We’re making a difference: Together, we can ensure that there is enough water for everyone, now and in the future.
Portsmouth Water is seeking a strategic and forward-thinking Head of Capital Delivery to guide the successful planning and execution of our core capital programmes. This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for enabling excellence across project governance, investment planning, contractor management, and end-to-end delivery, ensuring performance, value, and operational impact at every stage.
You’ll lead a multidisciplinary team of internal experts, contractors, and consultants, fostering innovation, efficiency, and continuous improvement. With a strong focus on optimising value from investment, you’ll embed commercial insight early in the asset lifecycle, coordinate risk and compliance, and respond to the complexities of delivering large-scale programmes in a dynamic economic environment.
This role offers a highly competitive £95,000 salary, a discretionary annual bonus, and a £5,184 car allowance. You’ll also benefit from a 15% employer pension contribution, 27 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, private medical cover, access to our Employee Assistance Programme, and the flexibility of hybrid working.
What will you be doing?
Key Responsibilities
- Guide the strategic and tactical direction of the Capital Delivery team.
- Drive a collaborative culture of innovation and continuous improvement within the team and with our delivery partners, demonstrating efficiency, best practice, and innovation.
- Full accountability for delivering core capital programmes, such as the replacement of water production assets and infrastructure programmes, for example smart meters and mains growth to the quality and standards required.
- Constructively challenge proposals to ensure capital programme delivery solutions maximise value whilst achieving business outcomes.
- Guide the transformational change required to support ownership of capital programme delivery solutions.
- Guide and inform all strategic financial forecasting and operational budget setting processes.
- Ensure robust performance and quality management systems and procedures are in place for all capital programme delivery related solutions.
- Ensure robust and timely technical scrutiny at each capital programme delivery gate review with a clear focus on enhancing value through early engineering and/or technical input prior to project initiation.
- Ensure that all third party contracted works are coordinated and managed to meet quality and value for money requirements.
- Ensure Company and delivery partner activity aligns to the relevant quality standards, satisfying the relevant legislative and regulatory requirements, as well as ensuring everyone goes home better.
Skills, Qualifications & Competencies
- Experience of supporting the delivery of substantial and complex capital programmes within infrastructure, utilities, power, or transportation sectors
- Strong understanding of capital delivery processes and infrastructure planning, with a structured, process-driven approach
- Experience of developing and implementing capital delivery programme governance and gateway processes
- Commercial awareness in supporting future business investment needs and bottom-up budgeting approaches
- Supporting and guiding teams to meet programme/project management objectives and targets with a diverse range of stakeholders
- Experience of presenting complex and technical information clearly to all levels of an organisation to build stakeholder buy-in
- Experience of proactively managing and mitigating risk within programmes and portfolios
- Strategic and thoughtful problem-solving abilities to respond to complex challenges effectively
- Working knowledge of programme and project management methodologies (e.g., PRINCE2 and/or Association for Project Management), with experience across portfolios
- Proven experience of financial forecasting, budget formulation, cost control, and reporting
- Good experience in health & safety, particularly CDM regulations, ensuring compliance and safe delivery
- Familiarity with NEC contracts and ability to support contractual requirements effectively
- Strong knowledge of asset management systems within the engineering sectors and understanding of developments in digital engineering technology and technical assurance
- An engineering or other relevant degree and chartered membership of a relevant professional institution such as the APM
- Strong understanding of APM standards and principles
If you are successful for the role, you will be required to undergo Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) pre-employment checks that will include a basic disclosure check. Depending on the role, you may also be required to go through the national security vetting process for either a CTC or SC clearance check. Any offer of employment is conditional upon completion and receipt of satisfactory checks.
We recognise people want to work in a variety of different ways and that’s why we’re happy to consider flexible working arrangements. Please feel free to talk to us at interview about the flexibility you may be looking for.
Please note, we may close this advert early if we receive a high volume of applications — so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid missing out.
We’re committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and we actively encourage applications from all sections of society. Please be aware, the Company has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
Due to the high volume of applications we may receive, we’re unable to respond to every applicant individually. If your application is of interest, we’ll usually be in touch within 4 weeks of receiving it.
What can Portsmouth Water offer you?
At Portsmouth Water, we believe in rewarding our people. Here’s just a taste of what’s waiting for you when you join the team:
- Drive in Comfort
Enjoy a consistent, company-wide car allowance that supports your travel needs and keeps you moving with ease.
- Work Your Way
Our hybrid approach gives you the flexibility to balance office collaboration with focused time at home, helping you work at your best.
- Holidays Made Better
Enjoy 27 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays, giving you plenty of time to relax, recharge, and explore.
- A Pension That Works for You
We’ll help secure your future with a generous pension scheme, contributing up to 15% – because your tomorrow matters as much as your today.
- Performance Pays Off
You could earn a non-contractual bonus of up to 15% of your basic salary, linked to company performance – because when we succeed together, you should benefit too.
- Family Comes First
Whether you’re welcoming a new arrival through birth or adoption, we’ve got your back with enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave and pay.
- Social Events
All expenses covered summer and winter social events
- Peace of Mind, Always
Our life assurance scheme gives your loved ones extra security, with a 4x salary lump sum benefit in case the unexpected happens.
- Comprehensive Wellbeing Support
Whether you need confidential mental health and wellbeing advice 24/7 through our Employee Assistance Programme, or physical health support via our Virtual GP service (available 8am–10pm, 7 days a week for you and your immediate family), help is always close at hand with the HealthHero app.
- Additional Support When You Need It
We know life has its ups and downs. That’s why we offer Private Medical Insurance - provided by Bupa giving you access to expert healthcare and 24/7 confidential support.
PW Perks – Treat Yourself!
Enjoy exclusive discounts at thousands of retailers, plus exciting benefits like:
- Electric Vehicle Scheme (after 1 year)
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Health Cash Plan
…and so much more!
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