Head of Customer and Planning

Role Title – Head of Customer and Planning

Yorkshire Water Contract – Bradford Area, Yorkshire

We are thrilled to announce a major contract win with Yorkshire Water , supporting them in proactively and reactively maintaining their Wastewater Network for the next five years and beyond!

We are currently recruiting for Head of Customer and Planning to join our leadership team within the Yorkshire Water Wastewater Service Agreement (WwSA) Framework. This is a fantastic opportunity to start a rewarding career with Lanes Group, working closely with one of our most exciting clients and contributing to their AMP8 objectives.

About the Role

The Head of Customer & Planning is responsible for strategically leading the Customer and Planning functions, ensuring Yorkshire Water’s objectives, customer messaging, and priorities are embedded in all operations. The role ensures that the Planning and Customer teams are fully aligned with the operational delivery structure to support right-first-time execution, outstanding customer experience, and compliance with regulatory commitments.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Customer Alignment

• Lead the Customer and Planning functions, ensuring strategic alignment with Yorkshire Water’s service objectives and regulatory requirements.
• Embed customer priorities and messaging within all operational planning and service delivery activities.
• Act as the key point of contact for Yorkshire Water on customer engagement, planning strategy, and service optimisation.
• Proactively monitor and respond to Yorkshire Water’s Customer Measures of Experience (C-MeX) and other key performance indicators (KPIs), driving continuous improvement.

Customer Experience & Engagement

• Ensure customer expectations are met and exceeded, aligning all activities with Yorkshire Water’s customer journey framework.
• Oversee the CMeX/Customer Manager and their team to drive excellence in customer interactions, complaints handling, and resolution strategies.
• Develop and implement strategies to reduce customer impact from planned and reactive works.
• Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to ensure customer messaging is consistent and effective.
• Track Yorkshire Water’s overall C-MeX performance and share insights with the leadership team to support data-driven decision-making.

Health, Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with health, safety, environmental, and quality (HSEQ) regulations.
• Implement and enforce safe working practices, reducing risk across all activities.
• Contribute to regular office-based (and home-based where teams are hybrid / remote working) risk assessments, incident investigations, ensuring corrective actions are taken where necessary.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement in safety and compliance across the workforce.

Planning & Operational Coordination

• Ensure the Planning function effectively supports operational delivery by aligning resource allocation, scheduling, and priorities with performance objectives.
• Oversee the Planning Manager and team to drive efficiencies in scheduling, programme management, and work execution.
• Ensure effective coordination between customer engagement and operational planning to minimise disruption and maximise right-first-time delivery.
• Identify and address barriers to efficient planning and work allocation, ensuring seamless collaboration between Planning, Customer, and Operational teams.

Stakeholder & Client Engagement

• Act as the key Customer & Planning contact for Yorkshire Water and other external stakeholders.
• Maintain strong relationships with Yorkshire Water and other key stakeholders to align on objectives and respond to evolving needs.
• Represent the framework at strategic meetings, performance reviews, and customer-focused forums.
• Collaborate with internal departments and external partners to share best practices and drive service improvements.

Performance Management & Continuous Improvement

• Develop and maintain reporting mechanisms to track customer and planning performance, providing actionable insights to the leadership team.
• Ensure customer service and planning KPIs are monitored, reported, and continuously improved upon.
• Identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities to enhance customer satisfaction and planning efficiency.
• Support innovation and technology adoption to improve customer communication, planning accuracy, and overall service delivery.
• People Leadership & Development
• Lead, develop, and motivate a team of c.20 FTE in the Customer & Planning Function, ensuring high levels of engagement and performance.
• Implement and oversee training, development, and succession planning to support workforce capability and career progression.
• Drive a positive, high-performance culture, ensuring teams are aligned with business objectives.
• Support employee well-being and engagement, addressing any workforce concerns proactively

About You

We are looking for individuals who:

• Extensive experience in customer service, planning, or operational leadership within the utilities, wastewater, or infrastructure sectors.

• Proven track record of improving customer experience and service delivery in a high-volume operational environment.

• Strong understanding of planning and scheduling processes, with experience leading resource allocation and work programming.

• Excellent leadership and team management skills, with experience overseeing cross-functional teams.

• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills, with the ability to collaborate at all levels.

• Data-driven approach to performance management and continuous improvement.

• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel across operational sites.

Working Hours & Location

• Shift pattern: Monday to Friday 37.5 hours per week
• Location: Bradford, Leeds Area, Region
• Company Car / Car allowance
• 25 days holiday + Bank holidays

Why Join Lanes Group?

At Lanes Group, nothing is more important than the health, safety, and well-being of our people and customers. As the UK’s largest independent specialist infrastructure delivery partner, we:

• Have a turnover exceeding £530 million (EBITDA £45 million)
• Employ over 4,000 brilliant people nationwide
• Operate through a countrywide network of operational locations

At Lanes Group, we are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered. We believe that our differences make us stronger and are committed to providing equal opportunities for all employees. We welcome and encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including those from underrepresented groups. Join us in our commitment to creating a more inclusive and diverse world.

Join us and be part of a team that makes a real impact!