Plant operator

Construction, Property and Engineering; Croydon; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Health & wellbeing initiatives

Site perks

Job summary

Randstad CPE is recruiting for a Plant Operator to join a heavy process facility in South London. The role covers safe operation, routine maintenance and monitoring of plant performance within a 12-hour day/night shift pattern.

You will report to the Shift Lead, operate site machinery, and ensure high plant availability while following strict safety procedures and detailed shift handovers.

Qualifications

• Proven operational experience in continuous process/heavy industry environments.
• Experience monitoring process machinery and operating mobile plant.
• Safety-first mindset with understanding of Safe Systems of Work.
• Good IT skills (MS Office).
• Full UK Driving Licence and ability to work 12-hour day/night shifts.

Responsibilities

• Perform routine plant walk-rounds and monitor heavy machinery, boiler plant and auxiliary systems.
• Carry out frontline maintenance, basic troubleshooting and support planned shutdowns.
• Safely handle, unload and supervise site consumables (lime, carbon, ammonia, gas oil).
• Operate site mobile plant, cranes and weighbridges as required.
• Maintain digital shift logs and complete safe handovers per SSoW and permits-to-work.

Skills

Operational experience

Process monitoring

Safety mindset

IT skills

UK Driving Licence

12-hour shift experience

Tools

Forklift Certification

Overhead Crane Certification

MEWP Certification

Working at Height

Job description

Plant Operator

Salary: Circa £45,000 per annum (inclusive of shift allowance + annual bonus scheme)

Location: South London / Surrey Borders (easily accessible from Sutton, Croydon, and surrounding areas)

Hours: 40 hours per week (5-week rolling rota - 12-hour Days & Nights, 06:00 - 18:00 / 18:00 - 06:00)

Position Type: Full-time, Permanent

About the Business

Our client is a market-leading UK environmental and resource recovery organisation at the forefront of sustainable energy generation. Operating state-of-the-art infrastructure across the UK, they transform waste into sustainable energy resources to support the nation's climate-positive goals.

Following major investment, the business is continuing to expand its core operational portfolio and is seeking a practical, safety-conscious Auxiliary Plant Operator to join a highly skilled shift team at their heavy process facility in South London.

The Role

Working as an integral member of a close-knit operational shift team, you will ensure the facility operates safely, efficiently, and reliably. Reporting to the Shift Lead, you will monitor plant performance across heavy process equipment, perform frontline maintenance, and operate site machinery to maximize plant availability.

Key Responsibilities:

• Perform routine plant walk-rounds, monitoring heavy machinery, boiler plant, and auxiliary process systems.




• Carry out frontline maintenance, basic troubleshooting, and support planned shutdown activities to minimize downtime.




• Safely handle, unload, and supervise site consumables (including lime, carbon, ammonia, and gas oil).




• Operate site mobile plant, overhead travelling cranes, and weighbridges as required.




• Maintain clear digital shift logs, complete safe shift handovers, and adhere strictly to Safe Systems of Work (SSoW) and permit-to-work procedures.




• Provide on-call cover on designated days within the rota structure.

What We Are Looking For

Essential:

• Proven operational experience within a continuous process, heavy manufacturing, energy, chemical, or utilities environment.




• Hands-on experience monitoring process machinery and operating mobile plant.




• Practical, safety-first mindset with an understanding of Safe Systems of Work.




• Good written, verbal, and basic IT skills (Microsoft Office).




• Full UK Driving Licence.




• Comfortable working a 12-hour day/night rotational shift pattern.

Desirable (Not Essential):

• Background in Energy-from-Waste (EfW), heavy process, or thermal treatment facilities.




• Exposure to plant isolations, permit-to-work systems, or CMMS maintenance software.




• Tickets or certifications for Forklift (FLT), Overhead Crane, MEWP, or Working at Height.

What's on Offer

• Competitive Package: Circa £45k earnings (base salary + shift allowance + annual performance bonus).




• Comprehensive Benefits: Generous pension scheme, health & wellbeing initiatives, and local site perks.




• Training & Progression: Structured upskilling in specialist process machinery, safety systems, and plant tickets with clear paths into senior technician or shift management roles.




• Job Security: Essential green-sector infrastructure position providing long-term career stability.

Randstad CPE values diversity and promotes equality. No terminology in this advert is intended to discriminate against any of the protected characteristics that fall under the Equality Act 2010. We encourage and welcome applications from all sections of society and are more than happy to discuss reasonable adjustments and/or additional arrangements as required to support your application.

Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK.

For the purposes of the Conduct Regulations 2003, when advertising permanent vacancies we are acting as an Employment Agency, and when advertising temporary/contract vacancies we are acting as an Employment Business.