Data Analytics Lead in Worthing

Location: Durrington, West Sussex

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 37 hours per week

Salary: from £52k

About the role

Digital is at the heart of Southern Water’s transformation and analytics is one of the most influential levers we have to shape better decisions, better outcomes and a better future for our customers and communities. As the Data Analytics Lead, you will play a pivotal role in defining how analytics creates value across the portfolio. Acting as a senior leader within the function, you will set standards, shape strategy, and ensure insights are not only trusted but consistently drive meaningful decisions. You’ll lead through influence, partnering closely with product, engineering, operations and senior stakeholders to ensure analytics is embedded into the rhythms of the organisation. This is a highly impactful role that blends strategic direction, people leadership, and hands on ownership of analytical quality and capability. You’ll help build an environment where analysts feel supported, empowered and able to grow while ensuring Southern Water has the insight it needs to deliver for customers, regulators and the environment.

What you will be responsible for:

• Owning the analytics roadmap— prioritising value, aligning to strategy and ensuring our work supports regulatory and organisational needs.
• Setting analytical definitions, methods and quality standards, and approving complex analytical designs.
• Influencing senior stakeholders, framing decisions and driving the adoption of insight across the organisation.
• Leading and developing analysts, shaping career paths, building capability and fostering a thriving analytics community.
• Overseeing governance, risk management and assurance for analytics within your domain.
• Leading our Analytics Community of Practice, curating standards, best practice, learning content and exemplars that shape how the whole organisation approaches analytics.

Additional requirements:

• Ability to chair forums, resolve analytical disputes and ensure consistent decision making across teams.
• Familiarity with evolving techniques, tools and regulatory expectations, and the ability to translate these into practical standards and guidance.

What you’ll bring to the role:

• Essential Experience defining analytical strategy and ensuring analytics directly supports business outcomes.
• Strong capability in establishing standards, governance and quality control.
• Ability to influence at senior levels across technical and nontechnical teams.
• Proven experience developing talent and coaching analysts at different levels.
• Strong problem solving skills, with experience directing multimethod, multisource analysis.
• Clear, compelling communication skills — able to translate complex insight into concise, actionable narratives for executive audiences.
• Provide technical and strategic leadership across the analytics ecosystem—shaping data pipelines, modelling approaches, and visualisation standards using Databricks, Alteryx, Power BI, and statistical approaches to ensure reliable, actionable insights at scale.

Desirable:

• Experience evaluating analytical platforms, tools or vendors.
• Knowledge of risk management, regulatory obligations or model governance.

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.