Senior Project Manager (Water / Utilities)

What’s the Opportunity

We are growing our Project Management team within the Water and Regulated Utilities sector and have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Project Manager. You will lead the delivery of complex infrastructure projects and programmes for major UK water utilities and environmental agencies. This role involves managing multidisciplinary teams, ensuring commercial success, and driving excellence in project governance.

What you need to do to be effective in this role

• Lead the delivery of complex water infrastructure projects and programmes from inception to close-out.
• Act as the primary client lead for major programmes with organisations such as Thames Water and the Environment Agency, providing strategic direction, ensuring governance compliance, and driving successful outcomes across multiple workstreams.
• Take full responsibility for planning, scheduling, cost control, and risk management across multiple workstreams.
• Manage and mentor project teams, ensuring collaboration and high performance.
• Oversee contract administration and commercial management, including NEC3/4 compliance.
• Develop and maintain project management plans, dashboards, and reporting systems.
• Engage with senior stakeholders across utilities, contractors, and internal teams to maintain strong relationships.
• Ensure governance, health & safety, and regulatory compliance throughout project lifecycle.

The skills and experience you need to have for this role

• Project Leadership: 5-8 years’ experience delivering complex infrastructure projects/programmes end-to-end, ideally in water or regulated utilities.
• Team Management: Proven ability to lead and motivate multidisciplinary teams.
• Commercial Awareness: Strong understanding of contract management (NEC3/4), cost control, and risk management.
• Sector Knowledge: Experience in the water industry or regulated utilities, with awareness of governance requirements and sector-specific delivery models.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Excellent communication and influencing skills, with experience managing senior client relationships.
• Tools: Proficiency in Microsoft Office and project management platforms (e.g. MS Project, Primavera P6), with familiarity in reporting tools such as Power BI and document control systems like SharePoint.

Additional experience that would be beneficial includes:

• Consultancy-side project management experience.
• Previous involvement in Environment Agency or major water utility projects.
• Experience in design management and integrated delivery models.

Qualifications:

• Degree in Engineering, Environmental Science, Project Management, or related field.
• Professional qualifications such as APM PMQ, PRINCE2 Practitioner, or equivalent.
• Chartered Status (e.g. ChPP, CEng, MRICS) preferred.

Why join us?

You’ll be part of a growing team delivering critical infrastructure projects for major UK water companies and regulated utilities, with opportunities to lead high-profile programmes and develop your career towards leadership roles.

Ridge is a Built Environment Consultancy. We provide our clients with access to a wide range of integrated expertise and professional disciplines to help them transform the quality and sustainability of the built environment.

Our people make what we do possible, helping us lead the way with quality, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit. That’s why we challenge them to be the best they can be and offer exceptional training and career development opportunities at all levels.

Ridge and Partners LLP
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