Closing Date

Job Title: Business Readiness & Change Lead

Location: Durrington (3 days onsite)

Contract Type: Perm

Hours: 37

Salary: £62,000 depending on experience

We're looking for a business change powerhouse - someone who’s customer-focused, self-assured, and thrives on getting things done. Reporting into our Delivery Programme Manager, within a tight-knit program team of six, you’ll drive transformation, spot opportunities for improvement, and shift the dynamic where it counts.

Job Overview

Southern Water is embarking on one of the most ambitious transformation programmes in our history - the Alternative Metering Service Programme. Between 2025 and 2030, we will replace over one million water meters, introducing cutting-edge technology to revolutionise how we operate, engage with customers, and protect our environment.

As our Smart Programme Business Readiness & Change Lead, you’ll play a pivotal role in preparing our business for this change. Reporting to the Delivery Programme Manager, you’ll work across operational teams and with third-party partners to ensure Southern Water is ready to adopt new processes, technologies, and ways of working. This is more than a metering upgrade - it’s a strategic shift in how we deliver water services and empower our customers.

This is your opportunity to lead change that matters - reducing water consumption, cutting leakage, and enhancing customer journeys, all while supporting our environmental and carbon reduction goals.

Responsibilities:

- Lead business change across impacted operational teams and external partners

- Collaborate with the Smart Operations Centre and AMS Business Change Team to design and deliver continuous improvements

- Drive readiness for new processes and capabilities that leverage smart metering data to:

- Improve customer service and embed behavioural and operational change

- Reduce per capita consumption (PCC) through customer engagement tools

- Support leakage reduction using smart data insights

- Map affected business areas and develop detailed change impact assessments

- Engage stakeholders to sponsor and support required changes

- Scope, plan and schedule readiness activities across programme phases

- Manage Go/No Go reporting and readiness tracking

- Develop and deliver change interventions including training and communications

- Ensure readiness criteria and adoption activities are embedded in governance

- Resolve readiness and adoption risks and issues

- Support customers, stakeholders and third parties in adopting new platforms and processes

- Leverage best practices from other water companies and industry partners

About You

We’re looking for someone who brings:

- 5+ years of experience delivering complex business change initiatives

- Strong project and change management expertise with a track record of successful outcomes

- High attention to detail and personal drive

- Experience in utilities smart metering programmes (desirable)

- Excellent communication and presentation skills

- Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building capabilities

- Experience managing change workstream plans and associated risks

- Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure

Knowledge & Qualifications

Essential:

- Project and change management qualifications

- Familiarity with change management methodologies and training approaches

- Understanding of operating models (ideally within utilities or water)

Desirable:

- Knowledge of smart metering systems (preferably in water)

- Understanding of customer billing operations

Why join us?

We’re transforming how we serve our customers and communities. Join us and be part of a team that values innovation, collaboration, and a shared commitment to making a difference.

Ready to dive in? Apply now and help us shape the future of water for life.

Package

This role will be full time Monday to Friday with a hybrid approach between our Durrington office and working from home, with occasional travel to other offices when required.

We are offering a salary of up to £62,000 per annum as well as other benefits including:

• Generous pension up to 11% company contribution

• 25 days annual leave

• Life assurance equal to 4x salary

• Salary sacrifice electric car scheme (after 6 months service)

• Health Cash Plan

• Full funded eye tests

• Two paid volunteering days a year

• Occupational health service

• Discounts with over 800 popular retailers

• Digital GP service

• Study support may be available for job-related qualifications

• Competitive maternity leave and flexible return to work options

• Cycle to work scheme

Join our Wholesale services Team and see how far your career could progress with a company committed to career progression, training and development opportunities, our customers, and the environment.

Does this opportunity excite you but you’re not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that ‘normal’ office hours aren’t possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’ll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role?

If this role isn’t quite what you’re looking for but are keen to be contacted about opportunities at Southern Water, you can register your details here: Introduce Yourself (myworkdaysite.com)

Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, because delivering water for life is our core purpose. To achieve this, we need 24/7 support in place to resolve incidents quickly and efficiently. All our employees understand the importance of out-of-hours incident support – because when problems appear, fixing them is our top priority. That’s why our people join together and support when and however needed to make sure our customers get the service they deserve. Joining the Southern Water family means you’ll become part of our incident support team. During your interview, your manager will speak to you about any incident support rotas that apply to your position.

Privacy Statement:

Please note: If you are an existing Southern Water employee, you will need to confirm within your application that your Manager is aware of your application.

All applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK. You will need to provide evidence of eligibility (e.g. a passport or long birth certificate and proof of NI) and current proof of address (dated within the last 3 months), will be required as part of the recruitment process. If you do not meet these criteria, your application will not be considered.

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