Assistant Project Manager

Location: Otterbourne with travel to the Isle of Wight dependent on operational requirement - Hybrid - Driving licence is essential due to site visits

Contract Type: Fixed term contract - Ending August 2027

Hours: 37

Salary: Up to £42,000 per annum depending on skills and experience

About the role: We have an exciting opportunity for an Assistant Project Manager to cover the Hampshire and Isle of Wight to be a key part of the management of Southern Water’s Reservoir Maintenance Programme. A key output of this programme is to bring Southern Water in-line with the DWI industry standard of 1-, 3- & 5-year inspections for all service reservoirs.

What you will be responsible for:

• Ensuring the number of inspections completed is in line with the programme forecast.
• Coordinating and actioning the reservoir maintenance programme of works and liaising with Operations and Contractors to ensure the programme conforms to the governance process and is delivered on time and to appropriate standards.
• Carrying out investigations and inspections on reservoirs, contact tanks, break pressure tanks and any other water storage assets to ensure isolation can be achieved both physically and in accordance with the wider network demands.
• Ensuring the highest standards for health and safety are adhered to onsite including monitoring of contractor working practices and review of contractor H&S information.
• Producing Emergency Isolation plans detailing information relating to the reservoir including valve operations, environmental constraints and stakeholder engagement.
• Producing risk assessments, method statements and SCOs for reservoir isolation.
• Engagement and management of contractors to complete small scale enabling works as required to allow isolation of the assets.
• Performing additional assignments and responsibilities as required by project managers across the team.
• Accountable for the development of the processes and monitoring to ensure timely, well written and persuasive documentation.
• Validating contractor progress as stated by project managers.
• Responsible for identification and escalating risks to project programme, cost and quality.

To be successful in this role, you will have hands-on experience preferably in valve operations and good knowledge of water processes or networks. Strong IT skills with being highly organised, you will be able to work toward tight timescales and manage your own work priorities. Ideally you will have experience working within a project environment; however, we welcome applicants with strong operational background.

About Southern Water: Southern Water is at the forefront of transforming Britain’s water industry, investing significantly to enhance resilience, sustainability, and service excellence. With £7.8bn planned investment for 2025-30, this is an unparalleled opportunity to join a business committed to delivering a generational shift in the way water services are managed.

You will be joining at a time of significant change, working alongside a highly skilled leadership team with a clear vision for the future. We offer an environment where senior professionals can make a meaningful impact, influence major strategic decisions, and drive long-term value creation.

At Southern Water, we believe diverse perspectives drive innovation. If you’re passionate about making a positive impact and think you can bring value to our team, we’d love to hear from you—even if you don’t tick every box. Your unique skills and experiences could be exactly what we need.

If this role isn’t quite what you’re looking for but are keen to be contacted about opportunities at Southern Water, you can register your details here: Introduce Yourself.

Our Commitment to Diversity: We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or any other protected characteristic. If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Additional information: In line with Southern Water’s security requirements, successful candidates will be required to provide evidence of their identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record check (DBS) and verification of their employment and/or education history for the past three years. Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of all pre-employment checks, including security vetting. Please note that if a candidate does not meet the required security standards or fails to pass the vetting process, Southern Water reserves the right to withdraw the offer of employment. Some positions may also require higher levels of security vetting, which may involve providing additional documentation.