Project Manager – Desalination Programme

Job Description

Circa £60k, salary depending on skills and experience
Permanent
Full time with the flexibility for Part-time, 37 hours a week
Location Peterborough, Huntingdon, Lincoln or Norwich - Hybrid

Three Career‑Defining Project Manager Opportunities: Shape the Future of Water

We’re building something big - and we’re looking for exceptional Project Managers to help lead it.

Anglian Water is developing a ground breaking desalination programme to secure water supplies for the East of England for generations to come. We’re looking for three Project Managers to help drive this programme forward:

1. Norfolk Desalination – a First‑of‑a‑Kind Major Project

A once‑in‑a‑career opportunity to help shape a potentially nationally significant project from the very beginning. We’re looking for someone with major project experience, comfortable operating in early development: shaping strategy, programmes, budgets and governance. DCO experience is strongly desirable. This role is about influence, leadership and setting the foundations for delivery at scale.

2. Desalination Pilot Plant

This role is about making innovation real. We’re looking for a Project Manager with proven capital delivery experience, strong process knowledge and first‑class H&S credentials. You’ll be hands‑on, visible on site, and integral to safely delivering a complex pilot (~£15m) that will inform future large‑scale solutions.

3. Desalination Associated Infrastructure (Pipelines, Pumping & Storage)

This role focuses on the critical link between treatment and supply – the infrastructure that gets water into customers’ taps. We’re looking for pipeline development and delivery experience, with the confidence to lead complex interfaces across multiple projects.

Three roles. One programme. Real impact.
If you want to work on infrastructure that genuinely matters, this is it.

What you’ll be doing

• Provide strong H&S and CDM leadership, embedding a safe, inclusive delivery culture

• Own the project from early development onwards, controlling scope, programme, cost and risk

• Build and manage the integrated project programme, milestones and dependencies

• Lead budget and cost control, working closely with Commercial to manage forecasts, challenge variance and maintain affordability

• Drive risk, issue and opportunity management, ensuring proactive mitigation and clear escalation

• Manage complex interfaces across workstreams, partners and stakeholders

• Lead planning, consenting and regulatory activity, supporting submissions and key regulatory discussions

• Work with Procurement to develop procurement and contract strategies, managing consultants and contractors under NEC contracts

• Prepare and present governance and assurance updates, including sponsorship and performance forums

• Lead lessons learned and continuous improvement

We invest in our people - as a valued employee, you’ll be entitled to:

• Personal private health care

• Generous double match pension – contribute 7% and Anglian Water will contribute 14%, giving a total contribution of 21%

• 24-hour Virtual GP service for you and your household

• 26 days annual leave – rising with length of service and the ability to buy more

• Life assurance (up to 8 x salary)

• Personal accident cover (up to 5 x salary)

• Excellent family friendly policies, such as 26 weeks full pay for maternity / adoption leave, as well as 4 weeks paid paternity / partner leave. Opportunity for shared parental pay

• Bonus scheme

• Flexible benefits and working culture to support your wellbeing and lifestyle.

What we’re looking for

• Proven experience delivering complex infrastructure projects, with accountability across the full project lifecycle

• Strong early‑stage development experience, shaping scope, strategy, programmes and budgets

• Confidence owning cost, programme, risk and opportunity management within clear governance frameworks

• Experience working under NEC contracts

• Strong CDM and health & safety leadership

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills

Ultimately, we’re looking for someone who is organised, resilient and comfortable with complexity and uncertainty - someone who wants to lead and take ownership, not just manage.

Inclusion at Anglian Water

Inclusion is for everyone. We recruit based on merit and passion, and we’re committed to creating an environment where everyone feels they belong – regardless of background or personal circumstances.

This is your opportunity to work on some of the most innovative water projects in the UK and help secure supplies for millions of people.

Closing date: 7th June 2026

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