Access & Recreation Development Lead Location: North West England
Contract: Permanent, Full Time
Salary: Competitive + Excellent Benefits
Drive Commercial Growth Across Some of the North West’s Most Iconic Landscapes
United Utilities looks after some of the region’s most beautiful and well loved outdoor spaces reservoirs, trails, woodlands and recreation sites enjoyed by millions of visitors every year. Now, we’re looking for a commercially minded leader to unlock their full potential.
This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of outdoor recreation across a vast and diverse estate. If you’re energised by commercial growth, passionate about the outdoors, and excited by the challenge of building a scalable, high-performing visitor offer, this role puts you right at the heart of our transformation.
You’ll drive significant year-on-year income grown, and develop propositions that reinvest directly back into the land, heritage and communities we serve.
What You’ll Be DoingDeliver Significant Income Growth
*Lead the delivery of ambitious annual revenue targets across A&R.
*Develop pricing, revenue optimisation and product strategies that boost income while maintaining excellent visitor experience.
*Identify underperforming revenue streams and implement turnaround plans.
*Introduce structured income assurance and commercial controls to protect and maximise revenue.
Commercial Strategy & Scalable Business Development
*Build a robust 3–5 year commercial growth plan that transforms A&R into a scalable, income-generating business.
*Develop new commercial propositions aligned to UU’s Recreation / Regenerate / Realise land categories.
*Produce compelling business cases with demand modelling, ROI forecasts and risk assessments.
*Benchmark UU’s commercial approach against leading organisations such as Forestry England and the National Trust.
Concessions & Partner Performance Management
*Drive stronger commercial performance from existing operators through active relationship management and negotiation.
? Redesign commercial terms to secure better returns and reduce leakage.
*Lead tendering processes to bring in new partners, offers and income streams.
Project Delivery & Implementation
*Deliver new revenue-generating assets such as kiosks, water access points, pop-up activities and seasonal attractions.
*Work with Engineering and Capital Delivery teams to deliver small infrastructure improvements that unlock growth.
Data, Insight & Performance Reporting
*Use visitor data, footfall trends, pricing analysis and financial metrics to target growth opportunities.
*Produce high-quality insight and performance reports for senior leadership.
*Monitor market trends across leisure, outdoor recreation and tourism.
Stakeholder Management & Reputation
*Work collaboratively with environmental, heritage and community stakeholders to ensure commercial growth is responsible and sensitive to special landscapes.
*Support communication plans that demonstrate how revenue is reinvested back into the land and local communities.
What You’ll Bring*A strong track record of delivering significant commercial growth in sectors such as visitor attractions, outdoor recreation, leisure, concessions or tourism.
*Experience increasing income across multiple revenue streams (parking, concessions, activities, events, retail, hospitality).
*Proven ability to design and deliver commercial strategies and business cases with strong ROI.
*Experience improving partner or concessionaire performance through negotiation and structured management.
*End-to-end project delivery experience, from concept to launch.
*Highly commercial mindset with strong analytical, financial and negotiation skills.
*Ability to balance commercial ambition with environmental, heritage and safety considerations.
*Strong relationship-builder able to influence senior leaders, partners and stakeholders.
*Experience working in protected landscapes, heritage sites or water-based recreation settings is advantageous.
*Familiarity with commercial leases, revenue-share models or concession structures.
QualificationsEssential Qualifications
*Degree or equivalent experience in business, management, land, recreation management, environment or leisure sectors.
*Chartership in a relevant discipline (e.g., CMLI).
Desirable Qualifications
*Professional commercial, project or negotiation qualifications (e.g., APM, CIM).
What You’ll Get in Return*Competitive salary and excellent benefits
*26 days’ holiday rising to 30 with service, plus bank holidays
*Up to 14% employer pension contribution (21% combined)
*Up to 10.5% bonus
*Private medical care
*EV car scheme, gym discounts, ShareBuy and flexible benefits
*Hybrid working and support for work–life balance
*Opportunities for professional development
*The chance to make a meaningful difference to communities across the North West
Why United UtilitiesWe’re proud to be recognised as one of the UK’s most responsible businesses. From investing in green innovation to protecting our region’s natural environment, we’re committed to doing the right thing for our customers, our people and our planet.
Join us and help shape the future of access, recreation and natural spaces across the North West.