Process Tech (Mechanical)

Southern Water; Chestfield; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Standby payments

Overtime potential (£10k/yr)

Job summary

Southern Water is recruiting a Process Technician (Mechanical) to join our Water Supply Team in Kent. The role involves frontline maintenance of water supply works, reservoirs, and booster stations to meet environmental, quality and customer service standards while complying with H&S and budget targets.

You will apply mechanical knowledge to keep sites operational, with opportunities to innovate and introduce improvements to current processes.

Qualifications

• BTEC Level 3 NVQ qualified in mechanical discipline.
• BTEC ONC or equivalent (Mechanical).
• Time served apprenticeship if possible.
• Full UK driving licence.

Responsibilities

• Undertake reactive and planned maintenance of plant and equipment daily.
• Coach, train and develop staff including the apprenticeship programme if required.
• Install new plant and equipment as required.
• Provide technical expertise to internal & external contractors.
• Manage projects internally and advise contractors working for Southern Water.
• Respond to alarms and fault find to identify issues, fix or escalate as required.
• Gain quotations for parts, equipment or from contractors for work to be carried out.
• Provide self-quotations for work to be carried out for comparison with contractor prices.
• Update necessary company systems and databases accurately and promptly.
• Identify possible future risks and recommend changes and raise for resolution.
• Keep up to date with new technology and approaches to service plant/equipment.

Education

BTEC Level 3 NVQ qualified (mechanical)

BTEC ONC or equivalent (Mechanical)

Time served apprenticeship

Full UK driving licence

Tools

Driving licence

Job description

Closing Date

2026-11-02

Process Technician - Mechanic

Location: Kent Region - you will also need to be willing to travel across multiple sites in Kent and have a current full driving licence.

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 38 hours

Salary: Base pay ranges £38,247.41 - £45,896.13 per annum (depending on skills and experience)

About the role

We are currently recruiting for a Process Technician (Mechanical), joining our Water Supply Team, to play a vital part in the frontline of our day-to-day maintenance of, and repairs to, Water supply works, reservoirs and booster stations to ensure all environmental, quality and customer service standards are met, whilst meeting H&S legislation and achieving budgetary targets.

In this role you will be utilising your mechanical knowledge and experience to ensure we remain compliant, reduce pollution and ensure that all of our sites remain operational for the benefits of our customers. You will have the scope of opportunity to innovate and introduce solutions, to create continuous improvements into existing processes.

What you will be responsible for:

• To undertake reactive and planned maintenance of plant and equipment on a daily basis.
• To coach, train and develop staff under their supervision, this to include the apprenticeship programme, if required
• To install new plant and equipment as required
• Provide technical expertise to Internal & External contractors.
• Manage projects internally and provide the technical expertise to contractors working for Southern Water
• To respond to alarms and fault find to identify issues, fix these or elevate if required
• To gain quotations for parts, equipment or from contractors for work to be carried out
• To provide self-quotations for work to be carried out, so assessment can be made against contractor prices.
• To update the necessary company systems and databases as required accurately and promptly
• To identify possible future risks and recommend changes in the course of their day-to-day work and to raise these for resolution as required.
• To keep up to date with new technology and approaches to ensure they can service existing plant/equipment and are able to identify opportunities to utilise new methods/approaches in their work.

Additional Requirements

The role requires you to commit to standby which attracts additional payments and overtime (subject to availability) which may increase your potential earnings to up to £10,000 per year in addition to your base pay!

What you’ll bring to the role:

Essential

• BTEC Level 3 NVQ qualified (mechanical)
• BTEC ONC or equivalent (Mechanical)
• Time served apprenticeship if possible
• Full UK driving licence

Desirable

• Experience in water industry.
• Strong understanding of pumping station operation and wastewater treatment process.
• Knowledge of health and safety legislation.

Progression opportunities

Southern Water offers career progression, training, and development opportunities.

About Southern Water

Southern Water is at the forefront of transforming Britain’s water industry, investing significantly to enhance resilience, sustainability, and service excellence. With £7.8bn planned investment for 2025-30, this is an unparalleled opportunity to join a business committed to delivering a generational shift in the way water services are managed.

At Southern Water, we believe diverse perspectives drive innovation. If you’re passionate about making a positive impact and think you can bring value to our team, we’d love to hear from you—even if you don’t tick every box.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or any other protected characteristic. If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

"At Southern Water, we believe diverse perspectives drive innovation. If you’re passionate about making a positive impact and think you can bring value to our team, we’d love to hear from you—even if you don’t tick every box. Your unique skills and experiences could be exactly what we need."

Our Commitment to Diversity

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or any other protected characteristic. If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Additional information:

In line with Southern Water’s security requirements, successful candidates will be required to provide evidence of their identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record check (DBS) and verification of their employment and/or education history for the past three years.

Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of all pre‑employment checks, including security vetting.

Please note that if a candidate does not meet the required security standards or fails to pass the vetting process, Southern Water reserves the right to withdraw the offer of employment. Some positions may also require higher levels of security vetting, which may involve providing additional documentation.