Fresh Water Pollution Governance & Performance Lead

Closing Date

2026-11-13

Job Title: Fresh Water Pollution Governance & Performance Lead

Location: Flexible within our region (hybrid 2 days a week with travel to sites across the region. Access to a vehicle is essential for this role).

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 37 hours per week

Salary: £50-58,000 depending on skills and experience

There has never been a more important time to join Southern Water. As we move through AMP8, we are delivering one of the most ambitious capital investment programmes in the industry, focused on improving environmental performance, service resilience and long‑term affordability for customers.

About the role

The role will act as the single point of accountability for Fresh Water Pollution performance reporting, governance, regulatory assurance, improvement planning and programme delivery. Working across Water Networks, Water Production, Operational Control, Environmental teams, Digital & Data and Operational Excellence, you will ensure that Fresh Water Pollution processes are effectively governed, risks are proactively managed, regulatory obligations are met, and performance improvement activities deliver measurable outcomes.

What you will be responsible for

• Lead Fresh Water Pollution performance reporting, insight generation and KPI management, ensuring accurate and timely information is available to operational leaders and executive stakeholders.
• Lead the governance framework, documentation control, audit requirements and assurance processes for Fresh Water Pollution activities.
• Lead regulatory compliance monitoring against Environment Agency requirements, WIRI guidance, reporting standards and internal process obligations
• Own delivery oversight of all Fresh Water Pollution improvement plans, PIRP commitments and regulatory action trackers, ensuring actions remain on track and value is realised.
• Act as Product Owner and business lead for Fresh Water Pollution systems, reporting tools, dashboards and digital developments.

What you’ll bring to the role

• Experience within Water Operations, Environmental Performance, Operational Excellence, Regulatory Compliance or Performance Management.
• Experience of managing governance frameworks and assurance activities.
• Experience producing executive-level performance reporting.
• Proven ability to lead improvement initiatives and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Strong understanding of KPI management, reporting and data analysis.
• Experience engaging regulators, auditors or assurance functions.
• Understanding of Fresh Water Pollution processes and Environment Agency requirements highly desirable.

Southern Water is at the forefront of transforming Britain’s water industry, investing significantly to enhance resilience, sustainability, and service excellence. With £7.8bn planned investment for 2025-30, this is an unparalleled opportunity to join a business committed to delivering a generational shift in the way water services are managed.

"Our mission is to protect and enhance life through water—and we need passionate people to help us achieve it. If you’re inspired by our purpose and believe you can contribute, apply today. You don’t need to meet every criterion; what matters most is your drive to make a difference."

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- Introduce Yourself)

Our Commitment to Diversity

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or any other protected characteristic. If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Additional information

In line with Southern Water’s security requirements, successful candidates will be required to provide evidence of their identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record check (DBS) and verification of their employment and/or education history for the past three years.

Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of all pre‑employment checks, including security vetting.

Please note that if a candidate does not meet the required security standards or fails to pass the vetting process, Southern Water reserves the right to withdraw the offer of employment. Some positions may also require higher levels of security vetting, which may involve providing additional documentation.

Welcome

Our purpose is big. Our impact is huge. And we know that every single one of us has the power, through our actions, to positively change society and the environment for good. It’s why careers with us have real meaning. Because, if you’re driven and ambitious, we can offer you huge opportunities for personal growth, professional development and constant innovation. Forever evolving. Forever focused on doing the right thing, we empower and encourage everyone to play to their strengths and to help us shape a fair and positive future for all. We believe in Water for Life. If you do too, Dive Right In.

We succeed together

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.

Need flexibility in your work?

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?