Operational Readiness Manager in Leeds

Hello! Thanks for stopping by. Let us tell you about all the great reasons to join us here at Yorkshire Water:

• We offer a competitive salary, depending on experience - up to £70,000 (band 3b)
• A company car lease/allowance scheme (£500 per month/£6,000 per year, based on full-time employment on joining the company). You can opt to sign up to the EV Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme 6 months after joining the company.
• Annual incentive related bonus up to 15% of annual salary
• Private health care (self only)
• Attractive pension scheme (up to 12% company contribution)
• Life assurance cover of 4 times pensionable salary
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays - plus 2 extra wellness days!
• A great benefits package - choose from health cash plan scheme, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, life assurance flex and partner cover.
• Retail savings scheme
• Online GP service, cycle to work scheme, gym membership discounts and many more!

Location: This role will initially be based in Bradford but we are moving our office to Leeds Valley Park in September 2026, so you will be based there in the future – Hybrid Working (2 – 3 days office a week – Bradford/Leeds)

Work type: Permanent. 37 hours per week, Monday – Friday.

We have an exciting opportunity for an Operational Readiness Manager to join the Asset Delivery & Engineering team at Yorkshire Water and be a part of helping Yorkshire Water to provide the best service to our customers.

What we do: Everyone has an idea of what a water company does. Here in Yorkshire, we make sure that over 5.4 million people living in the region and the millions of people who visit our region each year, can rely on our services, and have clean and safe drinking water on tap and that their wastewater is taken away. But for us, it’s so much more than this. We look after communities, protect the environment, and plan to look after Yorkshire’s water, today, tomorrow 24/7, 365 days a year. We provide essential water and wastewater services to every corner of the Yorkshire region, and play a key role in the region’s health, wellbeing, and prosperity. New environmental legislation, unprecedented levels of investment and changing expectations from customers means that this is an exciting time to discover opportunities within the water industry.

Asset Delivery & Engineering are a key part of how we plan to meet the changing expectations of customers and regulators. The Operational Readiness Manager is responsible for ensuring that Yorkshire Water's capital investment programme delivers assets that are fully operationally ready from day one. With AMP8 representing a significant increase in the scale and complexity of capital delivery, this role provides a dedicated focus on embedding operational readiness throughout the project lifecycle, addressing the historic challenge of readiness activities being concentrated towards project completion, which can extend handover periods and increase operational and commercial risk.

As the single point of accountability for the Operational Readiness framework, the role owns the development and implementation of readiness standards, governance arrangements, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement across the capital programme. Operating within the Engineering function, the Operational Readiness Manager works closely with Core Engineering, Maintenance Design, Engineering Design, Construction and Commissioning Assurance, as well as project delivery, operations, and asset management teams, to ensure readiness requirements are integrated into project planning and delivery, enabling safe, efficient, and timely asset handover.

Where you fit in: As our Operational Readiness Manager you will:

• Own and continuously develop Yorkshire Water's Operational Readiness (OR) framework, establishing and maintaining readiness standards, stage-gate criteria, deliverables, and governance requirements that are applied consistently and proportionately across the capital programme according to project risk and complexity.
• Define, implement, and govern measurable readiness requirements throughout the project lifecycle, including asset data strategies, operations and maintenance (O&M) documentation, training and competency requirements, maintenance readiness, operational expenditure (OPEX) validation, and supporting asset dependencies, ensuring clear accountability through robust RACI arrangements.
• Provide programme-level leadership and oversight of Operational Readiness performance, maintaining a consolidated view of readiness status, risks, issues, and forecast handover timelines across all active capital projects, and reporting performance to senior leadership and PMO governance forums.
• Embed Operational Readiness within Yorkshire Water's project delivery framework, working closely with PMO, Engineering, Operations, and Capital Delivery teams to ensure project progression through stage gates is dependent upon the achievement of agreed readiness criteria, not solely construction or commercial milestones.
• Lead, coach, and develop the Operational Readiness Leads, providing technical guidance, performance management, and support to ensure consistent application of the OR framework and effective delivery of readiness activities across project portfolios.
• Own Operational Readiness risk management at programme level, proactively identifying systemic risks, developing mitigation strategies, resolving escalated readiness challenges, and ensuring material issues are reported through the appropriate governance and leadership channels.
• Drive continuous improvement by capturing lessons learned from handovers, monitoring key performance indicators such as Beneficial Completion-to-Handover cycle time, and evolving readiness standards and processes to meet changing operational, regulatory, and business requirements.
• Act as the senior Operational Readiness representative across the capital programme, chairing governance reviews, engaging with senior stakeholders, validating the effectiveness of readiness outputs with operational and asset management teams, and ensuring assets are handed over safely, efficiently, and within the target of 90 days post-Beneficial Completion, with operational teams confident in their ability to operate and maintain them from day one.

What skills & qualifications you will need:

• Demonstrable track record of leading or delivering Operational Readiness, commissioning, asset transition, or handover programmes within capital-intensive, regulated utility, infrastructure, engineering, or construction environments.
• Experience designing, implementing, and governing standards, frameworks, and assurance processes across complex multi-project programmes, ensuring consistent application and effective stakeholder engagement.
• Proven leadership experience managing technical, operational, or project delivery teams within matrix organisations, with the ability to influence across functions and drive performance through others.
• Strong understanding of water and wastewater treatment and network operations, including the operational, maintenance, asset management, and regulatory requirements associated with the successful handover of new or modified assets.
• Sound knowledge of project lifecycle management, stage-gate governance, programme controls, and PMO frameworks, with experience integrating operational requirements into project delivery processes.
• Familiarity with asset information requirements, asset data management, operations and maintenance (O&M) documentation, training, workforce competence, and maintenance readiness activities required to support effective operational handover.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills, with the ability to build credibility and alignment across Engineering, Operations, Asset Management, Capital Delivery, and external partners.
• Degree-qualified in Engineering, Operations Management, Project Management, or a related discipline, or able to demonstrate equivalent professional experience gained in a relevant operational, engineering, or infrastructure environment.

Although we operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it’s important to us that we support flexible working patterns and job share options (when we can), to help you make the best of both your work and home life. We know that juggling childcare responsibilities or getting that ideal work/life balance isn’t always easy!

If you’ve got experience as an Operational Readiness Manager and want to help us deliver great service for our customers whilst looking after the environment, then be sure to apply today to find out what a career with Yorkshire Water can offer you.

Closing date - 23rd July

If successful for the role, you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks that will include a Basic Disclosure Check, carried out through a Third-Party Company, prior to commencing employment. Depending on the role, you may also be required to go through the security vetting process for either a Counter Terrorist Check or Security Check clearance. All our roles are subject to a medical questionnaire, and further medicals when required.

We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible. If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that requires changes to the recruitment process, please include this information in your application. We will then discuss any reasonable adjustments required.

Kelda Group reserve the right to close this position before the published closing date, should the need occur. We therefore advise that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible. No Agencies please.