Automation Technician

Wessex Water; Bristol; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Up to 20% pension contribution

25 days' holiday rising to 28

Healthcare package

Life assurance

Opportunity to lease a new electric car

Cashback and discounts from retailers

One paid volunteering day each year

Job summary

Wessex Water is looking for an experienced Technician to join the Operational Technology team. You will provide 2nd tier technical support for control systems, including PLCs, HMIs, and SCADA servers across various sectors. This hands-on role involves diagnosing faults and generating innovative solutions for control systems.

The ideal candidate will have at least five years of OT experience, including industrial networking knowledge. This role offers opportunities for ongoing development and a supportive work environment.

Qualifications

• Five or more years of substantial OT experience.
• Experience with control systems, industrial networks, SCADA, IT, telemetry systems.
• Electrical competence.

Responsibilities

• Diagnose faults and carry out repairs.
• Assist with improvements to control systems.
• Provide technical support to engineering teams.

Skills

Technical support

Control systems

Customer-focused

Excellent communication

Problem-solving

Education

IEng or CEng qualifications or equivalent experience

Tools

PLC platforms

HMI platforms

SCADA systems

Job description

We are looking for an experienced Technician to join our Operational Technology (OT) Team. This is an established team of technicians and engineers, providing support for control systems within Wessex Water and across all sectors of the business.

The OT group provides 2nd tier technical support of control systems, including but not limited to PLCs, HMIs, SCADA servers and various network protocols, such as cellular, UHF/VHF radio, microwave radio & satellite.

What you'll do

This is a hands‑on role with a dedicated team, diagnosing faults, carrying out repairs and assisting with improvements to poorly performing control systems.

You will be working across water treatment, wastewater and pumping station facilities, which involves a wide range of technologies.

You will need a free‑thinking, can‑do attitude and a flexible approach to the everyday problems you will encounter.

You will provide innovative technical solutions and technical support to divisional engineering teams.

You will be able to identify issues and provide suitable technical solutions within control systems.

We recognise that this is a complex and challenging role and will offer ongoing development and training opportunities in all areas for the right individuals.

What you'll need

We are looking for an experienced individual, ideally based in the Bristol area, who can take the initiative to resolve technical issues and provide suitable solutions.

To be successful in this role, we would expect you to have five or more years of substantial OT experience, including control systems, industrial networks, SCADA, IT, telemetry systems, and remote networking, such as cellular comms, UHF/VHF radio, microwave radio and satellite systems.

You will also be electrically competent, possessing IEng or CEng qualifications, or equivalent experience.

You must be customer‑focused and an excellent communicator at all levels of the business, and develop close working relationships with peers across the business. Our OT technicians will have great business awareness and commercial skills and be able to organise their workload efficiently so that they can work with minimal supervision.

It would be beneficial to know multiple PLC, HMI and SCADA platforms, including Siemens TIA, Step 7 and Mitsubishi GX/GT Works.

What you'll receive

• A combined pension contribution of up to 20%.
• Career progression and professional development opportunities.
• 25 days' holiday rising to 28 with length of service.
• The opportunity to sell up to five days of holiday every year.
• The opportunity to buy up to ten days of holiday each year (subject to conditions).
• A healthcare package that allows you to claim back healthcare costs.
• Life assurance of up to eight times your salary.
• The opportunity to lease a new electric car through salary sacrifice (subject to conditions).
• Cashback and discounts from more than 3,000 retailers.
• One paid volunteering day each year.
• Enhanced family leave and pay arrangements.
• Access to an interactive health and wellbeing platform.
• Support from trained mental health first aiders.
• A £1,000 referral fee if you recommend someone who is successfully recruited by us.

Who we are

YTL UK is part of the international YTL Group based in Kuala Lumpur. The UK companies include:

• Wessex Water – one of the top‑performing water and sewerage companies in England and Wales, serving 2.9 million people across the South West
• YTL Developments – a major UK developer currently redeveloping a 350‑acre former airfield into an award‑winning, exciting mix of houses, apartments, schools, commercial space, restaurants and hotels, to make a truly sustainable new community
• YTL Construction UK – a top 20 UK contractor providing fully integrated services to infrastructure, residential, commercial, industry, energy and environmental sectors
• YTL Live – the development and operation of an entertainment complex that includes a 20,000 capacity arena, conferencing and exhibition space
• plus a number of other retail, environmental and specialist businesses.

Our people tell us that YTL UK is a great place to work, which is why so many of them stay with us! You will have a unique opportunity to develop and progress your career within such a diverse group.

We are passionate about diversity and inclusion – with that in mind, all applicants are welcome. We are delighted to have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and are a Disability Confident Employer.

If you require reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process, please inform a member of our Recruitment team.