Process Lead

South East Water; Tonbridge and Malling, Detling, Aldershot, Lewes; Hybrid; GBP 39,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

5 weeks holiday

Cycle to work

Health cash plan

Life assurance

Job summary

South East Water is seeking a Process Lead to guard our standards across Distribution, Leakage, E&M, Production, and Water Quality. The role focuses on translating complex technical requirements into clear operational guidance that protects water supply and staff safety.

You will author high-quality SOPs and SOMs, deliver frontline training, and lead cross-functional reviews to publish authoritative documents.

Qualifications

• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Ability to translate technical requirements into clear SOPs and manuals.
• Experience documenting site operating procedures and contingency plans.

Responsibilities

• Author Site Operating Manuals (SOMs), Contingency Plans, and SOPs.
• Develop training materials and deliver annual briefings to frontline teams.
• Lead document review groups to secure approvals and publication.
• Conduct site visits and desktop studies to identify risks or opportunities.
• Coordinate with Water Resources, Environment, H&S, Engineering, and Assets for integrated standards.
• Peer-review colleagues’ work to maintain documentation quality.

Skills

Communication skills

Written communication

MS 365 proficiency

Report writing

Education

Degree in a scientific field relevant to UK Water Industry

Valid EUSR Blue Card (Water Hygiene)

Tools

Microsoft 365

Job description

## Process LeadApply: Hybrid Working: Snodland, Kent: Detling, Kent: Aldershot, Hampshire: Barcombe, East Sussex: Full time: Posted 2 Days Ago: End Date: November 3, 2026 (11 days left to apply): JR101406**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 escalate 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. **Grow a career with a meaningful purpose.** 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.**Benefits package:*** 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. **What can you expect from your recruitment?*** To apply for this position, please submit your CV on our career’s website.* It is necessary for you to have the legal right to work in the UK when you begin employment with South East Water.* Additionally, as part of the employment offer, you will need to pass background, identity, and employment referencing checks. **If this sounds like the opportunity you’ve been looking for, apply now!**South East Water kindly asks that recruitment agencies refrain from submitting CVs to our employees or associates without explicit invitation from our HR Resourcing team. CVs sent on a speculative basis will not be acknowledged and will not assume any responsibility for fees or commissions in the event that we hire a candidate who applied directly or subsequently introduced by an instructed agency.**Compensation package:**Up to £43,000 + £6,492.29 car allowance