Lead Engineer

As a Lead Engineer, you’ll take full ownership and leadership of a project or programme of works, ensuring it is delivered on time, to budget, and to the highest quality standards. You’ll drive contractor performance, build strong relationships across the business, and play a vital role in maintaining, repairing and improving our network assets. Your work will be key to achieving major business outcomes such as reducing leakage, minimising supply interruptions and ensuring customers receive consistent, reliable water pressure.

Effective internal and external stakeholder engagement will be central to your success.

What you will be doing as a Lead Engineer

• Lead the delivery of projects within approved budgets, using monthly reporting and quarterly reforecasts to stay ahead of performance.
• Work closely with the QS to ensure contracts are managed efficiently and deliver maximum value.
• Proactively identify and mitigate project risks to minimise financial exposure.
• Manage service providers to ensure exceptional performance and value for money.
• Ensure all works comply with quality systems, processes and asset standards.
• Follow technical waiver processes where needed to ensure compliance and efficiency.
• Build and maintain strong external relationships, protecting and enhancing Thames Water’s reputation with customers and communities.
• Encourage fresh thinking and innovation across the supply chain to foster continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with the Thames Water Innovation team to support initiatives that enhance performance across the business.
• Champion a proactive health, safety and environmental culture across both internal teams and external partners.
• Drive best practice in sustainable, safe and efficient delivery of capital projects, ensuring long‑term operational success.
• Lead, motivate and develop a high‑performing team to deliver agreed outputs effectively and commercially.
• Promote a culture of accountability, growth, and team achievement.

Location: Lane End, Dartford
Hours: 36 hours per week, Monday to Friday

What you should bring to the role
To thrive as a Lead Engineer, you’ll need:

• Project management experience with proven delivery results.
• Strong collaboration skills, building trust and enabling teams across different areas to work effectively together.
• A customer‑centric mindset with evidence of improving satisfaction for both internal and external customers.
• Excellent stakeholder relationship skills, understanding what value means to different groups and how to create it.
• Experience managing project teams and being accountable for full project delivery.
• A genuine commitment to continuous improvement in Health & Safety performance.

What’s in it for you?

• Offering £60,000 to £62,000 per annum, depending on experience and skills.
• 26 days of annual leave.
• Contributory pension – Defined Contribution - Maximum of 12% -2x employee contribution.
• Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year.
• Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
• Wider benefits scheme including our benefits hub, which is packed full of offers and information to save you money and support your wellbeing.

Find out more about our benefits and perks

Who are we?
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.

Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water
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.