Quality Assurance Manager

We are Uisce Éireann. Every day, we are responsible for the delivery of secure, safe, and sustainable water services for the people of Ireland. As Ireland’s national regulated water utility, our vision is a sustainable Ireland where water is respected and protected, for the planet and all the lives it supports.

Our purpose at Uisce Éireann is to rise to the challenge of delivering transformative water services that enable communities to thrive. That means we are proud to take on the responsibility of protecting our water supply and passing on a safe and secure water system to a rapidly growing population and empowering Ireland’s social and economic growth.

We are passionate about empowering our people, enabling them to make a positive impact on communities across Ireland. We are guided by a shared vision and purpose, grounded in values that define who we are and shape how we work, where we deliver for customers and communities, we work better together, we do the right thing, we aim high, and we keep each other safe. Our behaviours define how we interact, communicate, and succeed together. These values and behaviours apply to each one of us, across every role, location, and level.

Our goal is to attract and develop skilled and talented people from diverse backgrounds, who bring a dynamic range of expertise and insights to our work. With a strong, values-driven workforce, we ensure Uisce Éireann can continue advancing Ireland’s water services and meeting the needs of the communities we serve for generations to come.

The Role: 

Customer Operations develop, deliver and support excellent customer experience and service to both domestic and non-domestic customers within a regulated industry. Customer Operations is responsible for managing the customer relationship with the Customer Contact Centre, ensuring timely and accurate customer billing services and effectively implementing the Uisce Éireann customer strategy.

The Connections and Developer Services (CDS) team are responsible for the end-to-end customer management of all connections to the Uisce Éireann network. They are responsible for managing the vesting/taking in charge processes, including the progression of assessment, modelling, design, inspection, estimation and commercials of same nationally. The CDS Commercial team is responsible for the coordination of connection contracts based on both standard and quotable connections, ensuring that all connection quotes are robust, and the financial costs are recognised once the connection has been completed. This role is to provide governance and commercial reviews in line Uisce Éireann Connection Charging Policy and all other integral governance procedures.

Reporting to the CDS Delivery Senior Manager, the Quality Assurance Manager will be responsible for ensuring connection delivery processes meet the highest standards of quality and performance. 

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage and oversee work of the National and Regional Quality Assurance Teams. 

• Ensure Compliance with HSQE (Health Safety Quality Environment) procedures and training requirements.

• Manage the Quality Assurance/Field Engineer Team and ensure adherence to quality standards for the connections delivery processes.

• Manage work progression to ensure timely completion and close out of tasks on work management systems (i.e Maximo, Dynamics 365).

• Ensure adherence to Conformance and Completion Certification on new developments and all process steps associated with vesting/handover of new developments infrastructure to Operational teams.

• Report on all areas of Self Lay Development as required. 

• Build and manage relationships with policy makers, regulators and other key stakeholders. 

• Identify compliance trends across the team and function and develop and implement projects to support continuous improvement across the development industry. 

• Accountable for initiatives to improve the CDS Quality Assurance team processes and systems in line with best practice, and supporting change initiatives within the team.

• Responsible for liaising internally with Asset Management, Asset Operations, Communications, Legal, Finance and Economic Regulation and any other business function as required.

• Accountable for ensuring excellent customer service is achieved and maintained in the Quality Assurance Team by anticipating and championing customer’s needs while contributing to the delivery of Uisce Éireanns business plans.

• Raise risks and issues as appropriate to the CDS Delivery Senior Manager and Head of Customer Operations.

• Represent Uisce Éireann on National or International forums as required.

• Chairing monthly progress meetings & preparing monthly progress reports

• Monitor and report on quality assurance team revenue status related to Self-lay housing Developments. 

• Developing and monitoring the programme budgets and quality assurance costs.

• Performing other such duties in relation to work and Customer Operations that  Uisce Éireann  may require from time to time

General Duties and Responsibilities 

• Collaboration with key internal stakeholders across the UÉ business

• Responsible for promoting and delivering health and safety commitments across UÉ and its supply chain, reinforcing positive behaviours and delivering health and safety objectives and requirements to the highest industry standards

• Support the delivery of the Uisce Éireann Transformation Programme, driving results required within the Directorate and supporting organisation-wide objectives

• Conducts duties and responsibilities in accordance with Uisce Éireann’s Information Security policies, standards, processes and controls to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of UÉ business information and delivery of critical services, in accordance with the NIS Directive and any other relevant cybersecurity regulation

• Other duties as required

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Relevant third level qualification and or accreditation is desirable 

• A minimum of 7 years’ Experience in the water, utilities or similar industries is desirable and or relevant experience 

• Highly motivated individual, working to the highest professional standards and with proven ability to deliver results at a senior level

• Demonstrated people management experience, with strong people, change management and conflict resolution skills

• Excellent analytical skills and ability to identify and analyse problems and potential improvements, and propose and implement solutions at a senior level

• Experience of developing and maintaining effective strategic partnerships with key stakeholders

• Challenge and influence poor customer service and practice and oversee any change management initiatives

• Ability to address poor practice and encourage cooperation and open discussion to achieve common goals

• Proven track record with dealing with complex issues, proactively and in a timely fashion along with the ability to communicate complex information to others

• Experience of supporting policies, systems and controls and driving the implementation of progressive policies.

• Proven track record of facilitating continuous improvement initiatives within a team

• Able to work to deadlines and adapt to changing conditions and ambiguity generating effective and pragmatic solutions to new situations and problems as they are presented.

• Ability to address poor practice and encourage cooperation and open discussion to achieve common goals

• Proven track record with dealing with complex issues, proactively and in a timely fashion along with the ability to communicate complex information to others

• Demonstrated ability to successfully influence key internal and external stakeholders and identify external issues which may impact business performance 

• Experience of supporting policies, systems and controls and driving the implementation of progressive policies.

• Proven track record of facilitating continuous improvement initiatives within a team

• Able to work to deadlines and adapt to changing conditions and ambiguity generating effective and pragmatic solutions to new situations and problems as they are presented.

• Demonstrated experience in seeking ways to improve safety and wellbeing and challenging any unsafe practices.

• Excellent influencing and negotiating skills and experience in building and maintaining relationships 

• Proven ability to analyse programmes and services and to structure programme improvements 

• Proven ability to identify, develop and implement improvement initiatives 

• Proven capability to prepare budgets and resource allocations

• Knowledge of the planning and taking in charge process would be an advantage 

• Strong knowledge of water services infrastructure in residential estates in a utility/local authority is desirable. 

• Strong knowledge of relevant construction industry processes and regulatory bodies in Ireland with a role in housing delivery is desirable

• Excellent interpersonal skills and very strong written and verbal communication skills

The closing date for receipt of applications for this vacancy is XXX.

Please note that applications submitted after this closing date will not be accepted.

*Please be advised that if successful you will be placed on the salary range based on your skills and experience. Please note the Market reference point (midpoint) of the range is generally the upper end of the offer where someone is deemed to be fully competent to take on the duties of the role, and leaves room for the employee to progress through the pay range as their experience develops further.

Uisce Éireann is an equal opportunities employer.

We are committed to providing a diverse and inclusive place of work and have a robust strategy and framework called ibelong to enable this. We are an equal opportunity employer and through our recruitment process we welcome and encourage applications from interested and suitably qualified individuals regardless of gender, age, racial or ethnic origin, membership of the traveller community, religion or beliefs, family or civil status, sexual orientation/gender identity or disability.