Head of Instrumentation, Control & Automation Engineering

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

This is a unique opportunity to lead our Instrumentation, Control and Automation engineering discipline at a pivotal point in our transformation.

As Head of Instrumentation, Control & Automation Engineering, you will be our senior technical leader and recognised authority for ICA. You will shape the strategic direction of automation, operational technology and digital engineering, ensuring our assets operate safely, reliably and efficiently.

Acting as the Technical and Design Authority for ICA, you will provide independent engineering assurance across the full asset lifecycle, from early investment decisions and design through to construction, commissioning and operation.

What you’ll be doing as a Head of Instrumentation, Control & Automation Engineering?

• 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.

Location

Hybrid – Clearwater Court, you will be in the office or in site up to 3 days a week and will require a driving licence and access to transport

Hours

36 hours a week, Monday to Friday.

What you should bring to the role

To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need are:

• 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.
• Strong strategic leadership, stakeholder-management and communication skills, with the credibility to influence senior leaders and multidisciplinary teams.

Additional skills and experiences would be great to have/bring:

• Experience gained within the water sector or another critical-infrastructure industry, such as energy, utilities, transport, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas or nuclear.
• Knowledge of Functional Safety and Safety Instrumented Systems.
• Experience of Operational Technology cyber security and industrial-network architectures.
• Experience delivering digital-transformation, smart-asset or automation programmes.
• Knowledge of relevant industry standards, including IEC 61511 and IEC 62443.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary up to £100,000 per annum depending on experience.
• 26 days’ holiday per year, increasing to 30 days with the length of service (plus bank holidays).
• Performance-related pay plan directly linked to both company and individual performance measures and targets.
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• Private Medical Health Care.
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Find out more about our benefits and perks (Please note different T&Cs apply if on secondment)

Disclaimer

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date.