Water Treatment Manager

Workplace type: On-site (office + UK site travel)

Location: Kings Langley, Hertfordshire

Job type: Full-time

Seniority level: Mid-Senior level

Salary range: £65,000 – £75,000 + company car + private healthcare scheme + gym + performance bonus (with progression as the division grows)

• Company car: Company car (available for personal use) with a monthly rental value
• Pension: Automatically enrolled into the WJ Salary Sacrifice Pension Scheme. Contributions are made at 5% for both employee (minimum) and employer (maximum).
• Private Healthcare: At six months of service, option to be enrolled into Westfield Health Cash Plan for Specialist Consultations & Diagnostics, Scanning Service (MRI, CT & PET Scans), Optical, Dental, Chiropody and Therapy Treatments (Physiotherapy, Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Homeopathy and Osteopathy)
• Profit Related Bonus: A profit related annual bonus will be payable in December if WJ meets its profit targets
• Group Life Insurance: Automatically included in the WJ Death in Service Group Insurance at 3 times salary after 6-month probation period
• Gym Membership: Exclusive, discounted access to thousands of gyms, pools and spas with just one pass via our fitness partner, Hussle

About the role

Build a business, not just a role. WJ is investing in water treatment as a standalone division with its own P&L — and we need the person to lead it. Reporting to the Operations Manager, you'll be the technical authority for treatment across the business, oversee delivery of projects involving treatment, and shape the strategy, fleet and capability of the service line, with a clear trajectory to become its business lead.

What you'll do

• Design and deliver treatment solutions: construction discharge (fines/pH), contaminated groundwater and surface water, and industrial/process water.
• Develop new capabilities including tunnelling/TBM treatment (with treatment dewatering) and bentonite treatment.
• Lead commissioning and performance-proving of plant against consents and contract requirements.
• Support business development with proposals, pricing and client presentations as the pipeline grows.

What you'll bring

• A science/engineering degree and proven plant design, build and commissioning experience.
• Strong operational experience on live sites, from optimisation to troubleshooting.
• Working knowledge of discharge consents, permitting and water quality compliance.

The ambition to grow a service line into a P&L business.

About WJ

WJ is the UK’s leading water management specialist the partner and contractor of choice for major construction and infrastructure programmes. Founded by academics and evolved through expertise, we apply scientific principles to solve complex water challenges: over 40 years’ experience and 4,000+ projects worldwide, including the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, the London Olympic Park, Crossrail, Tideway, HS2 and currently Sizewell C. Our expanding service lines span dewatering & groundwater control, water treatment, surface water management, I&M, pumping tests, well drilling and professional services which are grounded in engineering, delivered in partnership. Our values of Confidence, Pride, Clarity & Integrity, and Independence guide every decision we make, and our ambitions are big: the AMP8 water sector, defence, energy and infrastructure markets.

Reports to

Operations Manager (Line Manager).

Direct Reports

None initially. Directs shared operational staff on treatment activities; Project Managers will be assigned to the role as standalone treatment contracts are secured.

The position is expected to develop into the business lead for the water treatment division.

Key relationships

Operations Manager, Head of Business Development, Sales Manager & Sales Team, Design/Technical Team, Project Managers, Engineers, Managing Quantity Surveyor, Finance Manager, Clients, Principal Contractors, Consultants, Environment Agency & Regulators, Equipment & Chemical Suppliers.

Key areas of responsibility

Service Line Development & Business Growth

• Define and implement the strategy, capability roadmap and commercial model for WJ’s water treatment service line, working towards a standalone division with its own P&L.
• Develop WJ’s treatment fleet, equipment specifications, supply chain and standard designs to support a scalable offering.
• Support the Head of Business Development and Sales team in identifying, qualifying and winning water treatment opportunities, including client presentations, technical proposals and pricing input.
• Develop new treatment capabilities including tunnelling TBM treatment (including treatment dewatering) and bentonite treatment, alongside established discharge and groundwater treatment services.
• Monitor market, regulatory and technology developments to keep WJ’s offering competitive and compliant.

Technical Authority & Design Support

• Act as WJ’s subject matter expert for water treatment, providing technical support to the design team on treatment process selection, sizing and specification.
• Design treatment solutions for fines/suspended solids and pH correction, contaminated groundwater and surface water (e.g. hydrocarbons, metals, ammonia), and industrial/process water applications.
• Prepare and review process designs, treatability assessments, water quality data and discharge compliance strategies.
• Ensure designs meet discharge consent and environmental permit requirements, and support applications and liaison with the Environment Agency and other regulators.
• Develop standard design tools, specifications and guidance to build treatment capability across the wider engineering team.

Project Delivery & Operations

• Oversee the delivery of projects involving water treatment, from tender support through mobilisation, commissioning, operation and demobilisation.
• Lead the commissioning and performance-proving of treatment plant, ensuring systems achieve consent limits and contractual performance requirements.
• Direct shared operational staff on treatment activities and provide leadership to Project Managers as they are assigned to standalone treatment contracts.
• Ensure treatment operations comply with WJ’s SHEQ requirements, environmental permits, and safe systems of work.
• Establish monitoring, sampling and reporting regimes to demonstrate treatment performance and discharge compliance.
• Provide accurate cost estimates, pricing input and commercial risk assessment for treatment scopes within bids and tenders.
• Manage budgets, plant utilisation and margins on treatment works, reporting progress towards standalone P&L status.
• Work with the Managing Quantity Surveyor and Finance to ensure treatment contracts are commercially controlled and profitable.

People & Capability Development

• Build treatment competence across WJ through training, mentoring and development of engineers, operatives and Project Managers.
• Define the staffing and organisational requirements for the growing treatment division, supporting recruitment as the service line expands.

Reporting & Governance

• Produce regular reports for the Operations Manager and Senior Leadership Team on service line development, project performance, pipeline support and capability progress.
• Ensure all treatment activity is aligned with WJ’s IMS, QMS and SHEQ requirements.

Qualifications & Experience

• Degree in chemistry, chemical/process engineering, environmental engineering, civil engineering or a related science/engineering discipline.
• Proven experience in the design, build and commissioning of water treatment plant and systems.
• Strong operational experience delivering treatment on live sites, including plant operation, optimisation and troubleshooting.
• Experience treating construction discharge water (fines/suspended solids, pH correction) and contaminated groundwater or surface water (e.g. hydrocarbons, metals, ammonia).
• Working knowledge of discharge consents, environmental permitting and water quality compliance requirements.
• Strong commercial awareness, including estimating and pricing of treatment scopes.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to present technical solutions to clients and support business development.
• Full UK Driving Licence.
• Experience of tunnelling/TBM water treatment, treatment dewatering or bentonite treatment.
• Experience of industrial/process water or effluent treatment.
• Experience growing a service line, business unit or P&L.
• Chartered or working towards chartership with a relevant institution (e.g. CIWEM, IChemE, ICE).
• SMSTS/SSSTS and CSCS site qualifications.

Working Conditions

Based at WJ’s UK Head Office (Kings Langley) with regular travel to project sites, client offices and WJ’s yard facilities across the UK.

Site attendance will be required for commissioning, performance-proving and project oversight, which may occasionally involve out-of-hours working.

• Uphold WJ’s values and commitment to safety, quality and environmental performance.
• Promote continuous improvement and innovation in WJ’s treatment capability and delivery.
• Undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the role’s seniority and technical function.

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