Powered by Water, Driven by Purpose

South West Water keeps the South West flowing with safe, reliable drinking water and wastewater services across some of the UK’s most stunning landscapes.

We’re proud to be part of Pennon Group, a leader in the UK water sector, working towards a greener future. Our goals? As well as lowering our carbon footprint, we’re working with partners to plant 300,000 trees, restore peatlands and supporting farmers and landowners to improve water quality and wildlife.

Whether you’re starting out or seeking a new challenge, our scale and ambition create opportunities for you to shape your own career.

Ready to make a splash? Join our team today.

CREWW Funding Bid Specialist

Turn Research Excellence into Real-World Impact

South West Water and the University of Exeter have joined forces to create the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (CREWW), a pioneering partnership bringing together world-leading academic expertise and industry innovation to solve some of the biggest environmental and water challenges of our time.

We're now looking for an ambitious and commercially minded CREWW Funding Bid Specialist to help transform innovative ideas into funded projects that deliver measurable benefits for customers, communities and the environment.

This is a unique opportunity to work at the heart of one of the UK's most exciting industry-academic collaborations, helping secure investment for groundbreaking research in areas including AI, machine learning, nature-based solutions, water resilience and the transition to Net Zero.

About the Role

Reporting to the CREWW Programme Manager, you'll play a pivotal role in converting the strengths of the CREWW partnership into funded innovation activity.

Working across both South West Water and the University of Exeter, you'll identify funding opportunities, build collaborative partnerships and lead the development of high-quality funding bids that translate research excellence into practical solutions.

You'll be a key connector between academia, industry and funding organisations, bringing together diverse stakeholders to develop ambitious projects that address strategic challenges facing the water sector.

From developing compelling propositions and managing multi-partner bids worth up to £10m, to influencing senior leaders and engaging with innovation networks, you'll help drive forward projects that shape the future of sustainable water management.

Beyond CREWW, you'll also contribute to the wider Pennon innovation agenda through the Pennon Innovation & Commercialisation Committee (PICC), supporting broader innovation initiatives and identifying opportunities that create value across the Group.

What You'll Be Doing

• Leading the development and submission of complex, multi-partner innovation funding bids worth up to £10m.

• Managing the entire bid development process from concept through to submission, covering technical, commercial and financial elements.

• Writing and coordinating compelling bid content that stands out to funding organisations and decision-makers.

• Acting as the key interface between South West Water and the University of Exeter's funding and bidding teams.

• Facilitating collaboration between academic, operational and commercial stakeholders.

• Translating research capabilities, operational challenges and funding opportunities into investable project concepts.

• Building and maintaining strategic partnerships across the water sector, academia, government and innovation ecosystems.

• Identifying external funding opportunities, with a particular emphasis on the Ofwat Innovation Fund.

• Representing CREWW at industry events, innovation forums and stakeholder meetings.

• Supporting the development of a long-term innovation funding pipeline aligned to CREWW and Pennon's strategic priorities.

• Contributing to wider innovation programmes and stakeholder engagement activities across the South West region.

What We're Looking For

We're seeking a highly organised, proactive and influential individual with a passion for innovation and partnership working.

You'll be a confident communicator with the ability to engage and inspire stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds, bringing people together to develop ambitious projects and successful funding applications.

Essential

• Experience working on large collaborative innovation funding programmes.

• Proven experience leading successful grant funding applications and bid development activities.

• Strong bid writing skills with a track record of securing external funding.

• Excellent organisational, influencing and negotiation skills.

• Ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Experience facilitating collaborative project development involving multiple partners and stakeholders.

Desirable

• Experience developing collaborative research and innovation partnerships.

• Knowledge of the water sector and/or the Ofwat Innovation Fund.

• Experience working at the interface between academia, industry and/or the public sector.

• Experience engaging senior stakeholders from multiple organisations around a common objective.

• Understanding of innovation funding mechanisms relevant to environmental, infrastructure or utility sectors.

• Experience preparing budgets, business cases and funding submissions.

• Strong project management and prioritisation skills.

• Full UK driving licence.

Why Join Us?

This role offers a rare opportunity to influence the future of water, environmental resilience and sustainability while working across two leading organisations.

You'll help unlock funding for cutting-edge innovation, collaborate with recognised experts and play a central role in delivering projects that create lasting environmental and societal impact.

If you're passionate about driving innovation, building partnerships and turning ambitious ideas into funded reality, we'd love to hear from you.

Join us and help shape the future of water, resilience and environmental innovation.

We believe in rewarding our people for their hard work and dedication. As our Funding Bid Specialist you'll enjoy:

• Competitive Salary – Based on experience and skills

• Bonus Scheme – Rewarding your performance

• Pension Scheme – Helping you plan for your future

• Healthcare Benefits – Access to employee assistance programs

• Professional Development – Support for career growth with training opportunities

• Employee Discounts – On various products and services

• Generous Annual Leave – Take time to recharge with our holiday entitlement

Closing Date:

We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Please note that the successful candidate will be subject to a mandatory DBS check as part of the onboarding process.

Be yourself, we like it that way. Together, we will build a culture of belonging, where inclusion is instinctive. Diversity is our strength and a reflection of our communities. We care, we value everyone, we celebrate uniqueness.

Our core values, which are essential to our success, are:

Be Rock Solid - Build trust and be trusted. Be the one we all look to and can depend on.

Be You - We want you to bring your best everyday. Be yourself and make your mark in your individual way.

Be the Future - Embrace change. Drive Progress. Own the challenge.