Emergency Preparedness & Resilience Specialist

Kelda Group Limited 0000411940 - Kelda Group Limited; Bradford; Hybrid; GBP 44,000 - 57,000

Job description

Emergency Preparedness & Business Resilience Specialist

Salary & Benefits :

Salary range £44,873- £56,091 per annum dependant on experience
Annual performance related bonus
Attractive pension scheme (up to 12% company contribution from April)
Development opportunities in line with the Emergency Preparedness & Business Resilience Specialist progression plan
25 days annual leave plus bank holidays - plus an extra wellness day!
Life assurance cover of 4 times pensionable salary
A great benefits package - choose from health cash plan scheme, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, life assurance flex and partner cover.
Retail savings scheme
Online GP service, cycle to work scheme, gym membership discounts and many more!

Location: Bradford/ Hybrid Working (Minimum of 2 days in the office a week - Bradford)

Work type: Permanent. 37 hours per week, Monday - Friday within a working window of 8:00am-6:00pm.

We have an exciting opportunity for an Emergency Preparedness & Business Resilience Specialist to join the Central Control function at Yorkshire Water and be a part of helping Yorkshire Water to provide the best service to our customers. Could this be you?

What we do:

Everyone has an idea of what a water company does. Here in Yorkshire, we make sure that over 5.4 million people living in the region and the millions of people who visit our region each year can rely on our services, and have clean and safe drinking water on tap and that their wastewater is taken away. But for us, it's so much more than this.

We look after communities, protect the environment, and plan to look after Yorkshire's water, today, tomorrow 24/7, 365 days a year. We provide essential water and wastewater services to every corner of the Yorkshire region and play a key role in the region's health, wellbeing, and prosperity.

New environmental legislation, unprecedented levels of investment and changing expectations from customers means that this is an exciting time to discover opportunities within the water industry.

In the Emergency Preparedness and resilience team at Yorkshire Water you'll gain unparalleled exposure to every facet of our business, collaborating with various departments to ensure we are always ready to respond to a challenge. From developing strategic response plans to conducting hands-on training sessions, you'll be at the forefront of initiatives that safeguard our infrastructure and communities.

You will also have the opportunity to collaborate with emergency services and government agencies; these interactions ensure that Yorkshire Water is always equipped to respond effectively to any crises.

For those individuals who thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced operational environment and are passionate about making a tangible difference, then Yorkshire Water's Emergency Preparedness and Resilience team offers a stimulating and highly rewarding career.

Where you fit in:

As the Company specialist in all matters relating to Emergency Planning and business continuity you will ensure compliance with legislation such as the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and the Security and Emergency Measures Direction 1998. You will ensure the business has relevant and effective plans in place that are regularly trained and exercised.

You will drive continuous improvement in all areas of organisational resilience, including process efficiencies and contract management. You will develop, maintain and test the Company's business continuity programme, including business impact analyses, business continuity plans, strategy selection, and documentation of business continuity.

You will -

• Develop strong relationships with multi-agency external partners within the Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) and other business continuity partners, representing the Company and ensuring Yorkshire Water's interests and capabilities are shared to become a key partner in a multi-agency response to an incident and its associated planning, training, and exercise activities.
• Be responsible for the incident management review process, action management and ensuring that Yorkshire Water embraces the learning organisations principles in relation to company incident management process.
• Research, write, maintain, train, and exercise emergency plans to ensure Yorkshire Water is compliant with its responsibilities under legislation.
• Plan, coordinate and manage business continuity and disaster recovery activities with business units, IT personnel, clients, and vendors to ensure plans are developed, maintained, and tested.
• Be the company specialist in the business continuity elements of the Civil Contingencies Act (CCA) and the Security and Emergency Measures Direction (SEMD) and ensure compliance.
• Communicate with the wider business around changes to legislation and compliance and understand the greatest risks/threats to the business from a regional and national level, update policy/plans and communicate to the business as appropriate. Also provide competent business continuity advice, coach, and mentor colleagues at all levels, including senior leadership and board level.
• Manage and assist with Mutual Aid requests (incoming and outgoing).
• Attend consultative forums and liaise with external authorities as appropriate, including Cabinet Office, Civil Contingencies Secretariat, and other regulatory bodies.
• Attend Company Incident Management meetings where required to provide specialist advice and ensure compliance with legislation. Also organise and chair incident debriefs at the point of incident de-escalation and share learning and feedback with incident managers at all levels (Bronze, Silver and Gold).

What skills & qualifications you will need:

The successful candidate will be qualified in the Certificate of the Business Continuity Institute (CBCI) and educated to degree level in business continuity or emergency planning, the natural environment or similar or have relevant skills through professional experience.

You will understand the following standards:

• ISO 22301:2019 - Security and Resilience - Business Continuity Management Systems - Requirements.
• ISO 22316:2017 - Security and Resilience - Organisational Resilience - Principles and Attributes.
• BS6500:2014 - Guidance on Organisational Resilience.
• ISO 22320 - Societal Security - Emergency Management - Requirements for Incidents Response.

Excellent communication, presentation and report writing skills and able to develop effective networks both inside and outside the organisation. Ability to train and develop operational and technical teams as well as the ability to coach, develop and influence senior management. Knowledge of the UK Resilience structure, including in-depth knowledge of the Civil Contingencies Act and the Security & Emergency Measures Direction. Project management skills. Ability to negotiate and influence stakeholders at all levels to deliver projects on time and to budget. Ability to work on your own initiative and self-manage, ensuring effective time management to be able to meet competing project deadlines. Strong team mentality i.e., someone who is willing to support and work with others to achieve the best outcomes.

You must be prepared to undergo (successful) security clearance to SC level and also hold a full UK driving licence with no more than 6 points, as there will be travel to different company sites as part of the role.

Although we operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it's important to us that we support flexible working patterns and job share options (when we can), to help you make the best of both your work and home life. We know that juggling childcare responsibilities or getting that ideal work/life balance isn't always easy!

Do we sound like your cup of tea?

If you've got experience in Business Continuity or Emergency Planning and want to help us deliver great service for our customers whilst looking after the environment, then be sure to apply today to find out what a career with Yorkshire Water can offer you.

Please apply on-line and complete the application process and submit your CV with a covering letter, outlining your key reasons for applying for the role.

Closing date: 14th April, 2025

If successful for the role, you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks that will include a Basic Disclosure Check, carried out through a Third-Party Company, prior to commencing employment. Depending on the role, you may also be required to go through the security vetting process for either a Counter Terrorist Check or Security Check clearance.

All our roles are subject to a medical questionnaire, and further medicals when required.

We are proud to serve the Yorkshire region and are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment that is reflective of the communities we serve. We strongly encourage candidates of all different backgrounds to apply.

Kelda Group reserve the right to close this position before the published closing date, should the need occur. We therefore advise that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible.