Hydraulic System Operator

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Reading; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water and wastewater service provider is seeking a Hydraulic System Operator to join their team in Reading. This role is focused on maintaining water quality, providing technical support during emergencies, and ensuring a seamless supply for customers. The position requires problem-solving skills, data analysis capabilities, and strong communication abilities. A competitive salary package and a range of benefits are included, alongside opportunities for career progression.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Annual leave up to 28 days

Contributory pension scheme

Personal medical assessments

Wider benefits scheme

Qualifications

• Ability to work well under pressure.
• Experience in water treatment, networks, and regulation preferred, but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Identify problems before they happen and minimize customer disruption.
• Ensure water meets strict quality standards.
• Provide technical guidance during emergency work.

Skills

Problem-solver

Analytical skills

IT literate

Good numerical skills

Communication and interpersonal skills

Tools

SCADA

GIS systems

Job description

Job title Hydraulic System Operator Ref 43355 Division Asset Operations & Capital Delivery Location Reading - Kemble Court - RG2 6AD Contract type Fixed term/Secondment Full/Part-time Full-time Hours 36 hours Salary Competitive salary from £29,040 to £35,000 per annum depending on skills experience Job grade A Closing date 12/12/2025

Make an Impact and join us as a Hydraulic System Operator!

This is an exciting role, where you will be part of the broader System Operations team, the only Thames Water Operations team that covers water supply from source to tap.

Our main purpose is to identify emerging risks within our water supply system and implement solutions and mitigations for these to ensure our objectives for Health and Safety, Water Quality, customer service, leakage minimisation and energy usage optimisation are achieved. As part of the Water Control team, you will contribute to the here-and-now delivery of a 24/7 service to our customers.

Please note: This role is a secondment opportunity, on a 12 month fixed term contract.

What you’ll be doing as a Hydraulic System Operator

• Using our technology to identify problems before they happen and minimise disruption to customers.
• Ensuring the water, we provide meets strict water quality standards to protect public health.
• Providing technical guidance and advice during emergency work to prevent environmental damage and keep customers’ taps running.
• Keeping two steps ahead of constantly changing supply and demand patterns, influenced by factors such as the weather, social behaviours and even pandemics.
• Assessing incoming information from e-mails, phone calls, direct messaging, and the control room systems to ensure risks are identified and responded to in priority order and high-consequence risks are escalated to the incident team as soon as possible.

You will be based at Kemble Court in Green Park, Reading, located just off the M4 and a 20-minute bus ride from central Reading.

What you should bring to the role

• A problem-solver who works well under pressure.
• The ability to analyse and use data to make decisions, respond to problems and deliver operational outcomes.
• IT literate (Microsoft Word, excel, outlook etc...) and quick to embrace new digital tools.
• Good numerical skills.
• Have good communication and interpersonal skills for day-to-day liaison with colleagues, stakeholders, and customers.
• Knowledge of SCADA and GIS systems would be advantageous, but not essential.
• Experience in water treatment, networks and regulation would be advantageous, but not essential.

What’s in it for you?

You will be joining a team working together and supporting each other to deliver a critical service in a fast-paced environment. The Water Control Centre is a fun, fast-paced environment where no two days will be the same. You’ll be a key worker, helping to deliver life’s essential service and making a real difference to millions of customers, the environment and public health each day.

This role involves working 12-hour shifts day and night on a shift pattern involving 14 days on, and 28 days off spread over a 6-week period (to be discussed further during the application process), ensuring a great work-life balance.

• Competitive salary from £29,040 to £35,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience. A full training and development programme is provided to ensure you feel confident in the role, and great opportunities for career progression.
• Annual Leave is 24 days holiday per year, increasing to 28 with the length of service. (Plus bank holidays)
• Contributory pension – Defined Contribution - Maximum of 12% -2x employee contribution.
• Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year.
• Wider benefits scheme including our benefits hub, which is packed full of offers and information to save you money and support your wellbeing.

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process . If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, we’re here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.