Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Technician (ICA)

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Chesham; On-site; GBP 51,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary up to £57,000

Contributory pension 12%

Annual leave 24–28 days

Performance-related pay

Company van and tools provided

Job summary

Thames Water Utilities Limited is seeking an Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Technician for Chesham and surrounding sites. The role covers installation, testing, and maintenance of water assets with emphasis on PLC/SCADA systems and instrumentation.

You will travel to multiple sites in Chesham, Colne and Sudbury areas, with a 38-hour week and standby/overtime. A strong focus on safety, quality, and on-time delivery is essential.

Qualifications

• Ideally qualified to HNC or NVQ3 in instrumentation, control & automation.
• 18th Edition (BS7671) qualification preferred.
• Strong understanding of operational plant and control systems.
• Experience with Wonderware and ClearSCADA is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Installations, commissioning, maintenance and repairs of water assets.
• Operate SCADA/PLC systems and diagnose faults on instrumentation.
• Liaise with contractors and suppliers as needed.
• Investigate asset failures and implement prompt repairs.
• Provide technical advice and training support for apprentices.

Skills

HNC/NVQ3 instrumentation

BS7671 18th Edition

SCADA systems

Rockwell/Allen-Bradley PLCs

Fault-finding from diagrams

Education

Instrumentation/Automation qualification

Electrical/Control engineering education

Tools

Wonderware

ClearSCADA

Process control networks

Job description

Job title Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Technician (ICA) Ref 45065 Division Asset Operations & Capital Delivery Location Hybrid - Chesham (STW) - HP5 1TH Contract type Permanent Full/Part-time Full-time Hours 38 Hours per week, Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 3:36pm plus Standby rota payments & Overtime opportunities. Salary Up to £57,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience Job grade A Closing date 19/08/2026

We currently have an exciting opportunity for an Instrumentation, Control & Automation (ICA) or Control and Instrumentation (C&I) technician to join our Waste & Bioresources Operations team in Chesham.

This is a mobile role, where you would be required to work on various wastewater treatment works and pumping stations around the Chesham, Colne and Sudbury area.

We are looking for someone who can work in a safe, efficient, timely and effective manner with minimum supervision while maintaining the required standards to ensure that our statutory obligations are met and that asset availability and the associated performance measures are maintained to manufacturers\' standards.

An ICA Technician may also operate and optimise processes and on-site equipment to ensure delivery of water quality compliance, safety, and operational efficiencies both in and out of normal hours.

What you’ll be doing as an Instrument Control Automation Technician (Control and Instrumentation Technician)

• The role would include installations, commissioning, maintenance, and repairs of water production assets, including level instrumentation, flow meters, and Tand VM’s turbidity monitors.
• Working with technology, including SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems, associated PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers), and Process control networks.
• Liaise with and supervise contractors and suppliers where necessary.
• This vital role also involves the investigation into asset failures and the implementation of subsequent repairs as quickly and efficiently as possible to avoid interruptions to the water supply process.
• You will be responsible for providing specialist technical advice where appropriate, with up-to-date technical knowledge, and providing training support for technical apprentices.

Base Location – Due to the nature of this role, travel to multiple sites will be required. You would be contractually based at Chesham STW, Latimer Road, Chesham, HP5 1TH.

Working Pattern: 38 hours per week, Monday - Friday, 7:30 am -3:36 pm, plus standby & overtime opportunity, increasing earnings by a potential £8,000 - £10,000 upon completion of essential company training.

Equipment: All PPE, tools, a company van and a fuel card are provided.
You must have Knowledge and experience working with relay logic and PLCs (Rockwell & Allen-Bradley), which will include management and programming.

What you should bring to the role

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

• Ideally, you will be qualified to HNC level or otherwise NVQ level 3 (or equivalent) in an instrumentation, control and automation discipline.
• Preferably, for you to have an 18th Edition (BS7671) qualification.
• A good, practical understanding of operational plant and control systems is essential.
• An understanding of Wonderware and ClearSCADA is desirable.
• Knowledge and experience working with relay logic and PLCs (Rockwell & Alan Bradley), which will include management and programming.
• The ideal candidate will have the ability to read and fault-find from circuit diagrams, as well as have previous experience with inverter drives.
• We are looking for someone with experience in calibration and maintenance of front-line instrumentation.
• A problem solver, able to identify potential issues and implement solutions, or escalate if required.
• An excellent communicator, providing technical expertise to Internal and External staff and contractors.
• Resilient, adapting to the pressures of work and working in a constantly changing environment.
• Ability to work with minimum supervision, under own initiative to design and standards.
• Knowledge and awareness of Health and Safety issues relevant to the industry.
• Team player who can work in many different teams, showing respect for others, providing helpful feedback and supporting the development of others.
• Full UK driving licence.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary up to £57,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience.
• Contributory pension – Defined Contribution - Maximum of 12% -2x employee contribution.
• Annual Leave: 24 days holiday per year, increasing to 28 with the length of service. (plus bank holidays).
• Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
• Generous Paternity Leave, including 4 weeks paid and an optional 2 weeks unpaid.
• Enhanced Maternity Leave, 26 weeks full pay and 13 weeks half pay!
• 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.
• Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year.

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

Who are we?

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.