Civil Operative

United Infrastructure Group; England; Remote; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Northumbrian Water Group is seeking a Civils Operative to join a civils crew in the North East England region. You will perform excavation, pipe laying, reinstatement and associated groundworks on water and wastewater assets, working under the Team Leader on live highways and sites.

The role requires safety-focused work, ability to travel region-wide, and readiness for early starts, weekends and standby shifts. A valid CSCS card and a full UK driving licence are essential.

Qualifications

• Experience in civils, utilities or groundworks on water, drainage or highway projects.
• Must hold CSCS card and be willing to travel across the Northumbrian Water region.
• Physically fit and able to work outdoors in all weather conditions.

Responsibilities

• Carry out excavation, trench support, pipe laying, jointing, connections, repairs and backfill on water mains, services, sewers, rising mains, chambers and manholes.
• Install, repair and replace ironwork, covers and frames, chambers, ducting and minor civil structures to specification.
• Undertake highway and private-land reinstatement, including bituminous, concrete, flagged and landscaped finishes.
• Support mains isolations, commissioning, chlorination and hygiene arrangements in line with disinfection codes and water hygiene protocols.
• Operate plant and equipment within competence and permit conditions; use excavator and dumper if trained.

Skills

Civils/Groundworks experience

Safety-minded

Teamwork

Education

Valid CSCS card

Full UK driving licence

Tools

NRSWA / Street Works

Confined space (ticket)

Excavator ticket

Dumper ticket

First aid

Abrasive wheels

Job description

CIVILS OPERATIVEClean Water and Wastewater Networks • Northumbrian WaterDEPARTMENT / FUNCTION Operations / Networks Delivery REPORTS TO Team Leader / Site Supervisor LOCATION Northumbrian Water operating region (North East England)CONTRACTPermanent • Full time HOURS 50 hours • Mon–Fri CLIENT Northumbrian Water Group (NWG)Purpose of the roleTo carry out safe, high-quality excavation, installation, repair, reinstatement and associated groundworks on Northumbrian Water clean water and wastewater assets. Working as part of a civils crew under the Team Leader, the Operative delivers planned and reactive work to Northumbrian Water specifications, street works legislation, hygiene requirements and company SHEQ procedures.ContextNorthumbrian Water supplies water and wastewater services across the North East of England. Delivery includes planned capital and maintenance work and reactive repair, often in live highways, private land and operational sites. The Civils Operative is a hands-on member of the crew, responsible for the quality of their own work, safe working around buried services, and a professional standard with customers and the public.Key accountabilitiesCivils and network operations• Carry out excavation, trench support, pipe laying, jointing, connections, repairs and backfill on water mains, services, sewers, rising mains, chambers, manholes and associated assets.• Install, repair and replace ironwork, covers and frames, chambers, ducting and minor civil structures to specification.• Undertake highway and private-land reinstatement, including bituminous, concrete, flagged and landscaped finishes.• Support mains isolations, commissioning, chlorination and hygiene arrangements in line with the Disinfection Code of Practice and clean-water protocols.• Operate plant and equipment within competence and permit conditions, including excavator and dumper where ticketed, compaction plant and hand tools.• Use abrasive wheels, cutting and grinding equipment only when trained and authorised.• Locate and avoid buried services using safe digging practice and HSG47 principles, including CAT and Genny where trained.• Identify and report defects, uncharted apparatus and network risks to the Team Leader.• Respond to reactive and emergency work, including bursts, collapses, flooding, dangerous apparatus and out-of-hours call-out when on rota.Health, safety, environment and quality• Work to the safe system of work, risk assessment, method statement and permits briefed by the Team Leader.• Help set out and maintain barriers, signing, lighting and guarding in accordance with NRSWA / Safety at Street Works and Road Works.• Work safely in excavations and, where trained, support confined-space activities under a written safe system of work.• Use correct manual handling techniques and mechanical aids; do not lift beyond capability.• Protect live services, the environment and water quality; control silt, fuel, spoil and waste.• Stop work and report immediately if conditions are unsafe, a service is struck, or a near miss occurs.• Leave a clean, secure and compliant site at the end of each shift.Customer and records• Represent the company and Northumbrian Water professionally on customers’ property, in the highway and on operational sites.• Complete personal timesheets and support site records, photographs and materials returns as directed.• Follow instructions from the Team Leader and raise issues early if the job cannot be completed as planned.Essential requirements• Experience as a civils, utilities or groundworks operative, ideally on water, drainage or highway works.• Ability to work safely as part of a small crew on live sites and in public areas.• Valid CSCS card (or equivalent).• Full UK driving licence; ability to travel across the Northumbrian Water region and attend standby / emergency call-out.• Physically fit for manual work and prepared to work outdoors in all weather.• Reliable, safety-focused and willing to work flexible hours including early starts, weekends and a standby rota.Desirable tickets and qualifications• NRSWA / Street Works (Operative or Supervisor as appropriate to the role)• Confined space (City & Guilds or equivalent)• Excavator ticket (CPCS / NPORS or equivalent)• Dumper ticket (CPCS / NPORS or equivalent)• Manual handling• Abrasive wheels• First aid• HSG47 – Avoiding danger from underground services (CAT and Genny / service avoidance)• EUSR National Water Hygiene / Blue Card and SHEA Water.• Experience on Northumbrian Water or another UK water company network.Behaviours and competencies• Puts health, safety and water quality first and will speak up if something is wrong.• Takes pride in workmanship and leaves sites tidy.• Works well in a team and follows briefings without cutting corners.• Calm and polite with customers, even on reactive or disruption-related jobs.• Willing to learn Northumbrian Water specifications, hygiene rules and new tickets.Working environmentThe role is predominantly outdoor and physically demanding. Work takes place in live highways, excavations, operational treatment and network sites, and private property, in all weather. The post holder must be fit for manual work, prepared to work in muddy, confined or hygienically controlled conditions, and able to wear required PPE including hygiene clothing on clean-water tasks.Additional informationA full occupational driving assessment, drugs and alcohol screening, and baseline health surveillance may be required. Training will be provided on Northumbrian Water systems, specifications and hygiene protocols where these are not already held. The employer reserves the right to amend duties in line with operational need across AMP programmes and reactive networks contracts.This job description is not exhaustive. The post holder will be expected to undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the level and nature of the role.