Strategy Manager

Every day, we provide 2.6 billion litres of fresh drinking water through over 20,000 miles of pipes, and takeaway 4.6 billion litres in wastewater through over 70,000 miles of sewers. This is carried out by a team of more than 8,000 people across the organisation, working 24/7, 365 days a year.

We know, in the current climate, that’s not easy – but we have a plan and a team of driven people who want to make a difference and turn our company around.  It’s an exciting challenge for the whole business.

As Strategy Manager you will lead the development of strategic projects and turn them into reality across Thames Water.  You will be a creative thinker who enjoys considering a wide range of options and influencing to achieve strategic alignment.

We are seeking a collaborative leader who wants to help find solutions to the challenges we face, with the ability to build strong relationships across multiple teams and disciplines, and influence to gain consensus and buy in.
Part of this role is driving the thought leadership and strategic direction of our value framework. You should understand leading value framework implementation options and practices and how we can apply these to Thames Water.

What you will be doing as Strategy Manager

Drive Thames Water’s long-term strategy -support the Head of Strategy to scope, develop and deliver strategic projects to support the long term delivery of our essential service for our customers, communities and the environment.

Implement and iterate our Value framework - continue to develop, test, and embed our Value framework. Tell the story of Thames Water’s value contribution through different types of reporting and identifying opportunities to simplify and join up the reporting landscape.

Implementation - Create implementation plans to drive and track delivery of strategy.

Communication and stakeholder engagement - Drive a regular cadence of engagement within the strategy communities of practice. Work with stakeholders to evolve and embed. Communicate effectively internally and externally about our strategy and public value framework.

Proactively monitor external trends - Proactively monitor external trends, both within the water industry and in wider society, understanding how these trends could / should impact strategy and the value framework.

Governance - Design and run appropriate governance, risk, and assurance processes to enable effective decision making and prioritisation in support of the strategy.

Location - Hybrid, Reading with some options to work at our different sites

Working Pattern - 36 hours a week with options for flexibility if required

What you should bring to the role?
To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need are:

• Strategy leadership - proven track record of leading strategic projects from concept through to delivery, and a strong ability to shape and drive impactful strategy development.
• Experience in a strategy, commercial, or financial function within a corporate environment, or consultancy, with demonstrable benefit delivery.
• Experience of value reporting and options for implementation.
• A creative thinker with the ability to see multiple options, pro-actively look for best practice, and to think laterally and outside the immediate context.
•  Highly delivery focused, translating vision into actionable plans, systemising and embedding ways of working.
• Thinks and operates in an agile way.
• Able to independently prepare compelling materials to support decision making on strategic topics.
• Experience of project or programme management.
• Proven record of data analytics and analysis.

What's in it for you?
This is a challenging, high profile opportunity, joining a company going through a positive turnaround plan, working within a dedicated, talented and supportive team.

• Competitive salary- £70,000- £80,000 depending on experience.
• Car Allowance - £5,800.
• Private Health Insurance.
• Performance-related pay plan: directly linked to both company and individual performance.
• Annual Leave: 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (Plus bank holidays).
• Contributory pension – Defined Contribution - Maximum of 12% -2x employee contribution.
• Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year.
• Wider benefits scheme including our benefits hub, which is packed full of offers and information to save you money and support your wellbeing.

Find out more about our benefits and perks

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. 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 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. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

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.