Southern Water
EIR Lead
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Closing Date 2026-10-05
Role: Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) Lead
Location: Hybrid working, with two days per week at our Durrington office. Tuesday is the team day, with flexibility around the second office day.
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: 37 hours per week, Monday - Friday
Salary: Up to £62,000 depending on skills and experience
About the role
We're looking for an Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) Lead to provide strategic and operational leadership for Southern Water's EIR service and act as our senior specialist for complex and high-risk environmental information matters.
You'll oversee the triage, prioritisation, allocation and quality assurance of requests, using your professional judgement to guide the most complex, sensitive or high-profile cases. As the principal point of escalation, you'll provide expert advice to Legal Services, senior leaders and teams across the business, helping us meet our statutory obligations while managing legal, regulatory, reputational and operational risk.
This is a senior individual contributor role rather than a people management position. You'll provide day-to-day direction, technical guidance and oversight for the EIR function, helping the team organise priorities, maintain quality and surface issues quickly. You'll also lead cross-functional improvements that strengthen information ownership, accessibility, transparency and response efficiency.
This is a great opportunity for an experienced EIR or Freedom of Information professional who combines strong technical expertise with strategic thinking, sound judgement and the ability to influence at senior level. Water-sector experience would be valued, but we also welcome relevant experience from other complex, regulated or public-interest organisations.
What you’ll be responsible for:
- Leading the triage, prioritisation, allocation and quality assurance of EIR requests
- Acting as the senior point of escalation for complex, sensitive, novel and high-risk cases
- Interpreting EIR legislation, ICO guidance, legal precedent and disclosure obligations to provide clear, defensible recommendations
- Advising on disclosure, exceptions, public interest tests and regulatory risk
- Building effective relationships with Heads of Function, information owners, Legal Services, Corporate Affairs and operational teams
- Leading cross-functional improvement projects covering information governance, transparency, process design and self-service access to information
- Overseeing internal reviews, ICO complaints, investigations and regulatory challenges, ensuring evidence and legal rationale are robust
- Providing guidance, coaching and training that strengthens EIR understanding and ownership across the business
- Analysing demand, requestor behaviour, regulatory developments and performance information to identify trends and improvement opportunities
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What you’ll bring to the role:
Essential
- Significant experience managing Environmental Information Regulations or Freedom of Information requests within a complex organisation
- Advanced knowledge of EIR legislation and/or Freedom of Information, including ICO guidance, decision notices and relevant case law
- Demonstrable experience interpreting legislation and applying legal and regulatory requirements to complex situations
- Exceptional judgement, analytical thinking and decision-making in ambiguous, contentious or high-profile cases
- Experience providing specialist advice and influencing senior stakeholders
- Experience leading organisational improvement initiatives, projects or programmes
- Excellent written communication, with the ability to prepare clear, legally robust and defensible responses and recommendations
- Degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience
Desirable
- Experience within a regulated utility, infrastructure or public-interest environment
- Experience working closely with legal functions on complex disclosure issues
- Significant experience within the water sector
About Southern Water
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Southern Water is at the forefront of transforming Britain's water industry, investing significantly to improve services, protect the environment and deliver lasting value for our customers and communities.
You will be joining at a time of significant change, working with skilled colleagues and senior leaders who share a clear vision for the future. We offer an environment where experienced professionals can make a meaningful impact, influence important decisions and improve how we serve the public.
Our mission is to protect and enhance life through water, and we need passionate people to help us achieve it. If you're inspired by our purpose and believe you can contribute, apply today. You don't need to meet every criterion; what matters most is your drive to make a difference.
If this role isn't quite what you're looking for but you are keen to hear about opportunities at Southern Water, you can register your details through our careers site.
Our Commitment to Diversity
We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion or any other protected characteristic. If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.
Additional information
In line with Southern Water's security requirements, successful candidates will be required to provide evidence of their identity, eligibility to work in the UK, a criminal record check (DBS), and verification of their employment and/or education history for the past three years.
Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of all pre-employment checks, including security vetting.
Please note that if a candidate does not meet the required security standards or fails to pass the vetting process, Southern Water reserves the right to withdraw the offer of employment. Some positions may also require higher levels of security vetting, which may involve providing additional documentation.
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