Principal Process Engineer

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 54,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary up to £90,000

26 days holiday (plus bank holidays)

Car Allowance

Performance-related pay

Pension scheme (AON)

Private medical health care

Wellbeing and employee benefits

Job summary

Thames Water Utilities Limited is seeking a Water Process Engineer to lead design and technical assurance across a portfolio of water treatment projects. You will provide expert process engineering support to operational teams and project delivery, ensuring regulatory compliance and asset standard adherence.

The role emphasizes technical leadership, mentoring engineers, and reviewing partner outputs to maintain high technical standards. Base location is Reading with hybrid working patterns.

Qualifications

• Significant process engineering experience in the water sector.
• Degree in Process Engineering and Chartered Engineer status or progression towards chartership.
• Strong knowledge of design, constructability, commissioning, operability and asset lifecycle management.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and technical assurance of complex water engineering schemes.
• Provide expert process engineering support to operations and project delivery teams.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and Thames Water asset standards.
• Act as technical authority, approving designs and providing lifecycle assurance.
• Mentor and develop engineers to build a high-performing team.
• Review outputs from design partners to ensure technical excellence.
• Support incident investigations and drive process improvements.

Skills

Water process engineering

Project leadership

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder management

Mentoring/people development

Education

Degree in Process Engineering

Chartered Engineer status or progression

Job description

As a technical leader within our Process Engineering team, you'll provide specialist expertise and strategic direction across a diverse portfolio of water treatment projects and operational challenges. Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading the design and technical assurance of complex water engineering schemes.
• Providing expert process engineering support to operational teams and project delivery programmes.
• Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, industry standards, and Thames Water asset standards.
• Acting as a key technical authority, approving designs and providing assurance throughout project lifecycles through to commissioning and handover.
• Mentoring and developing a team of engineers, creating a high-performing and collaborative engineering culture.
• Managing and reviewing engineering design partner outputs to ensure technical excellence and value.
• Supporting complex incident investigations and driving process improvements and corrective actions.
• Influencing and continuously improving technical standards, best practices and engineering guidance.
• Working with multi-disciplinary teams to develop innovative, sustainable and resilient engineering solutions.
• Supporting the evaluation and implementation of emerging technologies that will help transform our business and customer outcomes.
• Significant process engineering experience within the water sector.
• A strong track record of leading complex engineering projects and providing technical leadership.
• Experience managing, mentoring and developing engineering teams.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
• A collaborative approach and commitment to fostering an inclusive and diverse engineering environment.
• A degree in Process Engineering (or equivalent) and Chartered Engineer status, or clear progression towards chartership.
• An understanding of commercial and contractual considerations within project delivery environments.
• Strong knowledge of engineering design, constructability, commissioning, operability, maintainability and asset lifecycle management.

Are you an experienced Water Process Engineer looking for an opportunity to shape the future of the UK water industry? At Thames Water, you'll play a pivotal role in delivering our ambitious AMP8 programme and beyond, helping to solve some of the most complex engineering challenges across water treatment. This is your chance to influence major investment projects, champion innovation, and be part of a team that makes a real impact on the environment and the communities we serve., 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 their 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 Water 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.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date to avoid disappointment.

Base location: Hybrid working with time split between home and our Reading office at Clearwater Court (RG1 8DB). Working pattern: 36 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

What you should bring to the role We're looking for a subject matter expert with significant water treatment design experience.

What's in it for you? This is an opportunity to join a business investing billions in its assets, people and communities, where you'll have the platform to influence major strategic programmes and help shape the future of water infrastructure.

• Salary of up to £90,000 per annum dependant on experience.
• 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays)
• Car Allowance.
• Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• Private Medical Health Care.
• 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.