Strategic Project Manager

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 location 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.
• 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.

Find out more about our benefits and perks (Please note different T&Cs apply if on secondment)

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.