Water Demand Optimisation Manager

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Supporting the lives of people and places they love for generations to come is our purpose and providing water services to our communities in the most efficient and sustainable way possible is what we do. Our commitment is to always deliver available and sufficient resources, this is what drives the Drought and Resilience Team and in doing so we want to ensure that we enhance our reputation with our customers, regulators and stakeholders. So, if you want to be part of a diverse team where opportunities flow and fresh ideas are welcomed, #JustAddWater.

We currently have an opportunity for a Water Demand Optimisation Manager to join our Water Resources team and provide day to day monitoring, analysis and forecasting of overall demand and demand activity benefits. You will support the overall delivery of demand reduction targets through review of success and in year optimisation of strategies covering the South West Water, Bristol Water, Bournemouth Water and Isles of Scilly regions. You will receive a competitive salary of circa £47,000 to £52,000 plus an excellent benefits package.

The role

The Demand Team is responsible for the creation and continual review of the strategy for delivering the demand reductions set out in the Environment Act (including leakage, and HH and NHH per capita consumption), setting targets that are approved by the Executive and signed off as deliverable by delivery teams. The team provides technical leadership, strategy and monitoring for demand for the short, medium and long term (in year, in AMP to 50 years) and play a critical internal educative role around demand planning and delivery.

In addition to providing day to day monitoring, reporting and forecasting of in-AMP Demand Activities, you will be responsible for identifying, assessing and recommending adaptions to achieve overall demand targets. You will actively inform the development of future investment options through the compilation of relevant evidence and reviewing of performance and work with others in the Water Resources Function, principally in the Modelling Data and Systems team, to establish and maintain robust monitoring methods to collect and analyse water consumption data.

You will review performance against plans of all the investment options and all demand related delivery initiatives through the year - reporting to the SDBI taskforce and recommending adaptions to the strategy to ensure overall Demand targets are met. Additionally, you will own the performance reporting of key performance metrics including DI, PCC and NHH demand - using data from the MDS team but owning the trend analysis and commentary.

As Demand Optimisation Manager you will have a deep understanding of Water Resources, and demand in particular, you will be diligent, ensuring data integrity and reliability throughout. You will have strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build positive working relationships, facilitate collaboration, and align efforts towards common goals. You'll need to be good at working with different groups of people and explaining complicated things in a way everyone can understand. Having strong attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and project management abilities are essential for ensuring accuracy and efficiency in the day to day demand monitoring, reporting and forecasting that are the key focus of this role.

What you'll be doing:

• Lead on the day to day monitoring, analysis and forecasting of in AMP demand activities
• Work with the MDS team you will implement robust monitoring systems to track benefits of initiatives delivered, and track changes in demand against expectations.
• Responsible for ensuring monitoring systems comply with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
• Identify, assess and make recommendations for adaptations to current activities and plans to achieve overall demand targets, engaging internal and external stakeholders in order to gain approval and enact implementation.
• Compile evidence and review performance of each initiative to inform future investment options for demand related interventions.
• Review water consumption trends and demand trends, and prepare and present reports on the drivers for these and the impact of the remand reduction initiatives delivered.
• Present findings to stakeholders, including management, regulatory agencies, and community groups, through written reports, presentations, and visualizations.
• Responsible for maintaining accurate documentation of monitoring activities, data collection procedures, and analysis methodologies.
• Conduct regular audits and checks to verify the consistency and completeness of data collected.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders, such as water utility staff, engineers, and planners, to understand data needs and priorities.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and reporting obligations, including submission of required reports and documentation to regulatory agencies.
• Provide oversight and guidance to staff involved in data collection, analysis, and reporting activities.
• Play an active role in the Smart Metering delivery team, working with others from across the group to achieve programme outcomes.
• Play an active role in the SDBI delivery team, representative the overall picture on the demand reduction benefits and impact of demand.
• Participate in research initiatives, professional development activities, and knowledge-sharing forums to contribute to the advancement of water resource management practices and methodologies.
• Develop budgets and costs plans for specific initiatives in the Demand Strategy, ensuring cost-effective allocation of resources and alignment with SWWBB priorities and financial objectives.

What we are looking for:

• Scientific/ Environmental/ Engineering related Degree and ideally hold professional membership of a recognised body (e.g. CIWEM)
• Experience in water resources management, hydrology, or a related field and confident with water demand monitoring, analysis, and reporting
• Experience in project management and delivering through others
• Experience in statistical analysis techniques, time series analysis, and forecasting methodologies
• Previous experience of working in a water company and familiarity with water resource management practices, regulations, and policies governing water monitoring and reporting
• Strong understanding of hydrological principles and concepts related to water demand, consumption, and forecasting
• Ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to achieve common goals.
• Able to communicate internally and with external stakeholders
• Ability to coordinate and oversee multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring adherence to project timelines and budget constraints
• Knowledge of database management systems such as SQL for data storage, retrieval, and manipulation.
• The ability to prioritise work in accordance with changing demands, and manage multiple projects
• Strong attention to detail and organisational skills and highly organised, with a focus on maintaining strong document management and decision trails.
• Ability to develop strong external relationships and strong communicator, both oral and written

What's in it for you:

• This isn't just a job, this is a career; the opportunities to develop and grow your career with us are endless. Alongside ongoing training and development opportunities we offer some great benefits:
• 26 days holiday allowance rising to 30 days plus bank holidays
• Hybrid working arrangements
• Professional progression routes
• Generous contributory pension scheme
• Discretionary bonus
• Share save scheme
• Subsidised healthcare benefits
• Plus, many more!

Closing Date: Monday 18th November 2024

Be yourself, we like it that way. Together, we will build a culture of belonging, where inclusion is instinctive. Diversity is our strength and a reflection of our communities. We care, we value everyone, we celebrate uniqueness.

Our core values which are essential to our success are:

Be Rock Solid - Build trust and be trusted. Be the one we all look to and can depend on.

Be You - We want you to bring your best everyday. Be yourself and make your mark in your individual way.

Be the Future - Embrace change. Drive Progress. Own the challenge.