NWG (Northumbrian Water Group)
Wastewater Performance Optimisation Lead

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About The Role
Wastewater Performance Optimisation Lead
Permanent - 37hrs pw
Base Location: Washington, Tyne and Wear
Salary: £44,080 - £55,100 (depending on experience)
About The Role
We’ve an amazing opportunity to join our Wastewater and Bioresources team here at Northumbrian Water as our Wastewater Performance Optimisation Lead. This role will focus on improving operational performance across Wastewater by making performance visible, actionable and holding people to account. The successful candidate will lead and implement improvements through effective performance tracking, on-site checks, clear communication and the consistent embedding of best practice, procedures and systems across operational teams. The role will also support the development and adoption of existing, new and emerging technologies, ensuring they are used effectively to meet the ever-changing regulatory landscape.
We’re looking for someone who combines technical competence, process knowledge and systems expertise with the ability to assess departmental compliance, identify performance gaps and work with teams to agree practical actions. You’ll set clear expectations at all levels within the department and use insight, evidence and constructive challenge to help teams improve how they work day to day.
In practice, your day-to-day work will include reviewing performance information, using Power BI and other business systems to identify trends, risks and opportunities, carrying out site visits and on-site checks, and working directly with operational teams to understand what is happening on the ground. You’ll help translate data into meaningful conversations and practical improvement plans, ensuring actions are tracked through to completion and that progress is clearly reported.
A key part of the role will be communication, liaison and relationship building. You’ll work closely with operational colleagues, managers and wider business teams to build trust, influence change and encourage consistent ways of working. This will require confidence, resilience and the ability to persuade others by using evidence, clear reasoning and a practical understanding of operational challenges.
About You
We’re looking for the successful candidate to combine technical expertise, strong analytical skills and innovative flair to ensure our current and future team deliver excellent performance results. You’ll be comfortable interpreting data, producing clear performance to support decision making and drive targeted improvement.
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Drive, enthusiasm, excellent communication skills and the ability to analyse performance metrics are prerequisites. You’ll be able to demonstrate the ability to assess and track systems compliance, carry out checks, identify themes and produce reports appropriately tailored to the audience. You’ll have a track record of driving performance improvement, influencing others and implementing and embedding new ways of working.
We’re looking for you to have proven knowledge of the application of quality systems and procedures, along with proven experience of building positive and effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders. You’ll be confident liaising across teams, appropriately challenging existing practices and persuading others to adopt improvements that support better, more consistent operational performance.
Knowledge of wastewater treatment and experience using Power BI would be advantageous, although they are not essential for the role.
Here at Northumbrian Water, we embrace and value Diversity, Inclusion and Equity, and encourage all colleagues to bring their most authentic self to work.
Our colleague network groups include our Rainbow Support Network (LGBTQIA+), REACH (Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage), WiSTEM (Women in STEM) and Thisability (disability and neurodiversity) networks. They provide a safe space for colleagues from diverse backgrounds, welcoming all colleagues regardless of their personal characteristics to participate in valuable conversation that improves our organisational awareness, understanding and inclusivity.
We encourage and welcome all applications, as we strive to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to having diverse communities represented within all our teams, structures, and organisation.
Please note this role will require a DBS to be completed prior to employment
NWG are an inclusive employer who support the rehabilitation of offenders, we will not, however consider candidates who have certain unspent convictions to ensure our commitment to fostering a safe and secure working environment for all OR colleagues, suppliers, customers and third parties.
About Us
Here are NWG we strive to make Northumbrian Water Group (NWG) a Great Place to Work, for all. We embrace and value Diversity, Inclusion and Equity and encourage you to bring your full self to work. As an equal opportunity employer we’re committed to having a diverse community represented across our business.


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We’re aware that not everyone will have every skill listed in the job description, however if you have some of the skills listed, we'd encourage you to apply
NWG At a Glance:
Our purpose at NWG is caring for the essential needs of our communities and environment, now and for generations to come.
We do this by providing reliable and affordable water and wastewater services for our customers.
We make a positive difference by operating efficiently and investing prudently, to maintain a sustainable and resilient business.
Our vision is to be the national leader in the provision of sustainable water and wastewater services. To support us in achieving our vision, we have five core values which are the guiding principles, defining who we are, what we do and how we do it.
Our Benefits
We’re a Great Place to Work because of the amazing people who work for us, and to say thank you we offer a range of benefits to colleagues. Our ‘Tap Into’ benefits include:
- Generous holiday entitlement starting at 26 days, plus bank holidays and additional time off on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. There’s also the option to buy or sell holidays.
- Company pension scheme, where we’ll double match your contributions up to an employer contribution of 10%.
- Free access to local attractions.
- A fantastic discount scheme, with savings on days out, shopping, travel and more.
- Award winning ‘Living Well’ wellbeing support, including access to a digital GP service for you and your family members.
- Support with sustainable travel – through salary sacrifice cars and a cycle to work scheme.
- Financial wellbeing support – access our community savings scheme, financial education and low cost loans through Salary Finance. We also provide 4 x Life Assurance and an Income Protection Scheme.
- Support with your development – we offer a range of development opportunities, can support you through an interest free qualification loan and we’ll even pay for any relevant professional body subscription.
About Us
NWG (Northumbrian Water Group) provides water and sewerage services to 2.7 million people in the North East of England as Northumbrian Water, and water services to 1.5 million people in the South East of England as Essex & Suffolk Water.
We are proud to serve our customers and we're committed to delivering great service, putting our customers at the heart of everything we do.
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