Decision Support Manager
Reference: 976109
Location: UK (Remote) - with regular travel
Type: Permanent, Full-time
Sector: Energy & Infrastructure
Description
Our client is a leading UK energy infrastructure and services business operating at the heart of the UK’s energy landscape, delivering asset management, operational delivery, and data-driven services to support smarter, more efficient energy systems. The organisation partners with major utilities and energy providers nationwide and continues to invest heavily in data and analytics to drive performance and decision-making.
The Role
As Decision Support Manager, you will provide the analytical and decision-support capability that enables informed operational, tactical and strategic decisions across a major smart water metering programme. You will own forecasting, scenario modelling, performance insight, demand analysis, deployment analytics, and network and meter health intelligence throughout the life of the contract.
Working closely with senior stakeholders, client teams and delivery partners, you will combine data from customer engagement, deployment activity, network performance and field delivery to produce forward-looking insight. You will lead the contract analytics and insight capability, helping the wider team anticipate risks, optimise delivery, improve customer outcomes and maximise programme value.
Key Responsibilities
Own contract forecasting and planning, developing demand forecasts, deployment assumptions and planning models to support strategic, tactical and operational decisions
Lead scenario modelling and decision analysis, assessing the operational, customer, commercial and performance impacts of alternative deployment strategies, investment decisions, network rollout options and resource assumptions
Develop and maintain a performance intelligence framework that provides clear, timely and actionable insight into programme performance, risks, trends and opportunities
Analyse meter, network and operational performance to identify emerging issues, recurring failure patterns and opportunities to improve connectivity, meter operability and deployment efficiency
Lead root cause analysis and diagnostic investigations, producing evidence-based recommendations to address systemic issues and improve contract performance
Provide senior leaders with insight, modelling, forecasts and recommendations to inform programme priorities, investment decisions and performance interventions
Manage the contract analytics and insight team, maintaining high standards of data quality, analytical rigour and reporting accuracy
Oversee performance reporting and meter health analytics, ensuring outputs translate into practical operational actions
Champion data-led planning and decision-making, ensuring recommendations are supported by robust evidence and performance intelligence
Work closely with client and delivery partner planning and strategy teams to align priorities, support contractual commitments and improve customer outcomes
Key Requirements
Skills & Experience
Qualifications:
A-levels in English and Maths or equivalent academic achievement (Essential)
Further education, vocational training or professional development in business, leadership, or planning and analytics (Essential)
Degree-level qualification in Business, Operations Management or a related field (Desirable)
Knowledge:
Working knowledge of industry-specific systems or platforms, such as CRM and scheduling tools (Essential)
Strong understanding of operational service delivery models and field support functions (Essential)
Knowledge of metering, utilities or regulated service environments (Essential)
Strong understanding of operational planning, demand and supply management, resource optimisation and performance control in a field-based delivery environment (Essential)
Understanding of how field delivery, network readiness, meter availability, logistics and customer engagement interact within an integrated operating model (Essential)
Familiarity with supplier relationship management and contractual frameworks (Desirable)
Essential Experience:
Experience in operational planning, decision support, performance insight, programme control or delivery optimisation
Experience translating strategic plans into actionable operational plans, work packages, deployment plans or delivery schedules
Experience balancing demand, resource capacity, supply constraints, operational risk and delivery priorities in a complex environment
Experience using data, management information, forecasting, scenario modelling or trend analysis to support operational decisions
Desirable Experience
Experience managing analysts, planners or operational support roles
Demonstrated success in supplier performance management and dispute resolution
Technical Competencies:
Strong analytical capability, with the ability to interpret operational data, identify trends, assess constraints and produce actionable recommendations
Skills in planning, forecasting, demand management, resource modelling and scenario analysis
Ability to develop clear reports, dashboards, performance packs and decision papers for operational and senior stakeholders
Strong Excel, reporting and data visualisation capability, with confidence working across multiple data sources
Ability to assess delivery risks across field capacity, network readiness, meter availability, customer demand and partner performance
Strong stakeholder engagement and supplier governance skills
Commercial mindset focused on efficient service delivery (Desirable)
Behavioural Competencies:
Data-led and evidence-based, with the ability to turn complex information into clear operational choices
Highly organised and structured, with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities
Strong communicator, able to explain planning constraints, risks and recommendations clearly to senior, operational and partner stakeholders
Collaborative and confident working across internal teams, delivery partners and client stakeholders
Proactive and solution-focused, identifying emerging issues early and recommending practical interventions
Resilient under pressure, supporting fast-moving decisions during mobilisation and business-as-usual delivery
Customer-centric approach with a commitment to service excellence
Due to current workloads, Simpson Booth regrets to inform that in the instance you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of your application, you are to consider your application unsuccessful at this time.