Head of ICA Engineering — Strategic Automation Leader

Thames Water Ltd; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Competitive salary up to £100,000

Pension scheme

Private medical health care

Cycle to work & other wellbeing perks

Performance-related pay

Job summary

Thames Water is seeking a Head of Instrumentation, Control & Automation Engineering to lead ICA and shape strategic direction of automation, OT and digital engineering across our asset base.

You will act as Technical and Design Authority, provide independent assurance across the asset lifecycle, and drive standards, governance and major capital delivery with a strong focus on safety, reliability and sustainability.

Qualifications

• Degree in an engineering discipline relevant to Instrumentation, Control and Automation (ICA).
• Chartered Engineer status or equivalent professional standing.
• Significant experience leading ICA engineering teams in regulated, asset-intensive environments.
• Proven experience as Technical Authority, Discipline Lead or senior engineer.
• Extensive knowledge of instrumentation, automation, SCADA, PLCs and telemetry.
• Experience developing engineering standards and governance frameworks.
• Strong understanding of asset lifecycle management and capital delivery.
• Experience managing engineering risk and regulatory compliance.
• Excellent strategic leadership, stakeholder management and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Establish ICA strategy, standards, specifications and technical policies.
• Act as Technical and Design Authority for Instrumentation, Control and Automation.
• Define long-term vision for control systems, OT and digital engineering.
• Provide independent technical assurance across the asset lifecycle.
• Review and approve complex ICA designs and solutions.
• Lead technical investigations and advise on engineering risks.
• Lead ICA engineering across AMP8 and future capital portfolios.
• Embed ICA requirements in project briefs and design studies.
• Collaborate with Capital Delivery, Operations and partners to promote standards.
• Provide strategic leadership for SCADA, telemetry, PLC, HMI and ICS.
• Ensure OT systems are secure, resilient and cyber-aligned.
• Govern Functional Safety and Safety Instrumented Systems.
• Promote new technologies and intelligent automation; mentor the ICA team.
• Represent Thames Water in industry forums and regulatory discussions.

Skills

Leadership

Technical authority

ICA engineering

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Regulatory compliance

SCADA / telemetry

OT cyber security

Education

Engineering degree

Chartered Engineer

Tools

SCADA

PLC / HMI

Job description

Thames Water is seeking a Head of Instrumentation, Control & Automation Engineering to lead ICA and shape strategic direction of automation, OT and digital engineering across our asset base.

You will act as Technical and Design Authority, provide independent assurance across the asset lifecycle, and drive standards, governance and major capital delivery with a strong focus on safety, reliability and sustainability.