Operator

Yorkshire Water; Pontefract, Leeds, Castleford; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water service provider in the UK seeks a Process Operator to join their team in Pontefract. The role involves ensuring regulatory compliance, responding to pollution incidents, and conducting proactive site visits. Applicants should possess a practical mindset, a full UK driving licence, and a commitment to working outdoors in all weather conditions. This permanent position offers training and benefits, with a salary range of £25,785 to £32,739 depending on experience.

Benefits

Company van

Annual bonus up to £1,000

Attractive pension scheme

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Training opportunities

Health cash plan scheme

Qualifications

• Must have a valid UK driving licence with no more than 6 points.
• Resilient self-starter capable of working alone and in a team.
• Medical clearance for occasional confined-space work.

Responsibilities

• React to pollution incidents and alarms.
• Gather evidence at suspected pollution incidents.
• Lift, check and unblock pumps.

Skills

Practical mindset

Problem-solving

Communication skills

Comfortable questioning unsafe practices

Education

Full valid UK driving licence

Tools

IT systems such as Word

Toughbook

Job description

Benefits

• Salary range of £25,785 to £32,739, depending on experience.
• A company van (Mobile Worker).
• Annual incentive related bonus (£1,000 maximum bonus opportunity for the performance year).
• Attractive pension scheme (currently up to 12% company contribution).
• Development opportunities in line with the Process Operator progression plan.
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays – plus an extra wellness day! Additional days in lieu of working any bank holidays.
• Life assurance cover of 4 times pensionable salary.
• A benefit package – choose from health cash plan scheme, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, life assurance flex and partner cover.
• Retail savings scheme.
• Online GP service, cycle to work scheme, gym membership discounts and many more!

Location

Process Operators will join the Process team at Yorkshire Water and help provide the best service to our customers. The roles cover sites in and around Castleford, Pontefract and North Leeds. Applicants should live within a reasonable commuting distance to these areas.

Work type

Permanent – 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday within a 07:00 to 18:00 working window. Out‑of‑hours, weekend working and bank holidays will be part of a structured work pattern. Once fully trained you will be assessed for working on your own and will participate in an on‑call rota that includes evenings, weekends and overnight callouts, scheduled in advance. You will also be expected to work some weekends; flexibility outside core hours is essential.

What we do!

Yorkshire Water delivers essential water and wastewater services to over 5.4 million residents and many visitors each year, ensuring clean drinking water and efficient wastewater removal. We look after communities, protect the environment and plan for Yorkshire’s water today, tomorrow 24/7, 365 days a year. New environmental legislation, investment and changing customer expectations mean exciting opportunities in the water industry. Process & Pumping plays a key role in meeting customer and regulator demands.

Where you fit in!

As a Process Operator you will work as part of an operational team to deliver outstanding performance against targets while ensuring regulatory compliance and customer satisfaction. You will undertake reactive and proactive site visits to keep critical assets compliant, protecting the environment from pollution and maintaining high service quality.

Your duties will include:

• React to RTS alarms and pollution incidents.
• Gather evidence at suspected pollution incidents.
• Lift, check and unblock pumps.
• Take samples, examine results and troubleshoot any issues affecting sample quality.
• Raise follow‑on work for internal support services.

What skills, experience and training you will need

• Full training on all mandatory courses – will be provided to work safely. A company van, tools, equipment, Toughbook, mobile phone, sat nav and all corporate clothing will also be provided.
• Practical mindset, enjoy working outdoors in all weathers and a hands‑on approach to tasks.
• Resilient self‑starter capable of working alone and in a team, good time‑management and efficient workload management.
• Comfortable questioning unsafe practices and reporting them to management.
• Problem‑solver, decision maker, communicator with a positive attitude and behaviours.
• Previous experience using IT systems such as Word – you will capture site information on a Toughbook.
• Full valid UK driving licence with no more than 6 points – required for daily site travel.
• Medical clearance for occasional confined‑space work – must pass medical tests (BMI, vision, blood pressure, hearing, Spirometry) set by Occupational Health.

You will also benefit from having

• Knowledge and/or previous experience of wastewater.

We support flexible working patterns and job share options to help you balance work and home life.

Do we sound like your cup of tea?

If you’ve got experience in operations and want to help deliver great service while protecting the environment, apply today to discover what a career with Yorkshire Water can offer you.

Recruitment Process

Advert closing 11th December 2025.
Interview to be held throughout December and into early January 2026.

If successful you will undergo pre‑employment checks: a Basic Disclosure Check via a third‑party company, and depending on the role, a Counter‑Terrorist Check or Security Check clearance. All roles are subject to a medical questionnaire and further medicals when required.

We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring the recruitment process is accessible to all. We offer a range of adjustments to make the application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible. If you have an accessibility need, disability or condition that requires changes, please include this information in your application and we will discuss reasonable adjustments.

Kelda Group reserves the right to close this position before the published closing date.