Chief ICA Engineering & Automation Leader

Pertemps Thames Water; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car allowance

Performance-related pay

Private medical health care

Generous pension scheme

Health and wellbeing benefits

Job summary

Thames Water is seeking a Head of Instrumentation, Control & Automation Engineering to lead ICA across our assets. You will shape automation strategy, OT and digital engineering to ensure safe, reliable and efficient operation.

You will establish standards and governance, review complex ICA designs, mentor a high-performing team, and represent Thames Water in industry forums while promoting new technologies and cyber security alignment.

Qualifications

• A degree in an engineering discipline relevant to Instrumentation, Control and Automation.
• Chartered Engineer status, or equivalent professional standing.
• Significant experience leading ICA engineering teams within a regulated, asset-intensive or critical-infrastructure environment.
• Proven experience as a Technical Authority, Discipline Lead or in an equivalent senior engineering position.
• Extensive technical knowledge of instrumentation, automation, industrial control systems, SCADA, PLCs and telemetry.
• Experience developing engineering standards, technical-governance frameworks and assurance processes.
• A strong understanding of asset lifecycle management and major capital-delivery programmes.
• Experience managing engineering risk and regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Establishing and maintaining our ICA engineering strategy, standards, specifications and technical policies.
• Acting as the Technical and Design Authority for Instrumentation, Control and Automation.
• Defining the long-term vision for control systems, telemetry, operational technology and digital engineering.
• Providing independent technical assurance across the complete asset lifecycle.
• Reviewing, challenging and approving complex ICA designs and engineering solutions.
• Leading technical investigations and advising on critical engineering risks and issues.
• Providing discipline leadership across our AMP8 investment programme and future capital portfolios.
• Ensuring ICA requirements are embedded within project briefs, optioneering studies and design solutions.
• Working closely with Capital Delivery, Operations, Asset Management and delivery partners to promote consistent standards and best practice.
• Providing strategic leadership for SCADA, telemetry, PLC, HMI and wider industrial control systems.
• Ensuring operational technology systems are secure, resilient and aligned with cyber security requirements.
• Leading the governance of Functional Safety and Safety Instrumented Systems across our assets.
• Promoting new technologies, advanced analytics and intelligent automation solutions that improve safety, reliability, efficiency and sustainability.
• Leading, mentoring and developing a high-performing ICA engineering team.
• Representing Thames Water within industry forums, professional institutions and regulatory discussions.

Skills

Technical leadership

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Infrastructure knowledge

Education

Degree in engineering

Chartered Engineer status

Tools

SCADA

Telemetry

PLC

Job description

Thames Water is seeking a Head of Instrumentation, Control & Automation Engineering to lead ICA across our assets. You will shape automation strategy, OT and digital engineering to ensure safe, reliable and efficient operation.

You will establish standards and governance, review complex ICA designs, mentor a high-performing team, and represent Thames Water in industry forums while promoting new technologies and cyber security alignment.