategy Communities
Get yourself involved in online communities or forums focused on corporate strategy. Places like LinkedIn groups or specific Slack channels can hook you up with industry insights, trends, and many potential job leads. Don't hesitate to share your thoughts or ask questions; it’ll boost your visibility!
✨Attend Industry Conferences and Events
Keep an eye out for corporate strategy conferences or networking events in your area (or online!). These gatherings are gold mines for meeting hiring managers and making impactful connections. Plus, having a few good conversations can lead to job referrals at companies like Dwr Cymru Welsh Water!
✨Showcase Your Strategy Skills
Create content that showcases your knowledge of corporate strategy—think reports, blogs, or even video discussions. Sharing these on platforms like LinkedIn or Medium can demonstrate your expertise and make you stand out to employers looking for fresh talent.
✨Apply Directly Through Our Website
Don’t forget to apply for the Strategic Planning Manager position at Dwr Cymru Welsh Water via our website! This shows your genuine interest, and who knows, you might just land that interview in a matter of days. Keep your application focused on how you can add value to their strategy team.
We think you need these skills to ace Strategic Planning Manager in Newport, Wales
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Us Your Strategic Thinking:When crafting your CV and cover letter, highlight your strategic analysis skills. Focus on past experiences where you've effectively assessed market trends or made impactful recommendations. Evidence-based achievements, like improving processes or contributing to significant projects, will help us see your potential for driving corporate strategy at Dwr Cymru Welsh Water.
Tailor Your Narrative:Don’t just send us a generic application! Personalise your cover letter by connecting your experiences and aspirations to Dwr Cymru Welsh Water’s mission and goals. We love seeing candidates who genuinely understand what we do; share how your vision aligns with ours and what you can bring to the table.
Highlight Relevant Academic Credentials:In your CV, make sure to showcase your academic background, especially if you have qualifications in business, economics, or analytics. We appreciate candidates who can back up their skills with relevant degrees or certifications, so don’t be shy about flaunting those achievements!
Utilise Professional Language:While we want you to be yourself, remember that corporate strategy roles demand a level of professionalism in communication. Use clear and concise language in your application materials, ensuring that your ideas come across as well-structured and sophisticated. It’s all about making a great impression right from the written application stage!
How to prepare for a job interview at Dwr Cymru Welsh Water
✨Master the Numbers
Corporate strategy often involves data analysis and financial forecasting. Brush up on your quantitative skills, and be prepared to handle case studies or numerical problems during the interview. We might get questions about how to approach market trends or assess the performance of a hypothetical company — so practice these scenarios!
✨Know Your Frameworks
Familiarity with strategic frameworks like SWOT, PESTLE, or Porter’s Five Forces can set you apart. We should be ready to discuss how we’d apply these tools to real-world business situations — maybe even relating them to Dwr Cymru Welsh Water. This shows we’re not just theory-happy but can articulate our practical application.
✨Engage in Strategic Conversations
In a full-time role like this, it’s crucial to show that we're engaged and informed about current trends in the industry. Keep up with major news and prepare to discuss how recent developments could impact strategic decisions at Dwr Cymru Welsh Water. This will demonstrate our passion and proactive approach to the field.
✨Showcase Relevant Experience
Whether through internships or projects, we should highlight any experience that relates to corporate strategy. Have specific examples ready to talk about how we’ve contributed to strategic growth or improvements. It's about showcasing our unique journey and how it will bring value to Dwr Cymru Welsh Water.
