Partnership Engagement Lead in Bradford, Devon

Company description: Water Utility Company based in Yorkshire region of England.

Hello! Thanks for stopping by. Let us tell you about all the great reasons to join us here at Yorkshire Water:

• We offer a competitive salary, depending on experience £38,456 - £48,080
• Annual incentive related bonus (£1000 maximum bonus opportunity for the performance year)
• Attractive pension scheme (up to 12% company contribution)
• Development opportunities in line with the Partnership Engagement Lead progression plan
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays plus 2 extra wellness days!
• A great benefits package choose from health cash plan scheme, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, life assurance flex and partner cover.
• Retail savings scheme
• Online GP service, cycle to work scheme, gym membership discounts and many more!

Location: West Yorkshire / Hybrid Working - This role will initially be based in Bradford but we’re moving our office to Leeds Valley Park in spring 2026, so you’ll be based there in the future. This role also requires some travel across our sites.

Work type: Permanent. 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Partnership Engagement Lead to join the River Resilience team at Yorkshire Water and be a part of helping Yorkshire Water to provide the best service to our customers. Could this be you?

What we do: Everyone has an idea of what a water company does. Here in Yorkshire, we make sure that over 5.4 million people living in the region and the millions of people who visit our region each year can rely on our services, and have clean and safe drinking water on tap and that their wastewater is taken away. But for us, it’s so much more than this. We look after communities, protect the environment, and plan to look after Yorkshire’s water, today, tomorrow 24/7, 365 days a year. We provide essential water and wastewater services to every corner of the Yorkshire region and play a key role in the region’s health, wellbeing, and prosperity.

New environmental legislation, unprecedented levels of investment and changing expectations from customers means that this is an exciting time to discover opportunities within the water industry. Partnership & Sustainability team are a key part of how we plan to meet the changing expectations of customers and regulators.

Join us in a high-impact role where you’ll lead the development and delivery of engagement across a diverse network of partners. This is an exciting opportunity to shape strategy, build strong stakeholder relationships, and drive meaningful engagement at national, regional, and community levels. If you’re a collaborative engagement specialist with a passion for partnership working and delivering real impact, we’d love to hear from you.

Where you fit in: As our Partnership Engagement Lead you will:

• Lead the Communications & Engagement Working Group for our flagship Partnership, Great Yorkshire Rivers (GYR), coordinating experts across partner organisations
• Act on behalf of the partnership, representing shared values and goals
• Provide regular updates to key stakeholders and maintain strong partner engagement
• Develop, maintain, and deliver an effective Engagement Strategy for the Partnership via internal and external SMEs
• Work with SMEs to design and implement a multi-level engagement approach across national, regional, catchment, and community levels
• Ensure all communications and engagement activity is aligned with approved budgets and delivery plans
• Work collaboratively to procure services and resources as required
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships across sectors to support delivery and growth
• Work with SMEs to engage communities, volunteers, and stakeholders in activities, events, and initiatives
• Support supply chain engagement to raise awareness and create opportunities
• Work with SMEs to lead the development and delivery of education programmes and supporting resources
• Agree and deliver plans with experts for community benefits, including recreation, heritage, and environmental outcomes
• Act as the initial contact for all GYR communications and engagement activity, working with a team of experts to coordinate responses
• Ensure delivery of consistent, high-quality communications across all channels and partners via a group of experts
• Develop and manage proactive and reactive communications processes for the Partnership
• Promote and grow the Partnership's brand, reputation, and visibility regionally and nationally via a team of SMEs
• Coordinate activity across a variety of communication channels, including website, newsletters, and email campaigns
• Lead the development and maintenance of stakeholder engagement plans, including mapping and analysis
• Coordinate regularly reporting of GYR's communications and engagement performance
• Share insights and best practice to drive continuous improvement
• Ensure delivery of agreed plans within governance, budget, and approval processes
• Lead the development and delivery of key engagement outputs and programmes

What skills & qualifications you will need:

• Proven experience leading engagement activity across multiple organisations or partnerships.
• Strong ability to facilitate collaboration between partners and coordinate specialist teams.
• Experience developing and delivering clear, effective engagement strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to design and deliver engagement at national, regional, and community levels.
• Experience managing stakeholder engagement, including volunteers, communities, and supply chain partners.
• Ability to measure, evaluate, and report on communications and engagement performance.
• A strong understanding of proactive and reactive communications processes.
• The ability to build and maintain strategic relationships.
• The ability to manage brand, reputation, and consistent messaging.
• Experience leading teams or directing specialists, including oversight of budgets.
• Relevant professional background in engagement, partnership development, communications or similar.
• Degree (or equivalent experience) in a relevant field.
• Hold a Full UK driving licence, with willingness to travel.

Although we operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it’s important to us that we support flexible working patterns and job share options (when we can), to help you make the best of both your work and home life. We know that juggling childcare responsibilities or getting that ideal work/life balance isn’t always easy!

If you’ve got experience in leading engagement and want to help us deliver great service for our customers whilst looking after the environment, then be sure to apply today to find out what a career with Yorkshire Water can offer you.

Closing date for this role is the 28th of June 2026. If successful for the role, you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks that will include a Basic Disclosure Check, carried out through a Third-Party Company, prior to commencing employment. Depending on the role, you may also be required to go through the security vetting process for either a Counter Terrorist Check or Security Check clearance.

All our roles are subject to a medical questionnaire, and further medicals when required. We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible. If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that requires changes to the recruitment process, please include this information in your application. We will then discuss any reasonable adjustments required.

Kelda Group reserve the right to close this position before the published closing date, should the need occur. We therefore advise that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible. No agencies please.