Senior Reservoir Engineer

JAM Recruitment Ltd; Reading; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days annual leave

Generous pension scheme

Annual medical assessments

Cycle to Work

Job summary

Thames Water is seeking a Senior Reservoir Engineer in Reading to join the Reservoir Safety Team. You will oversee safety, integrity and statutory compliance for a large portfolio of reservoirs and water storage assets, guiding risk-based investment decisions and long-term planning.

Reporting to the Reservoir Safety Manager, you will lead inspections, prepare technically robust reports, and engage with operations, regulators and contractors to ensure public safety and resilience.

Qualifications

• Degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent reservoir/dam discipline.
• Supervising Panel Engineer status under the Reservoirs Act 1975 or progress toward panel.
• Proven reservoir engineering experience, inspections, asset management or dam safety.
• Experience producing high-quality technical reports and assurance outputs.
• Strong understanding of reservoir safety legislation, compliance and risk management.

Responsibilities

• Lead inspections and condition assessments of raw water reservoirs and related infrastructure.
• Deliver statutory duties including Section 10 and Section 12 inspections and recommendations.
• Identify and manage reservoir safety risks and deterioration mechanisms affecting compliance and resilience.
• Produce technical reports and engineering guidance to support priorities and investments.
• Provide reservoir safety advice to the Reservoir Safety Manager and stakeholders across functions.
• Review designs, drawings and submissions, providing engineering assurance and challenge.
• Collaborate with operations, regulators, consultants and contractors to meet safety requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement in reservoir safety practice and asset governance.

Skills

Reservoir safety expertise

Analytical skills

Stakeholder engagement

Technical leadership

Clear communication

Education

Civil Engineering degree

Tools

Job description

Job Summary

This full-time post as a Senior Reservoir Engineer, based in Reading, offers a competitive salary of £50,000 to £65,000 per annum, dependent on skills and experience. The successful candidate joins Thames Water's Reservoir Safety Team, overseeing safety, integrity and statutory compliance across one of the UK's largest portfolios of impounding reservoirs and water storage assets. Duties include supervising risk-based investment choices, supporting long-term planning and upholding high standards of resilience. Applicants should hold proven reservoir safety expertise, strong analytical abilities and knowledge of relevant legislation. The position provides significant influence over critical infrastructure and asset management strategy.

Are you an experienced reservoir safety professional seeking the opportunity to work across a diverse portfolio of reservoirs, influence risk-based investment decisions and help deliver the highest standards of reservoir safety and resilience? Join Thames Water's growing Reservoir Safety Team as a Senior Reservoir Engineer and take on a high-impact role focused on the safety, integrity and statutory compliance of reservoirs and associated assets across the business.

This is a rare opportunity for an experienced reservoir safety professional to play a leading role in the management of one of the UK's largest and most diverse portfolios of statutory reservoirs and water storage assets, helping to safeguard critical infrastructure, influence long-term investment decisions and shape the future of reservoir safety.

Reporting to the Reservoir Safety Manager, you'll support Thames Water in meeting its obligations under the Reservoirs Act 1975, carrying out inspections, technical assessments and engineering assurance across a diverse reservoir portfolio. You'll provide expert technical leadership, advise stakeholders across the business and support the safe operation of essential infrastructure that serves millions of customers.

What you'll be doing

• Lead inspections and condition assessments of raw water reservoirs, service reservoirs, and associated infrastructure.
• Support statutory undertaker duties, including Section 10 and Section 12 inspections and the delivery of statutory recommendations.
• Identify, assess and manage reservoir safety risks and deterioration mechanisms that could affect compliance, resilience or public safety.
• Produce clear technical reports, recommendations and engineering guidance that support operational priorities and long-term investment decisions.
• Provide technical reservoir safety advice to the Reservoir Safety Manager and stakeholders across Operations, Engineering and Asset Management.
• Review designs, drawings, technical reports and submissions, providing engineering assurance and constructive technical challenge.
• Work closely with Operations, Engineering teams, regulators, consultants and contractors to ensure reservoir safety and compliance requirements are met.
• Drive continuous improvement in reservoir safety practice, asset management and governance across Thames Water.

Hybrid working and travel

This is a hybrid role, with a mix of home, office and site-based working. You'll travel regularly across the Thames Water region to inspect assets, visit operational sites and collaborate with site-based teams. Your base office will be within the Thames Water catchment area. A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle are essential, as regular travel is required for site inspections, operational visits and asset assessments.

What should you bring to the role?

We're looking for a technically strong, safety-focused reservoir engineering professional who can combine sound judgement with clear communication and confident stakeholder engagement.

• A degree in Civil Engineering, or an equivalent reservoir or dam-related discipline.
• Supervising Panel Engineer status under the Reservoirs Act 1975, or strong progress towards panel application.
• Proven experience in reservoir engineering, inspections, civil asset management or dam safety.
• Experience inspecting civil engineering structures and producing high-quality technical reports, recommendations and assurance outputs.
• A sound understanding of reservoir safety legislation, compliance requirements, risk management and industry best practice.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess technical risk and recommend practical engineering solutions.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the confidence to provide clear technical advice to technical and non-technical audiences.

What's in it for you?

• You’ll join a collaborative engineering team with the opportunity to influence the future of a unique and varied reservoir portfolio.
• This role offers meaningful technical challenge, direct contribution to public safety and environmental resilience, and the chance to support investment decisions that protect essential water infrastructure for generations to come.

Competitive salary of £50,000 - £65,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience.

For current Supervising Panel Engineers – An opportunity to maintain and broaden panel experience across a large and varied portfolio of reservoirs.

For candidates nearing Supervising Panel Engineer application – Support and mentoring will be provided towards achieving Supervising Panel Engineer status.

Exposure to complex reservoir safety challenges and major capital investment programmes.

26 days annual leave, increasing to 30 days with length of service, plus bank holidays.

Generous Pension Scheme through AON.

Annual personal medical assessments available to all employees.

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.

Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.

Find out more about our benefits and perks (Please note different T&Cs apply if on secondment).

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.

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?

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.