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- Tasks: Lead strategic projects, engage stakeholders, and drive impactful change in water management.
- Company: Join Thames Water, the UK's largest water and wastewater company.
- Benefits: Earn up to £65,000, enjoy 26 days holiday, and access generous parental leave.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in millions of lives while protecting our planet's water resources.
- Qualifications: Strong leadership, communication skills, and a proactive approach are essential.
- Other info: Flexible working arrangements and a diverse, inclusive workplace await you.
The predicted salary is between 52000 - 78000 £ per year.
We are looking for a Strategic Project Manager to join Thames Water on a permanent basis. The strategic project manager will independently scope, plan, and deliver projects aligned to the strategic priorities of the Water Director and the Leadership Team.
The role requires end-to-end ownership of delivery, proactive engagement with a broad range of stakeholders, and clear communication of progress, risks, and outcomes to senior audiences. Projects may also include short-term deployments into operational teams to address business-critical needs.
You can be based at any of the following locations; however, travelling will be required: Ashford Common (WTW), Brixton (WTW), Clearwater Court - Reading, Coppermills (WTW), Darenth (WTW), Deephams (STW), Farmoor (WTW), Fobney (WTW), Hampton (WTW), Kemble Court, Walton-on-Thames.
What you will be doing as a Strategic Project Manager:
- Lead by example in promoting a strong Health & Safety culture, ensuring it is embedded in all project decisions and delivery.
- Take full end-to-end ownership of projects, including scope definition, planning, governance, timelines, resources, and deliverables.
- Independently manage project governance, producing high-quality stage-gate documentation with minimal oversight.
- Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate risks, escalating issues and blockers appropriately.
- Provide concise, high-value updates to senior stakeholders to support effective decision-making.
- Engage and collaborate with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to shape and deliver project outcomes.
- Work closely with analytics teams to source, validate, and analyse data from internal systems, and develop dashboards and KPI reporting to track performance.
- Deliver confident, clear presentations and written outputs in actionable formats for senior audiences.
- Collaborate across Water Operations and wider Thames Water teams to support joined-up delivery.
- Support effective change management by guiding operational teams through change and monitoring impacts to avoid change fatigue.
- Develop and maintain project tools, templates, and best practices for use across the wider project management community.
To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need are:
- Strong stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to build effective relationships quickly.
- Confidence in coaching and mentoring teams and individuals through change.
- Strong leadership and motivational capability.
- Clear and confident communication skills, particularly with senior audiences.
- A proactive, self-starting approach with the ability to drive performance independently.
- A full UK, clean driving licence.
What’s in it for you?
- Offering a salary up to £65,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience.
- Annual Leave: 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (Plus bank holidays)
- Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
- Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
- Generous Paternity Leave, including 4 weeks paid and an optional 2 weeks unpaid.
- Enhanced Maternity Leave, 26 weeks full pay and 13 weeks half pay!
- Wider benefits scheme including our benefits hub, which is packed full of offers and information to save you money and support your wellbeing.
Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.
If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way.
We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, we’re here to help and support.
Strategic Project Manager - Ashford, Surrey employer: Thames Water
Contact Detail:
Thames Water Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Strategic Project Manager - Ashford, Surrey
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections on LinkedIn or at industry events. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can help you land that Strategic Project Manager role.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions and scenarios related to project management. We suggest using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers. This will help you showcase your skills effectively!
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t forget to follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way in showing your enthusiasm for the role. We recommend mentioning something specific from the interview to make it personal.
✨Tip Number 4
Keep an eye on our website for new opportunities! We regularly update our listings, and applying directly through our site can give you a better chance of being noticed. Let’s get you that job!
We think you need these skills to ace Strategic Project Manager - Ashford, Surrey
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Strategic Project Manager role. Highlight your relevant experience and skills that align with the job description, especially around stakeholder engagement and project ownership.
Showcase Your Communication Skills: Since clear communication is key in this role, use your application to demonstrate your ability to convey complex ideas simply. Include examples of how you've effectively communicated with senior stakeholders in the past.
Be Proactive and Specific: When detailing your previous projects, be specific about your contributions and the outcomes. Use metrics where possible to show how you’ve driven performance and managed risks successfully.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. This ensures your application gets to the right people quickly and allows us to keep track of all applicants efficiently. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Thames Water
✨Know Your Projects Inside Out
Before the interview, make sure you thoroughly understand the projects you've managed in the past. Be ready to discuss specific examples of how you scoped, planned, and delivered projects, especially those that align with Thames Water's strategic priorities.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Demonstrate your strong stakeholder engagement skills by preparing to talk about how you've built effective relationships in previous roles. Think of examples where your communication made a difference, particularly with senior audiences.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
Be prepared to discuss your leadership approach, especially in coaching and mentoring teams through change. Share specific instances where you motivated your team and drove performance independently.
✨Prepare for Clear Communication
Practice delivering concise updates and presentations. Since the role requires clear communication of progress and risks, consider rehearsing how you'd present project outcomes to senior stakeholders in an actionable format.
