Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Technician (ICA)

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 49,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company van

Annual leave 24 days

Pension scheme

Medical assessments

Benefits hub

Performance pay

Job summary

Thames Water Utilities Limited is recruiting an Instrumentation, Control & Automation (ICA) Technician at Oxford Wastewater Treatment Works. The permanent, full‑time role offers a 38‑hour week and a salary up to £54,000 with a company van provided.

The ICA Technician will maintain and fault‑find on SCADA/PLC systems, support regional sites and uphold high health and safety standards in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Qualified in instrumentation, control and automation at HNC/NVQ level or equivalent.
• 18th Edition (BS7671) and 3‑phase electrical knowledge preferred.
• Experience with SCADA/ PLCs and fault‑finding on instrumentation.
• Ability to read wiring diagrams and calibrate frontline instruments.

Responsibilities

• Deliver planned and reactive ICA maintenance to ensure asset reliability.
• Support site control systems including SCADA and PLC networks.
• Work with multi‑disciplinary teams across operations, electrical and mechanical.
• Install, commission and fault‑find on instrumentation to industry standards.
• Investigate failures and perform timely repairs to minimise downtime.

Skills

PLC control systems

SCADA knowledge

Fault finding

Instrumentation and automation

Teamwork and communication

Health and safety awareness

Education

HNC level in instrumentation, control & automation

NVQ level 3 in instrumentation, control & automation

18th Edition (BS7671) qualification

Tools

Wonderware

ClearSCADA

Rockwell/Allen-Bradley PLCs

Inverter drives

Job description

Job title Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Technician (ICA) Ref 44327 Division Asset Operations & Capital Delivery Location Oxford - OX4 4XU Contract type Permanent Full/Part-time Full-time Hours 38 hours a week, Monday-Friday, 7:30 am -3:36 pm Salary Offering up to £54,000 per annum depending on skills and experience. Job grade A Closing date 13/11/2026

We are currently recruiting for an Instrumentation, Control & Automation (ICA) Technician at Oxford Wastewater Treatment Works, part of the Thames Valley North Wastewater Operations Region. This is an exciting and hands‑on role where your primary base will be Oxford, with the opportunity to support other sites across the region to help keep our assets running safely and reliably.

The ideal candidate will be a self‑motivated individual who integrates well within a team, demonstrates strong personal discipline, and has a genuine desire to learn from those around them. A positive, can‑do attitude is essential. While the role can be demanding at times, it is equally rewarding and offers the chance to make a meaningful impact on our operations and the environment.

In this role, you will receive a daily schedule of planned ICA maintenance and inspections, while also responding to emergency alarms and unplanned events across the site. You will work closely with the wider operations and maintenance teams, but there will also be times when you workindependently—makingour high health and safety standardsabsolutely vital.

You will be provided with a fully equipped van, tools, and the necessary resources to carry out your work, all of which you’ll be expected to maintain to a high standard.

What you’ll be doing as an Instrumentation, Control & Automation (ICA) Technician

The ICA role consists of the following, but is not limited to, these main points:

• Deliver planned and reactive ICA maintenance to ensure asset reliability and compliance.
• Support site control systems, including SCADA, PLCs, and process control networks.
• Work effectively within a multi‑disciplinary team across operations, electrical, and mechanical functions.
• Install, commission, and fault‑find on instrumentation and control equipment to industry standards.
• Investigate plant and equipment failures and complete timely repairs to minimise downtime.
• Provide ICA technical expertise and maintain current knowledge of best practices.

What should you bring to the role?

• 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 and 3-phase electrical knowledge or qualifications.
• An understanding of Wonderware and ClearSCADA is desirable.
• Knowledge and experience working with relay logic and PLCs (Rockwell & Allen-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 elevate 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.

We are looking for you to

• Be a self‑motivated individual who can immerse themselves in the team around them. You need to be very disciplined, have the desire to learn from those around you and have a can‑do attitude. This role can be demanding at times, but very rewarding too.
• Take Ownership of responding quickly to faults, being curious to fully understand the problem, and identifying the best solution to resolve it the first time.
• Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills to interact with the team.
• Teamwork – We are one team, and our end goals are the same.
• Proactive – take the lead on recommendations and improvements around the site and communicate effectively.
• Must be prepared to be trained in safety procedures.
• Knowledge and awareness of health and safety standards.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary up to £54,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience.
• Base Location is Oxford STW (OX4 4XU).
• Provision of a company van.
• 38 hours a week, Monday-Friday 7:30 am -3:36 pm.
• Annual Leave - 24 days holiday per year, increasing to 28 with 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 well‑being.
• Performance‑related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.

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.