Benefit Realisation Lead

Closing Date

Job Title: Benefit Realisation Lead

Location: Hybrid working between our head office in Durrington (Worthing) 2 days pw, and home.

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 37 hours per week, Monday - Friday

Salary: Starting salary of up to £62,000, commensurate to skills and experience.

About the role

Water underpins everyday life, yet it remains an industry that is still evolving in how it measures and realises value from transformation, data and automation. At Southern Water, that is changing.

We are building a new Process & Intelligent Automation capability at the heart of the organisation. This is not about incremental improvements, it is about ensuring every investment in automation, AI and process optimisation delivers clear, measurable and sustained value for the business, our customers and regulators.

As Benefit Realisation Lead, you will play a pivotal role in shaping that future.

This is a strategic leadership role within a growing capability, giving you the opportunity to define how benefits are identified, measured, governed and realised across a complex transformation portfolio. You will own the integrity of benefit insight, ensuring that all value delivered is transparent, evidence‑based and aligned to organisational priorities.

Working closely with senior stakeholders across Finance, HR, Data and executive leadership, you will act as a trusted advisor, influencing investment decisions, shaping prioritisation and ensuring that transformation activity delivers meaningful outcomes.

This role goes beyond reporting – it is about embedding a culture of value realisation and accountability at enterprise scale.

What you’ll be responsible for:

• Defining and governing enterprise‑wide approaches to benefit realisation, including frameworks, standards and methodologies
• Leading the creation of benefit profiles, baselines and value hypotheses for automation, AI and process improvement initiatives
• Working with Finance and HR to define and validate financial and non‑financial benefits (e.g. cost savings, productivity, capacity release, customer outcomes, risk reduction)
• Owning and maintaining a central benefit realisation register, ensuring transparency of costs, benefits and investment cases across the portfolio
• Monitoring, tracking and validating benefits through data analysis, KPI frameworks and stakeholder engagement
• Ensuring benefits are robust, auditable and aligned to budgets, workforce planning and organisational priorities
• Producing high‑quality dashboards, reports and insight packs for ExCo, programme boards and senior leadership forums
• Presenting clear, structured insight on realised value, risks, variances and opportunities to inform decision‑making
• Providing strategic challenge on benefit assumptions, ensuring accuracy, consistency and avoidance of double counting
• Supporting prioritisation and investment decisions by providing evidence‑based insight into value delivery
• Driving continuous improvement in benefit measurement, governance and reporting practices
• Collaborating with Process, Automation and Data teams to ensure solutions include embedded measurement and tracking mechanisms

What you’ll bring to the role:

Essential

• Experience in benefit realisation, financial analysis, business analysis or transformation reporting roles
• Strong analytical capability, with the ability to interpret financial, operational and performance data
• Experience developing business cases, benefit frameworks and value tracking approaches
• Ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders across Finance, HR and operational teams
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to present complex insights clearly to non‑technical audiences
• High attention to detail with a strong governance and assurance mindset
• Ability to challenge assumptions and ensure accuracy and credibility of reported benefits

Desirable

• Experience with Power BI, Excel or similar analytical and reporting tools
• Understanding of automation, AI and process optimisation value drivers
• Knowledge of financial modelling, Opex/Capex principles and workforce planning
• Relevant qualifications (e.g. ACCA part‑qualified, BCS Business Analysis, Lean Six Sigma)
• Experience in regulated or asset‑intensive environments

About Southern Water

Southern Water is delivering a generational transformation across the business, investing significantly to improve resilience, sustainability and customer outcomes.

You will be joining at a time of real change, as part of a new capability that sits at the core of how the organisation evolves. This is a unique opportunity to define the foundations of process architecture in a business that is actively transforming how it operates.

We offer an environment where you will have real ownership, visibility and impact, working alongside senior stakeholders to shape strategic direction and deliver meaningful change.

Our mission is to protect and enhance life through water – and this role will directly contribute to how we achieve that.

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If this role isn’t quite what you’re looking for but are keen to be contacted about opportunities at Southern Water, you can register your details here: Introduce Yourself (myworkdaysite.com- Introduce Yourself)

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, 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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