Immigration & Compliance Specialist — Sponsor Licence Expert

Thames Water Ltd; England; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous pension

Health & wellbeing benefits

Annual health MOTs

Cycle to Work scheme

Life assurance

Job summary

Thames Water Ltd. is hiring an Immigration & Compliance Officer to provide expert guidance on sponsorship processes and right-to-work obligations across recruitment and ongoing employment.

You’ll manage the Sponsor Licence, maintain accurate records, and support audits to ensure full regulatory compliance. You will interact with employees, hiring managers, and the People Services Delivery Team to implement governance, monitor changes in immigration law, and deliver training on best practices for

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of UK Right to Work legislation, sponsorship requirements, and Home Office guidance.
• Experience managing time-limited right to work and sponsorship processes while maintaining compliance within a sponsor licence framework.
• Ability to interpret and apply complex legislation, policies, and regulatory requirements.
• Experience maintaining accurate records, trackers, management information, and compliance reports.
• Ability to identify risks, investigate issues, and implement corrective actions.
• Resilient and confident in challenging and influencing stakeholders when compliance requirements must be met.
• Confident delivering training, guidance, and presentations to managers and employees.

Responsibilities

• Act as a subject matter expert for employees, hiring managers, and People team members on sponsorship processes and right to work.
• Accountable for all sponsorship processes ensuring compliance with internal documentation and government guidance.
• Support the ongoing maintenance of Thames Water's Sponsor Licence, identifying and mitigating any compliance risks.
• Manage the responsibilities of the 'Level 1' maintaining accurate details in the Sponsorship Management System for both the license and sponsored workers.
• Accountable for the management of any change in circumstance or changing terms and conditions for sponsored workers.
• Ensure all reportable events are submitted accurately and within Home Office prescribed timescales.
• Accountable for the maintenance of up-to-date documentation on right to work including process maps, notes, hiring manager guides, checklists.
• Manage the immigration aspects of all employees with time limited right to work, to ensure all employees maintain continued right to work in the UK.
• Lead preparations for internal and external audits, including Home Office compliance visits, ensuring all records and processes are audit-ready.
• Ensure all immigration and right to work records are maintained in line with data protection requirements and company record retention policies.
• Conduct monthly audits on right to work documentation accepted for new joiners, keep evidence of these checks and feedback anomalies.
• Maintain accurate trackers and management information that can be distributed when required.
• Provide regular training on right to work and sponsorship – ensuring Thames Water remains compliant with government guidance.

Skills

Right to work knowledge

Sponsor licence

Regulatory compliance

Training delivery

Stakeholder management

Audit readiness

Education

CIPD qualification

Tools

SAP HCM

SuccessFactors

Job description

Thames Water Ltd. is hiring an Immigration & Compliance Officer to provide expert guidance on sponsorship processes and right-to-work obligations across recruitment and ongoing employment.

You’ll manage the Sponsor Licence, maintain accurate records, and support audits to ensure full regulatory compliance. You will interact with employees, hiring managers, and the People Services Delivery Team to implement governance, monitor changes in immigration law, and deliver training on best practices for