
Customer Scrutiny Panel Chair - SES Water
Job reference: REQ00083
Date posted: 04/01/2021
Application closing date: 05/02/2021
Location: Redhill
Salary: £20k
About us:
Water plays a role in all our lives. It’s an essential service and one that we are proud to deliver to our customers and communities.
SES Water supplies 160 million litres of fresh water to over 735,000 people across Kent, Surrey and South London every day. With a rich history dating back to the mid-19th century, today we maintain over 2,000 miles of water mains and manage eight treatment works, 23 pumping stations and 31 reservoirs and water towers.
Our vision is to be an outstanding water company delivering service excellence. Our plan for the future is to ensure the services we provide meet our customers’ evolving needs, are future-proof, good for the planet and built on smart technology.
We don’t just want to be proud of what we do, we also want to celebrate how we do it. We believe our people are integral to helping us achieve our goal of delivering a high-quality service that is reliable and resilient. We are an inclusive environment that values the community we are part of. We aren’t just recruiting for experience – cultural fit and values are fundamental.
Why you should lead our Customer Scrutiny Panel:
We are a community-focused water company with an exciting transformation journey underway. We play a big role in our customers’ lives, not only in delivering water ‘on tap’ today, but in planning for tomorrow. We don’t just supply water – we want to play a full role in tackling wider societal and environmental challenges.
We have big ambitions and are determined to become one of the most admired and agile utility companies in the world – and our Customer Scrutiny Panel has an important part to play in this journey.
As the Chairperson, you will have the chance to make a positive, lasting impact on our organisation and service by providing an independent voice on our performance and future plans. Your contribution in ensuring that our Business Plan delivers value for our customers over the next 5 years and beyond will be vital. Most importantly, you will ensure that customers remain at the heart of everything we do.
You will have the opportunity to liaise with our Executive Team and shape the remit and role of the Panel going forwards, while benefitting from a comprehensive handover to ensure your success in your new role.
The role:
As Customer Scrutiny Panel Chairperson, you will act as a champion for our customers and make sure we understand what they expect from their water company as we deliver our current plans and shape our future strategy.
We are also committed to playing an important role as a responsible employer, contributing to the education and wellbeing of our current and future citizens and making the area a great place in which to live, work and visit. You will help us to achieve our vision.
Joining us on an initial three year contract, you will:
- Chair quarterly Customer Scrutiny Panel meetings
- Take the lead on reshaping the Panel’s terms of reference and recruiting new members
- Play a key part in the development of our business plan for 2025 – 2030
- Support a company that has a vision of a greater community focus and a renewed social purpose
- Liaise with the water industry’s economic regulator Ofwat, particularly as part of the upcoming price review cycle
- Work as part of the network of Chairs from other water companies
- Provide constructive feedback on SES Water initiatives which have a customer impact
- Report to the Board of Directors and Non-Executive Directors at least once a year
- Salary: contracted on a retainer basis (fixed rate of £20,000 per annum)
- All reasonable expenses paid
- Working hours: part time, hours vary according to requirements but equate to approximately two days per month
Other organisations may call this role Chair, Chairperson, Customer Experience Panel Chairperson, Non-Executive Director, Director, Consultant, or Trustee.
About you:
We are seeking a Customer Scrutiny Panel Chairperson who is passionate about championing customers’ interests. Our successful candidate will also need:
- Experience in senior positions in the private, public or voluntary sector
- Previous experience of ensuring that the customer voice is at the heart of all organisational activity
- A passion for customer service, including some specific interests such as customers in vulnerable circumstances, communication or community investment
- An understanding of how the water industry works and the regulatory environment within which it operates
- Experience of driving transformation and change
Ideally, you will be a SES Water customer or have close connections with the area that we serve.
Further information
This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit, who SES Water work in partnership with. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency. We are both equal opportunities employers, value diversity and are strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment.
What’s next?
If you are seeking a new challenge as our Customer Scrutiny Panel Chairperson, follow this link to start the application process.
The health and wellbeing of our staff and interviewees is paramount, so we have put practices in place to keep all parties safe.