Flexa
Discover companiesFind a jobResourcesSign in/up
For employers
Flex spring

Join the mailing list

Get the latest insights and expert guidance on job hunting, career progression, and creating thriving workplaces.

Enter your email
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • FAQs
  • Info for employers
  • Join Flexa
  • Legal
  • Live feed
  • Resources
  • Sign in/up
  • The Flexa awards
Flexa
< Back to search
United Utilities

County Planning Lead

Salary:  £46,359 per annum
Location flexibility:  3 office days / week – 3 days in the office, 2 days from home
Hey there, we’re really sorry but this job is no longer available. Please take a look at our other roles, and check back again soon as we’re adding new roles all the time!

United Utilities

Environment Permitting Lead

£51,233 per annum

Warrington, UK

United Utilities

Town Planner

Warrington, UK

United Utilities

County Regulatory Submissions Lead

Warrington, UK

United Utilities

System Performance Manager

Manchester, UK

United Utilities

Maintenance Planner

£51,233 per annum

Chester, UK

Job Description

County Planning Lead | Shell Green | Hybrid | £46,359

Are you energised by complex problem solving, confident in planning at scale, and motivated by keeping essential services running smoothly? We are looking for a proactive and highly organised County Planning Lead to join our fast paced and collaborative Bioresources Planning Team.

This is a role where your analytical thinking, communication strengths, negotiation skills, and natural team spirit will shine. You will work alongside other County Planners, the Regional Bioresource Production Planning Manager, and colleagues across multiple hubs to ensure sludge movements are optimised, compliant, and cost effective.

You will join a team that works brilliantly under pressure, supporting one another and tackling challenges together with confidence and energy. This is the perfect role if you enjoy coordinating across different departments, influencing decisions, and keeping operations moving with precision and pace.

About This Role

As a County Planning Lead, you will take ownership of planning activity for your appointed county, ensuring sludge is routed and managed effectively to protect compliance across Water, Wastewater, and Bioresources. You will coordinate the day to day production plan, adjusting schedules as priorities evolve and ensuring the right decisions are made at the right time.

You will act as the central point of contact for planning discussions, using data, insight, and clear communication to help set priorities, respond to emerging risks, and guide operational teams through changing circumstances. You will monitor system performance, provide meaningful analysis, and work closely with hubs to keep activity aligned to the regional strategy.

This role offers significant scope to build skills in operational planning, cross functional collaboration, and performance analysis. If you enjoy variety, thrive in a fast moving environment, and take pride in helping complex operations run smoothly, you will make a real impact from day one.

Key Responsibilities

Apply
To be the point of contact for sludge movements across the region and the subject matter expert for the appointed county.
  • Creating an annual production plan and modifying weekly to maintain Wastewater and Water compliance in the most cost effective way.
  • Monitoring and tracking progress of all work that is scheduled via the scheduling system and key levels across the import sites to proactively manage any headroom shortfalls that could impact the production plan.
  • Liaising with the county hub to manage shortfall and mitigate compliance risk.
  • Managing any conflicts that arise around job priorities and working with the county hub to resolve these.
  • Act as the key point of contact for responding to changes to the regional production plan via escalations and responsible for updating the outage tracker.
  • Working closely with the wastewater network and hubs to ensure that work is prioritised based on risk and export performance is proactively challenged and managed.
  • Technical Skills & Responsibilities

    • Strong understanding of systems thinking, with the ability to recognise how decisions and processes influence both Bioresources and Wastewater performance.
    • Solid working knowledge of wastewater treatment processes and networks, enabling confident and informed conversations with operational teams and an effective understanding of company policies and procedures.
    • Excellent analytical capability, with the skill to interpret data, draw meaningful insights, and present information clearly to a range of audiences.
    • Awareness of key transport legislation and regulatory requirements, particularly those relevant to sludge logistics and movement.
    • Highly organised and able to manage competing priorities, maintaining accuracy, structure, and focus in a fast moving environment.
    • A valid driving licence, as some travel will be required across the region.

    What You'll Get In Return

    You will be joining a supportive and passionate team of professionals dedicated to delivering high standards across Water, Wastewater, and Bioresources. You will be joining a team that values collaboration, clear communication, and shared success, creating an environment where everyone can thrive.

    The environment is dynamic, fast paced, and reactive, offering constant opportunities to learn, adapt, and problem solve. You will work closely with other County Planners and colleagues across the wider organisation, giving you exposure to many different teams and operational areas.

    This is a place where your communication, teamwork, organisation, planning ability, and negotiation skills will be valued every day, and where your contributions will make an important impact.\

    Benefits:

    • 26 days’ annual leave (rising to 30 after four years) plus 8 bank holidays
    • Competitive pension with up to 14% employer contribution and life cover
    • Up to 7.5% performance‑related bonus and recognition awards
    • Company‑funded healthcare plan
    • MyGymDiscounts – savings on gyms and digital fitness
    • Access to Best Doctors, Salary Finance and Wealth at Work
    • Retail deals and discounts
    • EVolve car scheme
    • Employee Assistance Programme and mental health first aiders
    • ShareBuy scheme
    • MORE Choices flexible benefits
    • Enhanced parental leave


    If you are motivated, confident in fast paced environments, and excited to join a team that works together to solve problems and deliver great outcomes, we would love to hear from you.

    Working at United Utilities

    3 office days / week – 3 days in the office, 2 days from home

    A little flex time

    Company employees:

    7,500

    Gender diversity (m:f):

    65:35

    Hiring in countries

    United Kingdom

    Office Locations

    Company benefits

    26 days annual leave + bank holidays
    Annual bonus – Bonus levels vary depending on your role grade
    Buy or sell annual leave – Buy or sell up to 5 days per year
    Death in service – covered for 4 times pensionable earnings
    Cinema discounts
    Employee recognition scheme – Colleague led recognition scheme with monthly winners
    Cycle to work scheme
    Dental coverage
    Collaboration spaces
    Electric Car Salary Sacrifice
    Employee assistance programme
    Enhanced maternity leave – Up to 26 weeks leave at full pay
    Enhanced pension match/contribution – Up to 21% combined contributions
    Enhanced sick days
    Ergonomic workstations
    Faith rooms
    Family health insurance
    Further education support – Ongoing learning opportunities through apprenticeships and vocational training
    Gym membership – On-site gym at our head office & discounts on local gyms for those not based there
    Health cash plan
    Health insurance
    In house training
    Mental health days – 1 wellbeing day per year (in addition to annual leave)
    Mental health first aiders
    Compassionate leave
    Enhanced paternity leave – Up to 4 weeks leave at full pay
    Mental health platform access – Offering mental health consultations, health checks, digital fitness resources, and wellbeing support.
    On-site gym
    Open to compressed hours
    Open to part time work for some roles
    Adoption leave
    Private GP service – via our virtual GP - available to you and your loved ones
    Professional subscriptions
    Referral bonus – of £500
    Neonatal leave
    Reservist leave – Reservists/Army Reserve with 6 months service are entitled to 10 days paid leave per year to attend the annual training camp.
    Restaurant discounts
    Secure on-site parking
    Sensory-Friendly Setup
    Shared parental leave
    Will writing
    Carer’s leave
    On-site childcare – Only at our head office
    Income protection