Process Lead

South East Water Limited; Snodland; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

South East Water Limited is seeking a Process Lead to guard standards across Distribution, Leakage, E&M, Production and Water Quality. You will author Site Operating Manuals, SOPs and Contingency Plans, and lead governance groups to secure approvals across teams.

You will develop engaging training materials, deliver annual briefings on internal updates and regulatory changes, and drive risk-based improvements while maintaining clear, actionable guidance for frontline staff.

Qualifications

• Over 5 years of industry-specific experience.
• Background in Process Science or Process Engineering.
• Direct experience in technical or procedural writing.

Responsibilities

• Documentation Mastery: author SOMs, Contingency Plans, and SOPs.
• Knowledge Transfer: develop training materials and deliver briefings.
• Collaborative Governance: lead review groups for approvals and publication.
• Risk & Innovation: conduct site visits to identify risks and opportunities.
• Cross-Functional Liaison: act as bridge between Water Resources, Environment, H&S, Engineering and Assets.
• Quality Assurance: peer-review and maintain high documentation standards.

Skills

Water industry experience

Written and verbal communication

Process documentation

Education

Science degree

EUSR Blue Card (Water Hygiene)

Tools

Microsoft 365

Job description

Summary

Are you a technical expert with a passion for operational excellence? As our Process Lead, you will be the guardian of our standards. You'll play a critical role in ensuring our frontline teams across Distribution, Leakage, E&M, Production, and Water Quality operate safely, consistently, and in full compliance with industry regulations. This isn't just about writing manuals; it's about translating complex technical requirements into clear, actionable guidance that protects our water supply and our people.

Main Responsibilities

• Documentation Mastery: Author high-quality Site Operating Manuals (SOMs), Contingency Plans, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Knowledge Transfer: Develop engaging training materials and deliver annual briefings to frontline teams on internal updates and wider regulatory shifts.
• Collaborative Governance: Lead review groups with key managers to secure document approval and publication.
• Risk & Innovation: Conduct site visits and desktop studies to identify risks or opportunities. You'll be empowered to push through "simple fix" resolutions or escape complex issues via corporate systems.
• Cross-Functional Liaison: Act as the bridge between teams such as Water Resources, Environment, H&S, Engineering, and Assets to ensure integrated standards.
• Quality Assurance: Peer-review the work of colleagues, providing expert feedback to maintain a gold standard of documentation across the team.

What You’ll Bring

You are a methodical professional who enjoys the "deep dive" into process science but can also step back and communicate the big picture to diverse audiences. You take pride in accuracy and thrive when working independently to meet deadlines.

Technical Requirements

• Education: A degree in a scientific field relevant to the UK Water Industry.
• Certification: Valid EUSR Blue Card (Water Hygiene).
• Industry Experience: Proven experience within the Water Industry, including a solid understanding of water treatment and/or distribution processes.
• Communication: Exceptional written and verbal skills-you can turn technical jargon into clear instructions.
• IT Literacy: Expert-level proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), with the ability to create bespoke document templates.

Experience and Qualifications

• Over 5 years of industry-specific experience.
• A background in Process Science or Process Engineering.
• Direct experience in technical or procedural writing.
• Membership in a professional body related to the Water Industry.

Benefits

• Excellent Stakeholder pension scheme, up to 10% employer contribution.
• 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays per annum, increasing to 6 weeks with length of service.
• Flexible annual leave policy to buy or sell holiday leave.
• Paid volunteering days.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Health cash plan.
• Life assurance.
• Wellbeing related benefits.

Salary and Compensation

Compensation package: Up to £43,000 + £6,492.29 car allowance

Company Culture

We know the communities we serve are diverse. We recognise creativity comes from diversity not similarity. That's why we are enthusiastic about creating inclusion across age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion and identity. You will experience our dedication to equal opportunities and fair treatment for all: through your recruitment, employment and career progression with South East Water.

We supply top-quality drinking water to 2.3 million customers in the southeast of England. Through a network of 9,000 miles of pipe, we deliver 544 million litres of water every day. It's the skill and expertise of our employees that ensures our water meets the highest standards. We make sure we can meet the needs of our customers both now and in the future.

Why Join Us

Grow a career with a meaningful purpose.

Additional Values

• Be you, belong and valued.
• Come to work to be safe, valued, and trusted.
• We'll encourage you to create and pursue new opportunities for personal growth.
• A place to be the real you, build deeper connections and enjoy a sense of belonging.
• Be invested in helping us to create a sustainable water supply for now, and in the future.