HR & OD Manager - Reading, Berkshire

HR & OD Manager - Reading, Berkshire, RG1 8DB

Contract: PermanentSalary: Offering between £65,000 - £70,000 per annum plus excellent benefits inc Car Allowance, Bonus, Private Health & PensionWe’re looking for an experienced HR & OD Manager to play a key role in shaping how our organisation evolves. Working closely with Heads of HR Partnering, Centres of Expertise and People Services, you’ll provide insight, challenge and leadership to design and deliver effective organisational change that enables the business to achieve its strategic goals.

You’ll be at the heart of change and transformation, driving initiatives that put employee engagement at the forefront and turn strategy into action. With a strong grasp of organisational design and people interventions, you’ll develop practical solutions that improve performance and unlock business impact. Using HR and business data, you’ll generate meaningful insight to inform decisions and ensure change is evidence‑led and sustainable.

This is a 12-month Fixed Term Contract to start ASAP

What you will be doing as HR & OD Manager
You will lead and develop a team of HR Consultants while driving organisational design and change across the business. You’ll oversee OD initiatives from planning to delivery, ensuring governance, risk management and alignment with financial budgets and workforce plans.

Working closely with the Head of HR and HR Consultants, to coordinate and support Divisional teams to align controlled organisational data with financial budgets. Ensure clear, real-time visibility of planned FTE across the financial year and AMP, supporting effective workforce planning and alignment to business plans.

Work alongside leaders, providing the link between business and People strategies, providing support and challenge to shape and implement effective People plans.

What you should bring to the role
You’ll bring strong, adaptable leadership with excellent stakeholder engagement skills. You’re confident using HR and business data to generate insight, shape decisions, and deliver sustainable change. You’re flexible, solutions‑focused and comfortable operating in complex, fast‑changing environments, with a sound understanding of employee relations and employment law.
 
Essential Experience

• Proven experience leading and developing HR teams
• Strong background in organisational design, workforce planning and change management
• Experience delivering complex OD and change initiatives
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving and Microsoft Excel skills
• Ability to apply people practices to create value and manage risk

Desirable 

• Chartered/fully qualified member (Level 5) of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) or equivalent professional qualification or HR knowledge.

What's in it for you?
This is an exciting time to join Thames Water as we continue to deliver on our turnaround plan, offering the opportunity to become part of our strategic journey.

• Competitive salary of £65,000 - £70,000 per annum, depending on experience.
• Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (Plus bank holidays) 
• Car Allowance - £5,800.
• Annual Bonus.
• Private Medical Health Care.
• Contributory pension – Defined Contribution - Maximum of 12% -2x employee contribution.
• Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year.
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.
• Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.

Find out more about our benefits and perks (Please note different T&Cs apply if on secondment)

Who are we?
We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job, and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water
Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else, just let us know, we’re here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.