Operational Excellence Manager

What you’ll be responsible for

The Operational Excellence department is responsible for improving organisational effectiveness by implementing Operational Excellence practices across Water Services to improve organisational effectiveness and developing a cultural behavioural change within the organisation. This is done by developing and implementing an operational excellence framework to deliver improvement plans that are aligned to the business strategy.

Key Accountabilities: 

• To support the Head of Operational Excellence in the effective and consistent deployment of our ‘Operational Excellence’ Programme in collaboration with operational business managers and group support functions.
• Be a key influencer in supporting sustainable cultural and leadership change across Water Services and the wider DCWW business.
• Build and facilitate an Operational Excellence Network to share and learn across the project area in which you are supporting to ensure consistency in ways of working.
• Support the implementation of a Water Services Operational Excellence roadmap.
• Ensure the Water Services Operational Excellence roadmap is delivered to the highest standard and in line with all relevant procedures, guidelines, and requirements.
• Support the deployment of an Operational Excellence culture across Water Services. 
• To support Operational Excellence projects as determined by business needs.
• Track and visualise the goals and objectives of the project team in which you are supporting by highlighting the benefits of Operational Excellence activities.
• Ensure all Operational Excellence activities are undertaken in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner.

Who you’ll work with

Internal

• Water Services Heads of Service
• All levels of senior management in the Water business area and group support functions. 
• All level of Water Services employees 

External

• Key contract partners to ensure bought in services are being delivered cost effectively and at appropriate levels of service
• OFWAT and Health and Safety Executive as required
• Appropriate emergency planning groups

About you

The following experience, skills & knowledge are deemed essential:

• A proven senior manager with business/operational excellence/continuous improvement experience and ability to demonstrate a proven track record of success
• A good broad knowledge of the business processes
• Experience with behavioural change and continuous improvement techniques
• Knowledge of business/operational excellence / continuous improvement tools and application.
• Experience of managing and building relationships with key stakeholders, such as business leaders and support functions with a high level of integrity
• Excellent leadership skills and proven experience of developing teams and individuals to reach their potential
• Personal integrity and able to gain trust at all levels of the organisation.
• An ability to communicate and engage effectively at all levels of the organisation.
• An ability to motivate, influence and change behaviour
• A team player who understands the importance of ownership and accountability
• Ability to travel as job requires covering a wide geography spending significant time in all Welsh Water operational areas
• The ability to use tact, diplomacy and influencing skills 
• Excellent communication skills to communicate complex ideas effectively at different management levels, functions and disciplines, both oral and written.

Benefits

As well as a market competitive salary, 33 days annual leave (pro rata, including public holidays), we offer a range of employee benefits and rewards including:

•    Variable pay schemes ((your salary band will remain the same, but performance depending, you could receive an incremental within-band increase and a yearly incentive)
•    Enhanced employer pension contributions – Up to 11% employer contributions
•    Enhanced family friendly policies
•    Progression opportunities, including the ability to apply for funded training and coaching and mentoring programmes
•    Reduction on gym memberships and high street shopping
•    Cycle to work scheme
•    Free on-site parking at all our sites
•    Discount off all Welsh Water visitor attraction centres and gift shops
•    Car-leasing scheme
•    Health CashBack scheme
•    An employee assistance programme for employees and their immediate family
•    Colleague matched fundraising scheme up to the value of £500 per year for your chosen charity

Whilst also working for a not-for profit company that truly cares about earning the trust of customers everyday, and about looking after our beautiful environment

Please note, we may close this role sooner if required. We may also extend the original closing date depending on interest.

Due to the nature of the industry, we require satisfactory references, post offer medical clearance, and a criminal records Basic Disclosure check on all new employees joining the business. For some roles there may be additional checks and security clearance required, and this offer is subject all checks being satisfied. You will receive further information on how to complete these checks via email once you have accepted this offer.

Who we are

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water keep 3 million people healthy each day with safe, reliable water, and take away wastewater to clean, before returning it safely to our beautiful rivers and seas.

To be able to deliver high quality, essential services which help to protect the health of our customers, colleagues and our environment, we need the right people to deliver on our vision.  This is achieved by living our core values and demonstrating the core behaviours that underpin them.  The security of our people, assets and information is key to us, so we are looking for people who understand and comply with the company’s required security objectives.

We know that the most successful teams are the most diverse teams. Equality, diversity and inclusion provide the very foundation to our culture at Welsh Water. We want every individual to feel confident, proud and able to bring their whole selves to work. 

To ensure an improved representation in our workforce, applications are particularly welcome from minority groups including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, Females, LGBT+, Non-binary and people with disabilities. Together we continue to build a workplace that not only celebrates the diverse voices of our colleagues but also represents each customer we serve.

In essence, ours is a company based on trust, openness, respect, commitment and honesty. A company that our colleagues are proud to work for.

INDMP