At Bristol Water, we’ve been serving generations of families since 1846. Ensuring people in our communities have access to healthy water is paramount, which is why we work around the clock testing our water hundreds of times a day. We’re proud to be part of Pennon Group, a leader in the UK water sector, working towards a greener future. Our goals include lowering our carbon footprint, planting 300,000 trees, restoring peatlands and supporting 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. Bristol Water is looking for an experienced and inspiring Head of Networks to lead the operational performance, resilience and transformation of our water distribution network.
This is a senior leadership role with accountability for the safe, reliable and efficient operation of around 6,700 km of water mains, supplying clean drinking water to customers across our region. You will play a critical role in protecting public health, delivering regulatory performance commitments and shaping the future of the network through significant capital investment and operational excellence.
Reporting to the DWS Director for Bristol and Bournemouth, you will be a key member of the senior management team, influencing strategy, performance and culture across the business.
What You’ll Be Responsible For
- End‑to‑end leadership of network operations, including maintenance, repairs, renewals and improvements
- Accountability for the Bristol Network ODIs and PCDs
- Accountability for leakage performance, network inspections and emergency response
- Overall responsibility for the network operation
- Ensuring compliance with health, safety, environmental and water quality standards
Customer and stakeholder focus
- Owning customer issues arising from network activities and working collaboratively to resolve them
- Leading investigations into illegal connections, abstraction and water regulations infringements
- Supporting our customer representatives with customers, communities, regulators and partners
Asset planning & capital delivery
- Sponsoring and delivering a £10m+ annual totex programme (opex and capex)
- Leading network refurbishment, upgrades and expansion programmes
- Inputting into long‑term asset strategies and regulatory business planning (including PR29)
Financial and commercial stewardship
- Setting and managing budgets using robust planning and forecasting techniques
- Driving value through effective commercial management of supply‑chain partners
- Seeking opportunities to deliver sustainable efficiencies while maintaining performance
People & culture
- Leading a department, supported by a team of direct reports
- Creating a high‑performing, values‑led culture focused on safety, accountability and development
- Recruiting, developing and inspiring future leaders
Regulation & assurance
- Ownership of operational inputs to regulatory reporting and annual returns
- Ensuring network performance supports Bristol Water’s outcome delivery and performance commitments
What We Are Looking For
You’ll be a credible senior leader with a strong operational background, ideally gained within water, utilities or another regulated infrastructure environment.
Essential
- Significant senior leadership experience managing large, field‑based operational teams
- Strong understanding of health, safety and environmental compliance
- Proven experience of capital delivery and budget management
- Excellent communication and stakeholder‑management skills
- A customer‑focused, performance‑driven mindset
Desirable
- Chartered status and/or professional management qualification
- Degree‑level education in a relevant discipline
- Experience of water distribution networks
- Experience managing operational incidents and high‑profile events
- Confidence working with regulators, local authorities and the media
Closing Date: 15th May 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 are: Be Rock Solid – Build trust and be trusted. Be You – Bring your best everyday. Be the Future – Embrace change. Drive Progress. Own the challenge.
Bristol Water has been proudly providing an essential public water service to the communities within and surrounding the city of Bristol since 1846. We supply water to 500,000 homes and businesses across Bristol City, North Somerset and areas of Bath, North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire. That’s about 1.2 million people who have access to our water every day.
