Operational Customer Service Associate

Southern Water; Worthing; Remote; GBP 26,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company and performance-related bonus

Pension scheme

Life assurance

Job summary

Southern Water in Worthing is seeking an Operational Customer Service Associate to join the 24/7 Operations Control Centre at the Durrington office. You will monitor and manage customer communications around the clock, respond to real-time inquiries, and provide timely updates during incidents.

The role emphasizes clear, empathetic communication, collaboration with senior leaders, and delivering accurate information during outages.

Qualifications

• Strong communication skills and ability to work under pressure.
• Operational awareness and ability to deliver clear information.
• Good IT literacy and quick learner of new systems.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and manage customer communications 24/7 in the Operations Control Centre.
• Respond to real-time inquiries on social media and calls outside normal hours.
• Create and publish timely updates during operational incidents and disruptions.

Skills

Communication skills

Calm under pressure

IT literacy

Public-facing channels

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

# Southern Water## Operational Customer Service AssociateApply: Worthing: Full time: Posted Today: End Date: November 15, 2026 (17 days left to apply): JR9240**Closing Date**2026-11-15**Operational Customer Service Associate****Location: Durrington, West Sussex (Office-based)****Salary: £28,554 per annum + 15% shift allowance****Contract Type: Permanent****Hours: 37 hours per week (12-hour shifts)****Shift Pattern: 24/7 rotating shift (details below)****Be the voice of our customers – whenever they need us**Are you passionate about delivering exceptional customer service? Do you work well under pressure and have a talent for clear, timely communication?We are looking for a group of proactive and confident **Operational Customer Service Associates** to join our 24/7 Operations Control Centre. This role plays a vital part in keeping our customers informed during operational incidents and service disruptions, particularly outside of standard working hours.You'll work with a wide range of teams across the business, helping ensure customers receive accurate, timely information when they need it most. As part of our Operations Control Centre, you'll contribute to incident response activities, provide valuable customer insight and help us deliver against our commitments and values.Now is an exciting time to join our growing team. As we continue to strengthen the service we provide to our customers, we're looking for people who want to make a real difference. You'll have the opportunity to deliver exceptional service, support the business during incidents that matter most, and play a part in improving trust and confidence in Southern Water.**What you'll be doing**You will be part of a dedicated team responsible for monitoring and managing customer communications around the clock. This includes responding to real-time enquiries on social media, handling customer calls and proactively issuing clear updates during operational events.Working closely with Customer Services, Communications, Operational Duty Managers and senior leaders across the business, you'll support customer communications during both planned and unplanned events. You'll help ensure customer impacts are understood, information remains accurate and customers stay informed throughout service disruptions.**Key responsibilities:*** Respond promptly and professionally to customer enquiries across social media and digital channels.* Handle customer calls outside normal business hours, providing accurate information, reassurance and support.* Create and publish timely customer communications relating to operational incidents and service disruptions.* Act as a key link between Customer Services, Communications and operational teams, ensuring clear and consistent messaging.* Represent the customer's perspective within the Operations Control Centre and support customer-focused decision making.* Support incident response activities by delivering coordinated customer communications and updates during live events.* Engage with operational managers and senior leaders, providing customer insight and highlighting emerging concerns.* Identify opportunities to improve customer communications, customer experience and operational processes.* What we're looking forWe're looking for someone with strong communication skills, a calm and professional approach under pressure, and the confidence to manage live situations.**You will need to:*** Communicate clearly and calmly, particularly during high-pressure or time-sensitive situations.* Be comfortable responding on public-facing digital channels, including social media.* Be customer-focused with an empathetic, confident and solutions-focused mindset.* Be resilient, adaptable and able to work independently, particularly during night shifts.* Demonstrate good IT literacy and the ability to quickly learn new systems and platforms.* Be confident engaging with stakeholders at all levels, including managers and senior leaders across the business.Previous experience in customer service, digital communications, emergency response or operational environments would be beneficial but is not essential if you can demonstrate transferable skills.**Shift pattern overview**This role is part of a 6-person team working 12-hour shifts across a 24/7 rota. Your shift pattern will rotate and includes days, nights, standby days and periods of rest.Examples include:* 3 day shifts → 3 standby days → 4 days off* 4 day shifts → 2 standby days → 4 days off → 1 standby day* 3 night shifts → 6 days off → 1 standby day* 4 night shifts → 7 days offFull training will be provided before you move onto the shift pattern.**Why join us?**This is an excellent opportunity to join a collaborative and fast-paced team, working at the heart of our operations. It's a role where you can make a real difference to customer experience, support the business during incidents that matter most and help ensure Southern Water delivers on its commitments to customers.If you're looking for a meaningful, customer-facing role with variety, ownership and the opportunity to grow, we'd love to hear from you.Please note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a sufficient number of applications.Apply promptly to secure your chance to be part of this exciting opportunity.### Interested in the role?* We reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications, so if you are interested in the position please do send your application over today to ensure consideration.* We truly appreciate every application. Please note, that due to the volume of interest, we may not be able to provide personalised feedback to all applicants.### Our Benefits* Company and performance-related bonus* Generous pension* Life assurance payment equal to four times your annual salary* Health benefits through a Cash Plan* Two paid community volunteering days a year* 28 days annual holiday* Occupational health service* Retail discount app* We offer competitive maternity leave, and flexible return to work options### Everybody Welcome* We value diversity and are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments to facilitate your participation in the recruitment process, please do not hesitate to let us know.### Need flexibility in your work?* Does this opportunity excite you but you’re not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that ‘normal’ office hours aren’t possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’ll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role?