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.

Location: Okehampton (with regular travel across the South West)
Salary: £40,000 - £50,000 dependent on experience.

Help Restore Some of the South West's Most Important Landscapes

The South West Peatland Partnership (SWPP) is one of the UK's largest peatland restoration programmes, bringing together 22 partner organisations to restore and protect vital peatland habitats across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. Hosted by South West Water, the partnership delivers ambitious restoration projects that support biodiversity, improve water quality, increase carbon storage and strengthen climate resilience across the region.

We're looking for an experienced Restoration Manager to lead our restoration programme delivery, manage a talented multidisciplinary team, and help drive landscape-scale environmental improvements across some of the South West's most important natural landscapes.

Please note interviews will be held on the 30th November.

What you'll be doing:

As Restoration Manager, you'll play a leading role in developing and delivering peatland restoration activities across the partnership area. Working closely with the Mires Manager and a wide range of stakeholders, you'll oversee restoration planning, contractor management, health and safety, stakeholder engagement and programme delivery.

• Lead the delivery of large-scale peatland restoration projects across the South West.

• Develop and manage the SWPP five-year restoration work programme.

• Manage and support restoration teams and partner organisations.

• Oversee procurement activities, contractor performance and budget forecasting.

• Ensure compliance with health and safety requirements, including CDM regulations.

• Build strong relationships with landowners, tenants, partners and external stakeholders.

• Lead programme reporting and governance activities.

• Drive innovation and continuous improvement in restoration delivery.

What we're looking for:

You'll be an experienced environmental, conservation or land management professional who combines strong leadership capability with a passion for habitat restoration and nature recovery.

Essential

• Leading and managing teams and complex projects.

• Managing contracts and contractors delivering land management or conservation works.

• Developing and implementing restoration, conservation or site management plans.

• Working effectively with landowners, land managers and external stakeholders.

• Budget management and financial forecasting.

• Experience in upland, peatland, wetland or wider habitat management.

• GIS and spatial data interpretation.

• Degree in a Natural Science discipline or equivalent relevant experience.

• Experience using GIS and mapping software.

• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office applications.

• Knowledge of health and safety requirements, including CDM principles.

Desirable

• Knowledge of peatland ecology and restoration techniques.

• Ecological survey and monitoring experience.

• Understanding of the Peatland Code.

• Knowledge of South West habitats and land management practices.

Why join us?

This is a rare opportunity to help shape one of the UK's most ambitious landscape-scale restoration programmes. You'll work alongside passionate environmental professionals, partner organisations and local communities to deliver long-term benefits for nature, water resources and climate resilience.

In return, you'll benefit from:

• Meaningful work that contributes directly to nature recovery and climate action.

• Generous holiday allowance with the ability to buy and sell annual leave for added flexibility.

• Competitive company pension scheme.

• Training and development within the role.

• Access to thousands of discounts and vouchers through Pennon Perks.

• 24/7 support with our Employee Assistance Programme.

• Discretionary bonus.

• Cycle to work scheme.

• And more!

Closing Date: 22nd November 2026

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.