Senior Project Manager, Major Projects - Cheddar 2 in Exeter

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.

At South West Water, we're more than a water company, we're custodians of a vital natural resource. As we progress one of the most ambitious water resource programmes in the UK, we are seeking an exceptional and highly experienced Senior Project Manager to take a leading role in delivering the Cheddar 2 project within our Strategic Resource Options (SRO) Programme. This is a rare opportunity to lead a £1.8bn, nationally significant infrastructure scheme of considerable scale and complexity. The project includes the development of an 8,200Ml non-impounding reservoir, a 40Ml/d water treatment works, and 76km of pipeline, forming a critical component of the region's long-term water resilience strategy.

This is your opportunity to play a central role in strengthening regional water resilience and environmental sustainability for future generations.

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead & Inspire
  • Lead and coordinate a large multidisciplinary project team
  • Build strong relationships with internal teams, partners, regulators, and stakeholders
  • Promote a culture of collaboration, trust and high performance
  • Support and develop team members to achieve their full potential
• Drive Excellence in Delivery
  • Manage day-to-day delivery of the Cheddar 2 project
  • Develop and oversee plans, schedules, budgets, and resource allocation
  • Ensure delivery aligns with programme governance and regulatory frameworks
  • Monitor performance across scope, cost, schedule, and quality
  • Manage risks, issues, dependencies, and escalations
• Enable Programme Integration
  • Work closely with PMO, commercial, procurement, finance and risk functions
  • Ensure joined-up delivery across all project workstreams
  • Support progression through programme and regulatory gateways
  • Embed consistent project controls and reporting practices
• Deliver Impact
  • Coordinate stakeholder engagement across regulators, local authorities and partners
  • Support procurement and contract management activities
  • Contribute to business cases, approvals, and governance submissions
  • Provide high-quality reporting and insights to programme leadership
  • Ensure compliance with health, safety, environmental, and quality standards

What We're Looking For

• Experience & Expertise
  • Extensive experience in project management, including leadership roles
  • Proven track record delivering large, complex infrastructure or capital projects
  • Experience working in regulated or highly complex environments
  • Strong background in project governance, controls, and delivery frameworks
  • Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and competing priorities
  • Water, utilities, or environmental sector experience (desirable)
  • Knowledge of Ofwat delivery models (DPC/SIPR) or privately financed models (advantageous)
• Qualifications
  • Degree in Engineering, Project Management, Construction Management or related discipline
  • Professional qualification (APM PMQ, PRINCE2 Practitioner, PMP or equivalent)
  • Professional membership (desirable)
  • Health, safety, or construction-related training (advantageous)
• Skills & Attributes
  • Strong leadership and stakeholder engagement skills
  • Excellent organisational and problem-solving capabilities
  • Confident communicator with experience engaging senior stakeholders
  • Resilient, adaptable, and comfortable operating in complexity
  • Passionate about delivering meaningful, sustainable outcomes

Why Join Us?

At South West Water, you'll have the opportunity to deliver a nationally significant infrastructure project with real impact, work within a high-profile, strategic programme shaping the region's future, collaborate with passionate, purpose-driven colleagues, and drive innovation and continuous improvement in a complex delivery environment.

What You'll Get

• Competitive Salary - Based on your experience and expertise
• Company Car or Car Allowance - Supporting your role requirements
• Annual Bonus Scheme - Rewarding company performance
• Pension Scheme - Helping you plan ahead
• Flexible Working - Hybrid options and work-life balance
• Healthcare Support - Access to wellbeing and support services
• Employee Discounts - Savings on a range of products and services
• Annual Leave - Time to recharge and reset

Ready to Make a Difference?

If you're motivated by purpose, thrive in complex environments, and want to lead a project that truly matters - we'd love to hear from you. Apply today and help secure water for the future.

Closing Date: 3rd July 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.