Mechanical Operator and Maintainer - 30583

Environment Agency; Newmarket; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

25 days annual leave

Award‑winning Pension Fund

Job summary

Environment Agency in East Anglia is recruiting a Mechanical Operator and Maintainer to support the operation, maintenance and repair of Water Resources assets. Base at Kennett Pumping Station, Newmarket, with travel across East Anglia.

You will deliver preventive maintenance, inspections, and repairs, report issues, and be trained to operate assets and respond to failures. There is a focus on safe, compliant site management and potential upgrade work.

Qualifications

• Qualified to a minimum of NVQ level 3 (or equivalent) in a mechanical engineering discipline.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel to sites around East Anglia.
• Live within 1 hour of Kennett Pumping Station or Wixoe Pumping Station.
• Good IT skills and ability to work with or without supervision.
• Desire to learn and participate in improving ways of working.

Responsibilities

• Deliver the planned preventative maintenance programme and carry out inspections and repairs.
• Report on maintenance delivery and any operational or safety issues on site.
• Be trained to operate assets and respond to asset failures.
• Contribute to asset upgrade/refurbishment projects and coordinate with contractors.

Skills

NVQ level 3 in mechanical engineering

Full UK driving licence

Good IT skills

Team-or-unsupervised work

Willingness to learn

Education

NVQ level 3 (or equivalent) in mechanical engineering

Tools

None

Job description

Mechanical Operator and Maintainer - 30583

We are looking for motivated and skilled mechanical engineers to join our dedicated team and assist with the operation, maintenance and repair of our strategically important Water Resources assets in East Anglia.

In East Anglia we want to create a diverse workplace where people are respected, valued and listened to. We’re all different, and by embracing Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) we can become an equal opportunity employer where jointly we all grow and learn together.

It is our ambition to champion diversity through building a workforce as diverse as the communities we serve.

We are very proud of what we do. It matters. Our impressive assets ensure water is available when it is needed.

You’ll:

• be responsible for ensuring our infrastructure is able to operate when required by delivering our planned preventative maintenance programme, as well as carrying out inspections and repairs.
• report on your maintenance delivery and any operational or safety issues that arise on site.
• be trained to operate the assets and respond to asset failures.
• There'll also be some involvement in the delivery of asset upgrade/refurbishment projects, coordination with contractors and site management.

We're continuously improving our asset management practices. Embracing new technology and adopting new ways of working to target our maintenance activities to where they can provide the greatest benefit (and reduce our use of carbon). You’ll be part of this evolution, and we value your opinion.

Everyone starting in a new role will be welcomed into the team and given all the IT, tools, PPE, support and training needed to enable you to complete your job both safely and to the high standards which we set ourselves.

Base location is Kennett Pumping Station, Newmarket, CB8 7QL.

The candidate pack and generic role profile should be read along with the advert.

The team The Water Land and Biodiversity Strategically Important Asset team sits within Local Operations and leads the operation and maintenance of the Ely Ouse to Essex Transfer Scheme and other pumped groundwater schemes in the area.

EOETS is a large scheme, transferring water from Denver to Essex reservoirs, using a combination of pumping stations, pipelines and in‑river transfer, for the purpose of public water supply and environmental support.

Experience/skills required Essential:

• Qualified to a minimum of NVQ level 3 (or equivalent) in a mechanical engineering discipline. This provides the practical skills needed for this role. If you do not hold this qualification but believe you would be suitable for the role, please contact the recruiting manager to discuss development opportunities
• A full UK driving licence (you will travel to sites around East Anglia almost daily. A badged vehicle will be available for your business travel)
• Living within 1 hour of Kennett Pumping Station (Newmarket) or Wixoe Pumping Station (Haverhill)
• Good IT skills
• Able to work both within a team and without supervision
• A desire to learn and participate in improving ways of working

It would be desirable if you had:

• A proven track record of mechanical maintenance/repair/inspection experience preferably in the industrial sector and or working on pumped systems.

Contact and additional information

Responding to incidents is a central part of what we do. Everyone that joins us is required to undertake training and participate.

You’ll join the team standby roster (£167.62 per week, roughly 1 in 6 weeks but may increase when we are operating). Call outs are paid at time and a half. There are also likely to be opportunities to work overtime.

Salary is £33,000. Our fantastic benefits package includes flexible working, 25 days annual leave, and an award-winning Pension Fund. See the candidate pack for more details.

• flexible working
• 25 days annual leave
• award‑winning Pension Fund

This role does NOT qualify for skilled worker sponsorship.

Interviews are planned for 24th April 2025, at Kennett Pumping Station, but may be subject to change.

If you have any questions, please contact Emma Phillips via: [e-mail]

Competence 1 MEICA - Maintenance and work management systems

Please note we do not assess CVs. Answers to these competency questions will be used for interview selection so ensure you draw out your skills and experience in your responses. You have up to 250 words so please do use them to tell us what we need to know about you. See Candidate pack for more details and a link to our capability dictionary.

If you do not have an example of work you have carried out in the past, please explain how you might theoretically carry out the activity described in the question below.

In order to carry out maintenance work on our mechanical assets, you will need to be qualified to a minimum of NVQ level 3 or equivalent (qualifications providing practical engineering skills, not just theoretical knowledge). Please provide details of your relevant qualification and give an example of how you have put your technical knowledge into practice, demonstrating your ability to maintain MEICA assets skilfully and solve problems.

Competence 2 Field Delivery

Our maintenance is critical to ensuring our strategically important assets are available to operate when needed. In this role you will be required to deliver the annual recurring planned preventative maintenance programme. You will also carry out reactive work.

Please explain what kind of mechanical maintenance work in the past, how you delivered it and how you ensured it was to the required specification, and quality standards.

Competence 3 Site Management

In our team, we don’t just operate and maintain the assets. We manage the sites we are responsible for in their entirity, making sure they are compliant, secure, clean and safe places to work. We keep accurate records of our maintenance and checks to provide evidence and assurance.

Please provide an example of where you have carried out maintenance or checks, how you organised your tasks and how you reported that they were complete.

Competence 4 Manage your health and safety

The work you will be doing on our MEICA assets come with their own inherent risks. How do you keep yourself and others safe while you are carrying out maintenance tasks?

Role specific license requirements

Full UK Driving Licence

If you are applying from the Civil Service please note that the Environment Agency is not a part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of being appointed. Therefore, you will not be eligible for continuous service. For applicants who currently work in local government or other bodies listed in the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government etc) (Modification) Order 1999, you may be eligible for continuous service for the purpose of calculating any future redundancy payment. If you are unsure of your status then you should contact your own HR Team.

We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share, so please include clearly any information regarding your preferred working arrangements on your application.

We also have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability who are seeking employment. We have committed to guaranteeing an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

The Environment Agency, as a Non-Departmental Public Body, is committed to providing value for money and utilises Central Government frameworks and contracts for all external recruitment needs. For this reason, we are unable to engage with the market directly through post, email or phone calls . Should you wish to become a support supplier on one of these frameworks or contracts please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-crown-commercial-service-supplier/becoming-a-supplier-through-the-crown-commercial-service-what-you-need-to-know for more information.

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.Although the Environment Agency is a non-departmental public body sponsored by Defra, we subscribe to and align with the candidate guidance on the use of artificial intelligence found on the Civil Service Careers website .Please review for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.