Thames Water
Chaired by Sukhvinder Kaur-Stubbs, the Customer Challenge Group (CCG) is an independent and critical friend that constructively challenges Thames Water on the quality of its customer engagement and stretches the company in its ambitions to create value for customers, communities, and the environment. The CCG is interacting with Thames Water teams including its Executive Team, the Board and its sub-committees.
As a member you will bring sector experience and community knowledge. You’ll be an advocate reflecting an important area of interest among the diverse and varied range of customers. You’ll work collaboratively with other members of the CCG. Together, we’ll forge a fresh perspective on defining current and future priorities for customers and everyone else who lives or works here, and those visiting the region.
Our objective is to help ensure Thames Water improves its understanding of customers and stakeholders needs, and to challenge the company to incorporate these in its future transformation plans. We review the company’s progress to improve satisfaction levels, including performance against Ofwat performance commitments, and the steps it is taking to help customers who need extra support.
The CCG also helps promote the active participation of businesses, residents, visitors to the region and other stakeholders, in protecting the environment and building sustainable and resilient water supplies.
Learn more about us here: Customer Challenge Group | Performance | Thames Water
The Customer Challenge Group is independent and a critical friend to Thames Water. It constructively challenges Thames Water on:
- The quality of its engagement with the customers and communities it serves,
- The extent to which customer priorities are reflected in what the company does
- The company’s delivery against those priorities
The Customer Challenge Group will play an important role in helping Thames Water to achieve its turnaround. This requires Thames Water to build trust and work with the many stakeholders who have an impact on the water and waste water system. Thames Water will need to maintain a good understanding of what customers and communities want.
In its work, the Customer Challenge Group will take account of the diversity of the Thames Water catchment area both in terms of its habitats and its people. The Customer Challenge Group will reflect the priorities of the full range of interests across the company’s area: including, current and future bill payers, other members of the household, anyone who lives or works in the area alongside community groups and tourists and travellers passing through. The voices of all the people in the area are relevant.
The Customer Challenge Group will also prompt Thames Water to consider where the expectations of its customers and communities may diverge from the outcomes the company is seeking to deliver. Although the Customer Challenge Group is not currently mandated by OFWAT, it remains an important source of challenge, scrutiny and assurance for Thames Water and its stakeholders - the company must demonstrate it understands and is acting on the views of its customers and communities.
- You will be passionate about putting customers first and respectful of the diversity of people in the Thames Water region and the challenges this brings.
- You will be politically aware of economic and environmental challenges faced by the UK and the South East. You will need to analyse and understand complex information/situations and reach an objective conclusion. You will need to articulate your views clearly and objectively. You’ll be inclusive and synergistic in your approach.
- Most likely, you will live and/or work in London and the Thames Valley region and must be eligible to work in the UK.
To be successful you will have knowledge in one or more of the following areas:
- Customer Experience - especially in relation to the development of digital infrastructure and use of data/technology.
- Utilities - experience from other regulated sectors, such as energy to help spot good practice elsewhere.
- Price Controls - tariffs and rate setting, and incentive design are most relevant.
- Regulation - understanding of the political landscape within which the new policies on water regulation are being shaped
Experience in one or more of the following sectors is also particularly welcome:
- Water or other utilities
- Infrastructure
- Commercial (B2C)
- Environmental groups or charity sector
The appointment will (initially) be up to a 1-year contract to December 2025 with a time commitment of about 2 days a month including attendance at meetings and working groups as required.
Monthly meetings will take place (most virtual, with around four face to face place in London or the Thames Valley region).
The post is remunerated at £13,000 per annum.
Applications are to be submitted by midnight on the 5th of January 2025 to [email protected].
To apply, please email WIG a CV and Cover Letter demonstrating how you meet our requirements and the value you would bring to the CCG.
We are committed to ensuring that all candidates can participate in the application process fairly. Should you require any reasonable adjustments or arrangements, please include this information in your application. Alternatively, please contact [email protected] for further information on how we can support you throughout the recruitment process.
For further information about the role, please refer to the candidate pack downloadable on this page or contact Cezanne Ritchie-Hutchinson – Talent Manager, The Whitehall & Industry Group via [email protected].