Leakage Optimisation Engineer

JAM Recruitment Ltd; Garden City; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous Pension Scheme

Cycle to Work scheme

Annual Leave: 26 days increasing to 30

Health and wellbeing benefits

Job summary

Thames Water is offering a Leakage Optimisation Engineer role based at Kidlington Depot, with a hybrid pattern of 36 hours per week. You will join a specialist team linking field crews, contractors, and leadership to turn data and network knowledge into priorities that reduce water loss across a defined geographic area.

The role requires strong analytical thinking, familiarity with asset systems and clear communication to influence decisions.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in water or a similar industry.
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Technical background and a good knowledge of H&S.
• Full UK Driving Licence.

Responsibilities

• Delivery of the geographic Leakage strategy for the zonal area.
• Managing leakage detection activities in the zone, targeting detection teams.
• Using leading-edge approaches to reduce leakage, including satellite and fibre optic technologies.
• Monitoring the zonal meter and targeting availability.
• Investigation of the viability of pressure management schemes and zonal reconfiguration.
• Support Network Optimisation Engineer as job owner in the risk assessment process.
• Provision and reporting of performance data – Review of zonal calculations and assessment of water balance impact.
• Work closely with the Network Optimisation and Leakage Planning teams to ensure consistency in approach from planning to delivery of the leakage strategy.
• Liaison with Third Parties and stakeholders to ensure smooth network operation.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement in leakage delivery.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Full UK Driving Licence

H&S knowledge

Job description

The Leakage Optimisation Engineer, based in Kidlington, supports Thames Water’s £20 billion network upgrade by turning complex information into repair priorities. Working full-time, this position sits within a specialist team that links field crews, contractors, and leadership. You will examine network performance, spot inefficiencies, and recommend actions to cut water loss. A salary between £36,800 and £53,000 reflects your experience.

The role demands strong analytical thinking, familiarity with asset systems, and clear communication to influence decisions. By improving response times and targeting repairs, you help safeguard supplies for future generations. This is a practical, results-driven position for someone who enjoys problem-solving and cross-team collaboration. This is an opportunity to build on your skills and experiences as we’re carrying out the biggest ever upgrade to our network. With a record-breaking investment of over £20 billion, we’re fixing leaks, reducing pollution and protecting water quality. This isn’t just maintenance. This is a ground-breaking programme designed to upgrade your water and wastewater services for generations to come.

The Leakage Optimisation Team uses data, technology, and network knowledge to find leaks faster, prioritise repairs, improve network performance, and support the delivery of leakage reduction targets. They act as the link between field operations, contractors, and business stakeholders. This role is responsible for analysing leakage and network performance data to identify priorities and guide asset and leakage activity within a defined geographic area. You will support the coordination of leakage targeting and ensure metering data is available and reliable. A key part of the role involves driving continuous improvement, enhancing processes and methodologies to optimise leakage detection and delivery.

What you’ll be doing as a Leakage Optimisation Engineer:

• Responsible for the delivery of the geographic Leakage strategy for the zonal area
• Responsible for managing leakage detection activities in the zone, targeting detection teams
• Using innovative, leading edge ways to reduce leakage, including satellite and fibre optic technologies.
• Monitoring the zonal meter and targeting availability
• Investigation of the viability of pressure management schemes and zonal reconfiguration
• Support Network Optimisation Engineer as job owner in the risk assessment process
• Provision and reporting of performance data – Review of zonal calculations and assessment of water balance impact.
• Work closely with the Network Optimisation and Leakage Planning teams to ensure consistency in approach from planning to delivery of the leakage strategy.
• Liaison with Third Parties, including Developer Services, Engineering, and other internal and external stakeholders to ensure smooth running of the network
• Identify and implement continuous improvement in leakage delivery

Base location: Kidlington Depot - OX5 1QT

Working pattern or hours: Hybrid - 36 Hours per week.

What should you bring to the role?

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

• Previous experience in water or a similar industry.
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Technical background and a good knowledge of H&S.
• Full UK Driving Licence.

Additional skills and experiences would be great to have/bring:

• Expert knowledge of Leakage, OFWAT regulatory targets, Unaccounted for Water, and Pressure Management.
• Leadership experience.
• Experience and knowledge of network systems (Aorta, Netbase, GIS or OMS).

What’s in it for you?

• Offering a salary £36,800 to £53,000 per annum depending on skills and experience.
• Annual Leave: 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays)
• Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON
• 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.
• 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 our 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.

Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Wate r 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.