Instrumentation, Control And Automation Technician/Engineer

Southern Water

Aylesford

On-site

GBP 39,000 - 56,000

Full time

10 days ago

Get a reply from this employer

Your resume and cover letter, tailored to exactly what they’re hiring for.

Get past ATS filters

Benefits offered by this job

Company van

Health plan

Pension

Job summary

Southern Water is recruiting an Instrumentation, Control and Automation Technician for the Waste Water division. The role is based in Kent with travel to multiple sites and a permanent contract. Base salary ranges from £38,564.10 to £55,703.70 per annum, with 38-hour weeks, overtime, and on-call payments.

Travel by company van is included, along with health care and pension benefits. You will maintain and improve ICA systems, ensure reliability and regulatory compliance, and participate in

Qualifications

NVQ3 in Electrical or Electronic Engineering or equivalent.
ONC or HNC in Instrumentation, Electronics, Control or equivalent.
Excellent problem solving and fault-finding skills.
Experience within Instrumentation or Control or Automation.
Strong documentation skills for regulatory compliance reporting.
Collaborative, with good communication skills.
Full, current UK driving license.

Responsibilities

Planned, Reactive & Proactive maintenance including fault finding, calibration, testing and programming on telemetry, instrumentation, MCC/LVA, control networks, PLCs and HMIs/SCADA.
Diagnose faults on PLC types (Rockwell, Mitsubishi, etc.) and support complex process improvements.
Maintain PLC software backups and change control for software requests.
Backups and modifications for HMI/SCADA systems.
Set up and maintain site control networks and managed switch configurations.
Perform planned maintenance and calibration to Southern Water standards.
Respond to faults/alarms as directed by the Regional Control Centre.
Gather evidence for Root Cause Analysis and assist with remedial actions.

Skills

NVQ3 Electrical/Electronic

ONC/HNC Instrumentation

Problem solving

Instrumentation/Control/Automation

Regulatory/documentation

Communication skills

Driving licence

Education

Time-served apprenticeship

ONC/HNC in Instrumentation

Job description

Closing Date

2026-10-29

Instrumentation, Control and Automation Technician – Waste Water

Location: Kent - Geographically based within location area (negotiable), with travel to multiple sites.

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 38 hours

Salary: Base salary £38,564.10 up to £55,703.70 per annum (depending on skills and experience)

Overtime and on-call payments available.

Benefits:

A company van (for business use only) which you can take home, and a fuel card
Health Care cash plan cover (with options to upgrade for family coverage)
Competitive Pension contributions

For a full list of benefits, please visit our careers page or see below.

About the role

Join our Wastewater Treatment Team to maintain and improve ICA systems across multiple sites. You will ensure compliance, reliability, and efficiency of control systems while supporting continuous improvement.

We offer a monitored career path and training to get you where you want to be. If you only have some of the skillsets listed below, please still apply and start your learning journey within ICA at Southern Water. If you have more of the skillsets listed, you will automatically be set towards the higher end of the salary scale listed below.

What you will be responsible for:

Planned, Reactive & Proactive maintenance including Fault Finding, Calibration, Testing, Investigation and Programming on such equipment sets as; Telemetry Systems, Instrumentation (Flowmeters, Level transmitters, Pressure transducers, Temperature probes, etc…). Analysers (Dissolved Oxygen, MLSS, Turbidity, etc…). MCC & LVA (Low Voltage Assemblies) with PLC Control. Control (Networks, MCC/LVA components, PID controllers). Dosing Equipment. Automation (PLCs, HMIs, SCADA systems). + More!
Implement complex process improvements and diagnose control system faults on PLC types such as; Rockwell, Mitsubishi and a range of package plant PLC’s.
PLC Software Control via backups and routine verification. Maintaining a change control system when software is requested.
HMI & SCADA system backups and modifications.
Setup and maintenance of site control networks (Ethernet, DH+, Profibus, Profinet, RS232, etc..), including managed switch configuration.
Conduct planned maintenance and/or calibrate instrumentation to Southern Water standards to ensure reliability and accuracy.
Respond to faults/ alarms as guided by the Regional Control Centre.
Undertake investigative work on instruments and process issues at wastewater plants, identifying any faults and implementing remedial action.
Calibration of wastewater equipment to external national standards such as HACCP and MCerts.
Complete documentation accurately and in a timely manner to maintain internal change control standards.
Implement system modifications from Operational Team requests to help improve process control or compliance.
Gather evidence to help with Root Cause Analysis and implement changes as required.
To coach and train team members to develop their skills.

Additional Requirements

Travel across multiple sites with a company van provided.

What you’ll bring to the role:

Essential

NVQ3 in Electrical or Electronic Engineering OR a time-served apprenticeship.
An ONC or HNC in Instrumentation, Electronics, Control or equivalent.
Excellent problem solving and fault-finding skills.
Experience within Instrumentation or Control or Automation.
Strong documentation skills for regulatory compliance reporting.
Collaborative, with good communication skills.
Enthusiasm for learning and growth.
Full, current UK driving license.

Desirable

Enthusiasm for learning and growth.
Collaborative, with good communication skills.
Experience within a process orientated industry such as water utility, petrochemical, electricity, manufacturing or similar.

Progression opportunities

Southern Water offers monitored career paths, training, and development opportunities.

About Southern Water

Southern Water is at the forefront of transforming Britain’s water industry, investing significantly to enhance resilience, sustainability, and service excellence. With £7.8bn planned investment for 2025-30, this is an unparalleled opportunity to join a business committed to delivering a generational shift in the way water services are managed.

At Southern Water, we believe diverse perspectives drive innovation. If you’re passionate about making a positive impact and think you can bring value to our team, we’d love to hear from you—even if you don’t tick every box.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or any other protected characteristic. If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

"At Southern Water, we believe diverse perspectives drive innovation. If you’re passionate about making a positive impact and think you can bring value to our team, we’d love to hear from you—even if you don’t tick every box."\

Our Commitment to Diversity

Additional information:

In line with Southern Water’s security requirements, successful candidates will be required to provide evidence of their identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record check (DBS) and verification of their employment and/or education history for the past three years.

Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of all pre-employment checks, including security vetting.

Please note that if a candidate does not meet the required security standards or fails to pass the vetting process, Southern Water reserves the right to withdraw the offer of employment. Some positions may also require higher levels of security vetting, which may involve providing additional documentation.

Get your free, confidential resume review.

or drag and drop your file here.