At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead risk management processes and improve digital governance at Thames Water.
- Company: Join the UK's largest water and wastewater company, making a real impact.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous leave, pension scheme, and health perks.
- Why this job: Shape the future of water management while developing your career in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in risk management and strong communication skills are essential.
- Other info: Flexible working arrangements and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 54000 £ per year.
As a Digital Risk Lead, you will be responsible for defining, implementing, and continuously improving risk management processes across Thames Water’s Digital organisation. You will play a key role in operationalising risk-based thinking, maintaining high-quality risk data, and supporting the integration of risk practices into business-as-usual digital management. You will work closely with the Digital Planning & Reporting Lead, operational leadership teams, and wider Digital stakeholders to ensure risks are accurately captured, assessed, mitigated, and effectively embedded within Digital governance.
What you’ll be doing as a Digital Risk Lead:
- Define, develop and maintain clear, repeatable processes to identify, log, assess, and mitigate risks across Digital.
- Embed operational risk management practices aligned with Thames Water’s broader enterprise management standards.
- Maintain and regularly update risk records, documentation, and evidence ensuring accuracy, consistency, and completeness.
- Support the rollout, improvement, and ongoing maintenance of asset and enterprise risk frameworks, providing guidance to operational leadership teams.
- Contribute to the development and consistent use of risk scoring methodologies to support sound, data-driven decision-making.
- Provide assurance on digital risk data quality through structured reviews, reporting cycles, and continuous improvement recommendations.
- Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure risks are captured with appropriate detail, context, and actionable mitigation plans.
- Coordinate initial responses for internal audit and compliance actions.
Base Location: Reading, Clearwater Court – Hybrid
Working Pattern: 36 Hours
What you should bring to the role:
Essential Experience:
- Practical understanding of risk management principles and operational risk frameworks.
- Experience supporting or delivering operational processes, governance models, or continuous improvement initiatives.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across teams and influence stakeholders.
- High resilience, accuracy, and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and maintain quality under pressure.
Desirable Experience:
- Experience working within Digital, IT, or operational functions where risk management is integral to day-to-day delivery.
- Familiarity with enterprise risk or asset risk frameworks.
Essential Technical Skills & Qualifications:
- Degree-level education (or equivalent experience) is desirable.
Desirable Technical Skills & Qualifications:
- Professional risk-related qualification (e.g., Institute of Risk Management Certificate, Institute of Asset Management Certificate) or currently working towards one.
What’s in it for you?
- Competitive salary up to £45,000 per annum, depending on 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.
- Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.
Who are we?
We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive.
Learn more about our purpose and values.
Working at Thames Water:
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. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.
Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family.
Why choose us? Learn more.
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.
When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience.
Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Digital Risk Lead in Reading employer: Thames Water
Contact Detail:
Thames Water Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Digital Risk Lead in Reading
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with current employees at Thames Water. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching Thames Water’s values and recent projects. Tailor your answers to show how your experience aligns with their mission. We want to see your passion for making a difference!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for answering competency questions. This will help you articulate your experiences clearly and demonstrate your problem-solving skills effectively.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after your interview! A quick thank-you email can leave a lasting impression and shows your enthusiasm for the role. Plus, it keeps you on their radar as they make their decision.
We think you need these skills to ace Digital Risk Lead in Reading
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Digital Risk Lead role. Highlight your experience with risk management principles and operational frameworks, as this will show us you understand what we're looking for.
Showcase Your Skills: Don’t just list your skills; give us examples of how you've used them in past roles. Whether it’s your strong communication skills or your attention to detail, we want to see how you’ve made an impact in previous positions.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward. Use clear language and avoid jargon. We appreciate a well-structured application that gets straight to the point, making it easy for us to see your qualifications.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. This way, you’ll ensure your application is received properly and you can easily track its progress. Plus, it shows us you're keen on joining the Thames Water family!
How to prepare for a job interview at Thames Water
✨Know Your Risk Management Principles
Before the interview, brush up on your understanding of risk management principles and operational risk frameworks. Be ready to discuss how you've applied these in previous roles, as this will show your practical experience and alignment with what Thames Water is looking for.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that ask you to describe how you would handle specific risk scenarios. Think of examples from your past experiences where you identified, assessed, and mitigated risks. This will demonstrate your problem-solving skills and ability to think critically under pressure.
✨Showcase Your Communication Skills
Since strong communication and interpersonal skills are essential for this role, practice articulating your thoughts clearly and confidently. Prepare to discuss how you've collaborated with teams and influenced stakeholders in previous positions, as this will highlight your ability to work effectively across departments.
✨Familiarise Yourself with Digital Risk Practices
Research Thames Water's digital risk practices and any recent initiatives they've undertaken. Being knowledgeable about their current strategies will not only impress your interviewers but also allow you to tailor your responses to align with their goals and values.