Job title Marketing Planning & Operations Manager Ref 44411 Division Strategy & External Affairs Location Hybrid - Clearwater Court - RG1 8DB Contract type Permanent Full/Part-time Full-time Salary Up to £60,000 per annum depending on experience Job grade B Closing date 18/03/2026
At Thames Water, we make a daily difference to the lives of 16 million customers by supplying 2.6 billion litres of water through 32,000km of pipes - keeping taps flowing and toilets flushing. We deliver life’s essential service so our customers, communities and the environment can thrive.
As the UK’s largest water company, we’re taking action for a new world of water - fixing the challenges of today and building resilience for tomorrow. And behind every campaign, message and brand moment is a marketing team working to connect our purpose to the people we serve.
We’re looking for a Marketing Planning & Operations Manager to help lead this team.
What you’ll be doing as a Marketing Planning & Operations Manager
This is a pivotal role within the Brand & Marketing team, reporting to the Head of Marketing and driving operational excellence across the function. You’ll own the end-to-end marketing planning process, ensuring every campaign and project is strategically aligned, efficiently delivered and measured for impact.
Key responsibilities
* Strategic planning support - Partner with the Head of Marketing to shape and deliver marketing strategy, support key meetings and ensure alignment with Strategic Communications.
* Operational management - Design and manage the team’s operating rhythm, including annual planning, campaign processes and intake/prioritisation workflows.
* End-to-end project leadership - Oversee timelines, dependencies and cross-functional collaboration to deliver high-quality projects on time and on budget.
* Process optimisation - Continuously improve tools, systems and governance, owning project management platforms and driving team adoption.
* Media strategy support - Contribute to integrated media planning across paid channels, ensuring alignment to objectives and performance goals.
* Performance reporting - Capture and share insights, track KPIs and embed learning across Marketing and Communications.
Working pattern
36 Hours, Monday to Friday
What you should bring to the role
* Extensive experience in marketing operations and cross-functional project leadership.
* Proven expertise in optimising marketing processes and workflows.
* Experience developing marketing communication plans from insight through to strategy and tactical delivery.
* Strong background in evaluating marketing performance across brand and acquisition, ideally with exposure to econometrics.
* Strong campaign management, marketing operations or project delivery background.
* Excellent communication skills - confident in preparing presentations, managing meetings and influencing stakeholders.
* Deep understanding of the marketing mix (social, CRM, paid media, influencer, SEO) and how channels drive brand and commercial outcomes.
* Strong grasp of KPIs, reporting and performance frameworks in a complex organisation.
* Degree in Business or Marketing, or CIM qualification.
* Experience using project management tools such as Asana, Trello or Monday.com.
* Background in creative or technical marketing, account management or reporting - with a move into operational leadership.
* Curious, motivated and always looking to raise the bar.
What’s in it for you?
* Competitive salary up to £60,000 per annum, depending on experience.
* Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (plus bank holidays)
* Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets
* Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
* Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances - from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.
We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.
Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.
If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.
Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.
We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, we’re here to help and support .
When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.
Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
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