Closing Date
2025-11-07
Job Title: Lead Asset Engineer
Location: Falmer (Hybrid Working)
Salary: from £65k
Are you ready to take ownership of technical challenges and shape the future of water asset planning? We’re looking for a Lead Asset Engineer to join our Water Asset Planning team — a newly created role that offers the chance to lead, influence, and make a real impact.
Job Overview
As our new Lead Asset Engineer, you’ll lead a small team of engineers and play a pivotal role in developing high-level asset planning solutions that manage risk and deliver long-term value. Reporting to the Head of Water Asset Planning, you’ll be at the forefront of shaping and delivering a prioritised programme of work that supports our business objectives and drives technical excellence.
This is a business-facing, hands-on technical leadership role where you’ll collaborate across teams, lead investigations, and ensure that solutions are technically sound, cost-effective, and aligned with our zonal risk mitigation strategy
Responsibilities will include:
1. Leading and mentoring a team of engineers, managing workload and priorities.
2. Developing and scoping high-level asset interventions and solutions
3. Conducting root cause analysis and cost-benefit assessments to identify the best-value options
4. Working closely with Programme Managers, Engineering Technical Services, and framework consultants to ensure seamless integration and delivery
5. Supporting the development of integrated system plans and ensuring benefits are realised through effective handover and collaboration
6. Tackling real-world challenges like ageing assets and helping the business prioritise where and how to invest
About You
To thrive in this role, you’ll be a confident leader, a collaborative team player, and someone who enjoys tackling complex technical challenges. You’ll bring proven expertise from asset management, operation, design or construction. It is essential that you have an analytical mindset, the ability to think long term to identify the best value solutions for our customers, and the ability to work across fast-paced, cross-functional teams. A proactive, solutions-focused approach and a passion for continuous improvement for yourself and your team will be key to success. While experience in the water industry is highly desirable, it is not essential. We welcome candidates with strong technical backgrounds from other sectors who are eager to make a meaningful impact.
Package
This role will be full time Monday to Friday 37 hours a week.
Southern Water operate a hybrid approach to working between our Falmer and Durrington offices and home.
We are offering a salary from £65,000 per annum depending on skills and experience as well as other benefits including:
• Company and performance-related bonus
• Generous pension up to 11% company contribution
• 25 days annual leave
• Life assurance equal to 4x salary
• Salary sacrifice electric car scheme (after 6 months’ service)
• Health Cash Plan
• Fully funded eye tests
• Two paid volunteering days a year
• Occupational health service
• Discounts with over 800 popular retailers
• Digital GP service
• Study support may be available for job-related qualifications
• Competitive maternity leave and flexible return to work options
• Cycle to work scheme
Does this opportunity excite you but you’re not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that ‘normal’ office hours aren’t possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’ll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role?
Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, because delivering water for life is our core purpose. To achieve this, we need 24/7 support in place to resolve incidents quickly and efficiently. All our employees understand the importance of out-of-hours incident support – because when problems appear, fixing them is our top priority. That’s why our people join together and support when and however needed to make sure our customers get the service they deserve. Joining the Southern Water family means you’ll become part of our incident support team. During your interview, your manager will speak to you about any incident support rotas that apply to your position.
Privacy Statement:
Please note: If you are an existing Southern Water employee, you will need to confirm within your application that your Manager is aware of your application.
All applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK. You will need to provide evidence of eligibility (e.g. a passport or long birth certificate and proof of NI) and current proof of address (dated within the last 3 months), will be required as part of the recruitment process. If you do not meet these criteria, your application will not be considered.
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