Job Description
About us
County Environmental Delivery Lead
Full time – Warrington / Cumbria (Hybrid – 3 days a week)
Competitive Salary + Annual Bonus
Drive Environmental Performance. Deliver Meaningful Change. Protect the North West.
At United Utilities, our purpose is simple: to deliver great water for a stronger, greener and healthier North West of England.
With environmental performance higher on the agenda than ever before, we're looking for experienced and driven County Environmental Delivery Leads based in Warrington and Cumbria to play a critical role in delivering environmental improvements across our operations. This is more than project management. It's an opportunity to lead change, influence senior stakeholders, improve compliance, and leave a lasting environmental legacy across your county.
If you're passionate about turning insight into action, thrive in complex environments, and enjoy delivering measurable outcomes through collaboration and leadership, we'd love to hear from you.
Why Join United Utilities?
At UU, you'll be part of a FTSE 100 organisation that combines a strong sense of purpose with the scale to make a genuine impact.
We're committed to creating a workplace where everyone can thrive, bring their whole selves to work and contribute to delivering a better future for our customers, communities and environment.
You'll join a collaborative and supportive culture that values innovation, continuous improvement and professional growth.
The Role
As a County Environmental Delivery Lead, you'll be a key member of the Environmental Delivery Team, leading environmental improvement programmes within your county and helping drive performance across the wider region.
You'll take ownership of a portfolio of environmental remediation projects, ensuring they are delivered safely, efficiently and effectively, while working closely with operational teams to embed sustainable improvements and strengthen environmental compliance.
This is a highly visible role where you'll engage with everyone from operational teams and senior leaders through to regulators, local authorities and external partners.
Most importantly, you'll turn environmental insight into meaningful action, leading multidisciplinary teams to identify root causes, solve problems and deliver lasting improvements across Water and Wastewater Operations.
What You'll Be Doing
Delivering Environmental Improvement Programmes
- Lead a portfolio of environmental remediation projects and improvement initiatives across your county.
- Develop and maintain project management plans, ensuring delivery against timescales, budgets and quality expectations.
- Drive rapid improvement programmes that deliver measurable environmental outcomes.
- Create sustainable solutions that move sites from reactive to proactive environmental management.
- Embed controls, ownership and best practice within operational teams.
Stakeholder Leadership & Influence
- Build strong partnerships with county leadership teams and operational stakeholders.
- Engage effectively with regulators, local authorities, contractors and external partners.
- Present programme progress and performance updates to senior leaders, governance groups and executive stakeholders.
- Provide constructive challenge where necessary to improve outcomes and manage risk.
- Ensure clear communication and escalation of issues affecting programme delivery.
Risk, Compliance & Governance
- Support operational teams in achieving and sustaining environmental compliance.
- Identify, manage and escalate risks, issues and change impacts.
- Ensure projects are delivered safely and in accordance with governance and regulatory requirements.
- Drive a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and environmental excellence.
Planning & Coordination
- Develop resource plans with functional leaders to ensure successful delivery of programmes.
- Coordinate multidisciplinary teams across a matrix environment.
- Align business priorities, operational requirements and environmental objectives.
- Track, measure and report benefits realised through environmental improvement initiatives.
Other
What We're Looking For
We're looking for an experienced project or programme leader who can combine strategic thinking with hands-on delivery.
You'll be comfortable operating in a complex, matrix environment and have a track record of influencing stakeholders at all levels to achieve ambitious outcomes.
Essential Requirements
- Degree qualified or equivalent industry experience.
- Proven experience delivering complex projects or programmes within challenging timescales.
- Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to build credibility and influence at all levels.
- Demonstrated ability to translate strategic objectives into practical, structured delivery plans.
- Experience operating successfully within a matrix organisation.
- Ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining a strong focus on outcomes.
- Excellent communication, leadership and relationship-building skills.
- Strong negotiation and influencing capabilities, including the confidence to challenge constructively.
- A results-focused approach with a commitment to quality, safety and continuous improvement.
You'll Stand Out If You Have
- Experience within utilities, environmental, infrastructure or highly regulated industries.
- Knowledge of environmental compliance, regulation or operational improvement programmes.
- Experience working with regulators, local authorities or external partners.
- A passion for driving environmental performance and sustainable change.
What You'll Get In Return
We know our people are our greatest asset, which is why we offer a competitive reward package designed to support your wellbeing, career and future.
Benefits Include
- 26 days annual leave, rising to 30 days with service, plus bank holidays
- Up to 14% employer pension contribution
- Up to 10.5% performance-related bonus
- Company-funded healthcare plan
- MyGymDiscounts with up to 25% off memberships
- EVolve electric vehicle scheme
- ShareBuy and flexible benefits package
- Enhanced parental leave
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Mental Health First Aiders
- Ongoing development and career progression opportunities
Make a Difference Every Day
This is a fantastic opportunity for a passionate leader to influence environmental performance at scale, work alongside talented colleagues, and help shape a more sustainable future for the North West.
If you're ready to lead meaningful change, deliver impactful environmental programmes and contribute to something bigger, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply today and help us build a stronger, greener and healthier North West.
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Working at United Utilities
Hybrid - 3 days in the office, 2 days from home
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