Head of Environmental Quality & Compliance

Head of Environmental Quality & Compliance page is loaded Head of Environmental Quality & Compliancelocations: Worthingtime type: Full timeposted on: Posted Todaytime left to apply: End Date: October 26, 2025 (10 days left to apply)job requisition id: JR7266 Closing Date 2025-11-28Job Title: Head of Environmental Quality & ComplianceLocation: Hybrid working between our office in Durrington and working from home.Contract Type: PermanentHours: 37 hours per week, Monday - FridaySalary: Salary commensurate to experience + £500 monthly car allowance, single PMI and up to 20% bonus. Job Overview With AMP8 now underway, Southern Water is entering a pivotal phase of transformation and investment. We are now seeking a strategic and influential leader to join our senior leadership team as Head of Environmental Quality & Compliance.This is a pivotal role responsible for shaping and leading Southern Water's environmental compliance strategy, ensuring we meet regulatory obligations, reduce environmental risk, and enhance our reputation with stakeholders.You will also embed cross-functional ownership of environmental processes across the business.Reporting to our Director of Strategy & Regulation and working closely with directorate leads, you will be the senior point of accountability for environmental regulatory compliance, driving performance improvement and influencing national policy through industry engagement.Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to Lead the strategic direction and performance of the Environmental Quality & Compliance function, overseeing Permitting, Management & Reporting, Compliance, and Carbon & Climate Change teams. Act as senior accountable owner for environmental regulatory compliance, managing relationships with regulators such as the Environment Agency, Natural England, and Ofwat. Develop and embed cross-functional processes for permitting, performance management, regulatory investigations, and reporting. Ensure timely and accurate environmental reporting, including statutory returns and net zero progress. Influence senior stakeholders across Operations, Legal, Asset Management, and Capital Delivery to embed compliance in decision-making. Lead responses to major pollution incidents and regulatory appeals. Identify and mitigate environmental risks and capability gaps, securing resources and influencing investment. Represent Southern Water at industry forums (e.g. Water UK, UKWIR) to shape national regulatory direction. About You We're looking for a strategic leader with extensive expertise in environmental regulation and compliance. You'll bring: Proven leadership experience in a complex regulatory environment. Strong stakeholder and political management skills. In-depth knowledge of UK environmental regulation, including Environmental Permitting Regulations, MCERTS, WINEP, and Net Zero frameworks. Experience in change leadership and implementing new operating models. High resilience and decisiveness under pressure. A track record of delivering improved compliance and reduced risk. Degree in Environmental Science or related discipline (postgraduate qualifications and professional memberships desirable). Package This role will be full time Monday to Friday with a hybrid approach to working between our head office in Worthing and home.We are offering a competitive salary commensurate to skills and experience as well as other benefits including:• Company and performance-related bonus• Generous pension with up to 11% company contribution• Life assurance payment equal to four times your annual salary• Health benefits through a Cash Plan• Two paid community volunteering days a year• 25 days annual holiday• Occupational health service• Perkbox benefits offering discounts and savings on several products and experiences• Study support may be available for job-related qualifications• We offer competitive maternity leave and flexible return to work optionsJoin Southern Water and see how far your career could progress with a company committed to career progression, training and development opportunities, our customers and the environment.Southern Water is at the forefront of transforming Britain's water industry, investing significantly to enhance resilience, sustainability, and service excellence. With £7.8bn planned investment for 2025-30, this is an unparalleled opportunity to join a business committed to delivering a generational shift in the way water services are managed.You will be joining at a time of significant change, working alongside a highly skilled leadership team with a clear vision for the future. We offer an environment where senior professionals can make a meaningful impact, influence major strategic decisions, and drive long-term value creation.At Southern Water, diversity and inclusion are core values. We actively encourage applications from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an environment where every individual is empowered to succeed.This is more than a role; it's an opportunity to lead, innovate, and make a lasting impact. Apply now to be part of our transformational journey.We reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications so if you are interested in the position please do send your application over today to ensure consideration.We value diversity and are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments to facilitate your participation in the recruitment process, please do not hesitate to let us know. We are dedicated to ensuring that all candidates have an equal opportunity to showcase their skills and experience.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. Our Benefits Company and performance-related bonus Generous pension with up to 11% company contribution Life assurance payment equal to four times your annual salary Health benefits through a Cash Plan Two paid community volunteering days a year 25 days annual holiday Occupational health service Perkbox benefits offering discounts and savings on several products and experiences Study support may be available for job-related qualifications We offer competitive maternity leave and flexible return to work options