Specialist Process Controller

Thames Water Ltd; East Ham; On-site; GBP 44,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Leave 24 days

Pension Scheme

Paternity Leave

Maternity Leave

Cycle to Work

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

Thames Water is hiring a Specialist Process Controller in Beckton (IG11 0AD) to oversee the Sludge Stream Processing team. You will manage the Sludge Powered Generator and Thermal Hydrolysis Process as part of daily operations, with full training provided in health & safety, technical and process requirements.

You will work a 38-hour week (Mon-Fri 7:30–3:36), with flexible working. Driving licence, and experience with industrial processes and permits are essential.

Qualifications

• Full UK driving licence is required.
• Experience managing or controlling industrial processes.
• Ability to work unsupervised and cover shifts when required.
• Understanding of operational health and safety procedures.
• Experience with permitting procedures and isolations.

Responsibilities

• Control the day-to-day operation of the work processes.
• Operate the site in line with internal requirements, quality standards and customer demand.
• Process faults and advise suitable rectification; raise issues to Maintenance Scheduler/Performance Managers.
• Carry out isolations and issue Permits to Work as part of a safe system of work.
• Assist with on-site capital projects and coordinate maintenance and operations staff.
• Monitor stock levels and place chemical orders as required.
• Monitor, collate and report data to ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Undertake safety and security checks and maintain personal and colleague safety.

Skills

Driving Licence

Autonomy

Health & Safety

Permits & isolations

Industrial processes

Education

Engineering NVQ Level 2 / BTEC

Tools

SCADA Systems

Job description

Specialist Process Controller

Company: Thames Water Salary: £49,000 to £49,000 a year Hours: Full-time Location: Beckton, IG11 0AD Job type: Permanent Posting date: 14 Oct 2026 Closing date: 27 Oct 2026

This is an exciting role where you will be working as part of the Sludge Stream Processing team, overseeing the Sludge Powered Generator and Thermal Hydrolysis Process, playing a key part in the site’s day-to-day operations and a hugely crucial part in keeping the River Thames clean and contributing towards green power generation.

As the Specialist Process Controller, you will find that no working day is the same. This will provide a very interesting, challenging, and rewarding working environment.

You will receive full training and support for the Health & Safety, technical and process requirements related to the plant.

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

- This role will involve controlling the work processes' day-to-day operation.

- Responsible for operating the site according to internal company requirements, a regulatory quality standard, and meeting customer demand.

- Processing faults and advising suitable rectification, raising issues to the Maintenance Scheduler or Performance Managers as required.

- Carrying out isolations to plant and issuing Permits to work as part of a safe system of work.

- Assisting with on-site capital project works, coordinating maintenance and operational personnel, and raising reactive work when required.

- Monitoring stock levels and placing chemical orders as required.

- Monitoring, collating, and reporting data to ensure that statutory and regulatory compliance is met.

- Undertake safety and security checks and take responsibility for the health and safety of yourself and your colleagues.

Base Location: Beckton - IG11 0AD.

Working Pattern or hours: 38 Hours per week - Monday-Friday from 7:30 am to 3:36 pm. Flexible working available.

What should you bring to the role?

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

- Full UK Driving Licence Required.

- Experience managing or controlling industrial processes in a similar industry.

- Ability to work unsupervised and be prepared to cover shifts if required.

- Understanding of operational health and safety procedures and perimeters.

- Previous experience working with permitting procedures and isolations.

Additional skills and experiences would be great to have/bring:

- Completion of an Engineering NVQ Level 2, BTEC, or equivalent is highly desirable.

- Previous experience with SCADA systems would be an advantage.

What’s in it for you?

- Offering a salary up to £49,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience.

- Annual Leave - 24 days holiday per year, increasing to 28 with the length of service. (plus bank holidays)

- Performance-related pay plan is 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 yourself 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 (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.

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.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

About Disability Confident Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.