This role contributes to Thames Water's Digital Transformation by providing strategic leadership across portfolio demand, governance, stakeholder engagement, and mobilisation activities. You will lead the Portfolio Demand and Mobilisation team, acting as the front door into Digital, ensuring initiatives align with organisational objectives, investment priorities, and business outcomes while driving collaboration, standardisation, and continuous improvement across the portfolio.
What you'll be doing as the Head of Portfolio Demand and Mobilisation
Lead, mentor, and develop the Portfolio Demand and Mobilisation team, fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and strategic business partnership.
Act as a trusted advisor to senior business stakeholders, influencing strategic decisions and articulating the long-term value of digital and technology initiatives.
Lead the end-to-end demand management process, ensuring business demand is effectively shaped, scoped, prioritised, estimated, and mobilised into delivery.
Own the Digital front door, providing a clear engagement model for business stakeholders, customers, and vendors.
Develop and maintain integrated business and Digital roadmaps that align strategic objectives, investment priorities, and delivery plans.
Oversee the mobilisation of complex business and technology programmes from initial concept through to delivery handover, supporting benefits definition and early impact assessments.
Build strong strategic relationships with business leaders, project sponsors, and external vendors to maximise value and delivery outcomes.
Support governance frameworks and demand management processes to enable effective prioritisation, investment decisions, and resource allocation across the portfolio.
Work closely with Enterprise Architecture and Digital stakeholders to develop solution options and secure business alignment.
Drive standardisation and reusability across business capabilities and Digital services.
Support AMP planning and annual budgeting processes, ensuring investment decisions align with strategic priorities.
Influence alignment between Business and Digital roadmaps to maximise value delivery across the organisation.
Promote continuous improvement across portfolio demand, mobilisation, and business engagement processes.
Base location – Hybrid – Clearwater Court, Reading.
Working pattern – 36 hours Monday to Friday.
What you should bring to the role
Significant senior leadership experience within digital, technology, or transformation environments, with responsibility for end-to-end demand management, mobilisation, and stakeholder engagement.
Proven experience leading enterprise-wide demand management processes, including shaping, scoping, estimating, prioritising, and mobilising strategic initiatives.
Strong experience building trusted relationships with Executive Leaders, Senior Leadership Teams, sponsors, and business stakeholders.
Experience developing integrated roadmaps and strategic investment plans within large, complex organisations.
Demonstrable experience mobilising complex, high-value digital and technology programmes from concept through to delivery.
Experience leading, mentoring, and developing multidisciplinary teams within portfolio, demand, or transformation functions.
Strong commercial awareness with experience supporting large-scale investment decisions, portfolio prioritisation, and governance.
Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills with the ability to build consensus across Business, Digital, and supplier communities.
Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational delivery in a fast-paced and evolving environment.
Technical experience and skills
Strong knowledge of portfolio demand management, mobilisation, governance, and strategic planning within large-scale digital environments.
Experience establishing and operating governance frameworks to support portfolio prioritisation, investment decisions, and resource allocation.
Strong understanding of business case development, benefits realisation, impact assessment, and risk management.
Experience developing integrated business and technology roadmaps aligned to strategic objectives.
Ability to influence solution design and business alignment through collaboration with Enterprise Architecture and delivery teams.
Strong understanding of portfolio management, resource planning, and organisational change within complex technology environments.
Desirable qualifications and experience
Experience working within utilities, regulated industries, or other large, complex enterprise organisations.
Experience supporting AMP planning, annual budgeting, and strategic investment planning processes.
Experience leading business engagement and mobilisation functions within large-scale digital transformation programmes.
Experience managing strategic vendor relationships and driving collaborative delivery across internal and external partners.
Desirable technical skills and qualifications
Degree in Business, Technology, Programme Management, or a related discipline.
Professional qualification in Portfolio, Programme, or Project Management such as MSP, PRINCE2, or APM.
Knowledge of Agile delivery methodologies and enterprise portfolio management practices.
Experience working with enterprise portfolio management and planning tools.Find out more about our benefits and perks (Please note different T&Cs apply if on secondment)
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
Salary description
£115000.00 - £115000.00 per year