Senior Process Specialist

Thames Water; England; On-site; GBP 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water service provider in the UK is seeking a Senior Process Specialist to enhance operational excellence at their East Hyde wastewater treatment sites. This role requires a strong background in wastewater treatment and environmental regulations, alongside excellent analytical and communication skills. The position offers a starting salary of £46,565 along with numerous benefits, including generous leave policies and a supportive work environment.

Benefits

26 days holiday plus bank holidays

Performance-related pay plan

Generous Pension Scheme

Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave

Health and wellbeing benefits

Qualifications

• Proven experience in wastewater treatment process science and engineering is beneficial.
• Strong knowledge of environmental regulation is desirable.
• Confident with data handling and reporting.
• Commitment to safety and best practice.

Responsibilities

• Lead root cause investigations and resolutions for pollution incidents.
• Ensure compliance with permits and analyze flow data.
• Mentor and coach operations teams in technical knowledge.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and process solutions.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Communication

Team collaboration

Time management

Education

BSc in science or engineering

Job description

Are you a motivated technical expert ready to take centre stage in operational excellence? We are looking for a Senior Process Specialist, you will be the go‑to authority for our wastewater treatment sites in the East Hyde area.

• Base location: East Hyde. (STW)
• Working pattern: 36 hours per week (Mon‑Fri), plus an out‑of‑hours rota.
• A full UK Driving License is mandatory, with access to your transport and business‑use insurance. (car allowance is provided)

What you’ll be doing as a Senior Process Specialist:

• Lead root cause investigations and drive effective resolutions to pollution incidents.
• Identify faults and implement proactive improvements using data and site insights.
• Ensure full compliance with statutory and environmental permits.
• Analyse flow data to boost treatment efficiency and reduce storm discharges.
• Collaborate on technical design queries with project delivery teams.
• Optimise processes to reduce costs while maintaining quality.
• Represent technical expertise in compliance meetings and reports.
• Mentor and coach operations teams, fostering technical growth and knowledge sharing.
• Participate in an on‑call rota, providing expert advice during incidents.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and innovative process solutions.
• Manage data collection for regulatory reporting and stakeholder requests.

To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need is:

• Proven experience in wastewater treatment process science and engineering would be beneficial.
• A strong knowledge of environmental regulation is desirable, as training will be provided.
• A BSc degree in a science or engineering discipline is highly advantageous.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with a hands‑on mindset.
• Excellent communicator, confident in presenting and mentoring diverse teams.
• Ability to work collaboratively with regulators, contractors, and internal teams.
• Confident with data handling, processing, and reporting, and adapting to IT systems.
• Commitment to safety and best practice.
• Passionate learner and mentor, dedicated to growth and empowering others.
• Superb time management skills, able to self‑organise and be a true self‑starter who is comfortable working on site.

What’s in it for you?

• Offering a starting salary of £46,565 per annum.
• 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (plus bank holidays)
• Performance‑related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• Generous Paternity Leave, including 4 weeks paid and an optional 2 weeks unpaid.
• Enhanced Maternity Leave, 26 weeks full pay and 13 weeks half pay.
• 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.

Find out more about our benefits and perks.

Who are we?

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, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.