Project Manager (Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme)

United Utilities; England; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A major water utility company in the UK is seeking a Project Manager for the Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme (HARP). The role involves leading multi-disciplinary teams, managing complex project deliverables, and ensuring stakeholder engagement. Candidates should have a degree-level education and experience in delivering engineering projects. Benefits include up to 30 days of holiday, up to 14% pension contribution, and performance-related bonuses. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a major infrastructure legacy.

Benefits

26 days’ holiday + bank holidays (rising to 30)

Up to 14% employer pension contribution

10.5% performance-related bonus

Company-funded private healthcare

Qualifications

• Strong track record in delivering complex projects on time.
• Ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience managing project risks and change.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of key programme elements and deliver them safely.
• Lead multi-disciplinary teams and supply chain partners.
• Develop project management and resource plans.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Project management

Communication skills

Financial management

Collaborative mindset

Education

Degree-level education

APM and NEC3/4

Job description

Project Manager (Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme)

Job number UU04176 Country United Kingdom Region Cheshire West and Chester Location name Lingley Mere (UU), Lingley Green Avenue, Great Sankey, Warrington, WA5 3LP Posting End Date 31/12/2025 Band 4a Role Type Permanent Salary Competitive

Join United Utilities at a pivotal moment in UK water engineering. We’re delivering the Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme (HARP) a once in a generation scheme to upgrade the 110km aqueduct that supplies clean, reliable drinking water to 2.5 million people across Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria. First built in the 1950s and powered entirely by gravity, the aqueduct carries 570 million litres of water every day the equivalent of nearly 250 Olympic swimming pools.

With construction starting in 2026 and delivered through the UK water sector’s first Direct Procurement for Customers (DPC) model, HARP will see the replacement of six major tunnel sections using cutting-edge tunnelling techniques. It is one of the largest and most complex capital delivery infrastructure programmes in Britain, set to create hundreds of jobs, build regional skills and strengthen water resilience for decades to come.

We’re now looking for an experienced Project Managers to play a key role in this landmark project.

The Role

As a Project Manager on HARP, you will:

• Take ownership of key programme elements and deliver them safely, efficiently and to TC.
• Lead multi-disciplinary internal teams and supply chain partners within the DPC delivery model.
• Develop robust project management and resource plans, manage risk and change, secure statutory approvals and uphold project governance.
• Build strong relationships with engineers, environmental specialists, corporate affairs, regulators, local authorities, NGOs and community stakeholders.
• Manage assurance activities and monitoring procedures, liaising with the DPC partners.
• Provide clear reporting and insight to programme leadership, helping steer one of the UK’s most high-profile infrastructure programmes.

About You

You’ll bring:

• Degree-level education or equivalent experience, plus APM and NEC3/4 (or working towards).
• A strong track record of delivering complex capital or engineering projects to challenging timelines.
• Excellent stakeholder, communication and influencing skills across technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong financial management capability and the ability to balance competing priorities.
• A collaborative mindset and the ability to think across functions and organisations.

Why Join United Utilities?

Be part of an organisation that’s strengthening, greening and modernising the North West, backed by the stability and ambition of a FTSE 100 company.

We offer:

• 26 days’ holiday + bank holidays (rising to 30)
• Up to 14% employer pension contribution
• 10.5% performance-related bonus + recognition awards
• Company-funded private healthcare
• A rare opportunity to shape a major infrastructure legacy that will protect water supplies, support economic growth and set new standards for innovation in the water industry.

This role will be working on HARP, the first Direct Procurement for Customers (DPC) project, and consequently certain responsibilities will differ from a traditional Capital Delivery Project Manager.

We may be unable to offer sponsorship for this role.