System Planning Lead

At Thames Water, every decision we make helps to shape the future of water for over 16 million people. Supplying billions of litres daily, we’re committed to delivering vital services while protecting our environment and communities.

Right now, we’re looking for a strategic-thinking System Planning Lead to help us build resilient water systems for generations to come.

In this influential role, you’ll lead a team to develop dynamic, system-wide in-AMP Asset Plans and Capital Maintenance plans. You’ll champion the in-AMP work required to enable targeted investment prioritisation with Operations and wider stakeholders, ensuring decisions are driven by risk and outcome-based thinking.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the development and delivery of strategic and in-AMP Asset Plans at catchment, site, and system levels.
• Overseeing the planning and justification of Capital Maintenance interventions and risk mitigation options to prioritise spend effectively.
• Ensuring your team maintains a deep understanding of asset risk positions and supports mitigation strategies across the lifecycle—from identifying needs to supporting delivery and handover.
• Driving long-term planning that underpins future price reviews by surfacing critical asset risks.
• Influencing strategic investment and cultural transformation towards a proactive, lifecycle-focused approach to asset planning.

Base Location: Base location is flexible across multiple Thames Water sites

Working Pattern: Full-time, Monday–Friday (36 hours per week)

What you’ll bring to the role:

• Strong leadership and management experience, with the ability to inspire teams and drive meaningful cultural change.
• Solid understanding of asset management, engineering, or related best practices.
• Exceptional communication skills, able to convey complex information and influence senior stakeholders.
• Proven ability to identify opportunities for improvement and proactively drive solutions.
• Good grasp of regulatory frameworks and external factors impacting water and wastewater management.
• Ideally, degree-qualified or significant equivalent experience, with professional membership being an advantage.

What’s in it for you?

Joining Thames Water means becoming part of a supportive, innovative team where your strategic vision makes a tangible difference. You’ll play a vital role in creating sustainable water management strategies. Alongside career growth and professional recognition, you’ll receive:

• Competitive salary from £54,480 to £75,000 per annum depending on experience.
• 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (plus bank holidays)
• Car Allowance.
• Annual Bonus.
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• Private Medical Health Care.
• 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 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.

It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

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 fast-tracked career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

Whether you’re interested in a role in one of our call centres or science labs, we’re looking for people like you with real passion and a burning desire to make things better.

So, 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’s 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?

Our overarching aim is to ensure that Thames Water is a great, diverse and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process. We aim to remove any real or perceived barriers to success, so if you need assistance, 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. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business, meet colleagues and earn some extra money along the way.

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.