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.

Exeter | Full-time, Permanent | £30,327 + benefits

We’re looking for a Building & Grounds Maintenance Team Leader to join our team in Exeter.

In this hands-on leadership role, you’ll oversee a team of 8–9 operatives, ensuring the safe, efficient, and high-quality delivery of maintenance activities across our Drinking Water Services sites. You’ll play a key role in planning, coordination, and day-to-day operations, while also supporting wider performance and safety objectives.

What you'll be doing:

Leading and supervising the Minor Works team within your area
Working alongside your team, contributing directly to maintenance activities
Supporting the planning and scheduling of routine and complex works
Coordinating plant, equipment, and external suppliers for efficient delivery
Managing seasonal (Winter/Summer) maintenance programmes
Ensuring effective use of labour, materials, and resources to optimise performance and cost
Taking responsibility for team health & safety, ensuring compliance with our Homesafe policy
Supporting environmental and water quality standards across all activities
Managing purchasing and requisitioning to keep operations running smoothly
Assisting with recruitment as required to maintain team capacity

What we are looking for:

Proven experience working within a team environment, with a strong focus on collaboration
Leadership experience, with the ability to prioritise and coordinate the work of others
A commitment to delivering high-quality work and maintaining standards
Strong communication skills, with the confidence to engage with colleagues and the public
Ability to effectively plan and prioritise workloads in a fast-paced environment
Self-motivated, proactive, and capable of working with minimal supervision
A calm and approachable manner when dealing with public queries
Flexible approach to meet changing work demands
Full UK Driving Licence, including B+E (towing)

What's in it for you:

We know our people drive our success — so we’re committed to offering an excellent range of benefits, including:

Generous holiday allowance + bank holidays
Discretionary bonus
Competitive contributory pension
Share-save scheme
Health benefits & wellbeing support programmes
Group discounts
Cycle to Work scheme
Financial support services
Development and training opportunities
… and much more!

Closing Date: 29th May 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.

South West Water

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Building & Grounds Maintenance Team Leader