Technical Optimiser (Pumping)

Yorkshire Water; Leeds; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional water company in the UK is looking for a Technical Optimiser to oversee operational performance in wastewater treatment. You'll manage complex activities, ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, and drive efficiency across the team. Ideal candidates will have in-depth experience in wastewater processes and a proven ability to meet challenging performance targets. The role offers a competitive salary and excellent benefits, alongside opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Company car lease scheme

Annual performance bonus

Attractive pension scheme

Development opportunities

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Life assurance cover

Health cash plan scheme

Qualifications

• In depth technical knowledge and experience of operating wastewater assets.
• Experience of delivering continual improvement in a process environment.
• Strong background in data and interpretation with corporate YW systems.

Responsibilities

• Plan and manage complex operational activities on wastewater sites.
• Provide support and guidance to operational roles.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety policies.

Skills

In depth technical knowledge

Experience in process/production environments

Data interpretation skills

Ownership and problem-solving skills

Promoting safe working practices

Experience in delivering against KPIs

Education

Full valid UK driving licence

Job description

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Hello! Thanks for stopping by. Let us tell you about all the great reasons to join us here at Yorkshire Water:

• We offer a competitive salary, depending on experience (£41,133 - £48,642)
• A company car through company car lease scheme
• Annual incentive related bonus (£1000 maximum bonus opportunity for the performance year)
• Attractive pension scheme (up to 12% company contribution)
• Development opportunities in line with the Technical Optimiser progression plan
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays – plus an extra wellness day!
• Life assurance cover of 4 times pensionable salary
• A great benefits package – choose from health cash plan scheme, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, life assurance flex and partner cover.
• Retail savings scheme
• Online GP service, cycle to work scheme, gym membership discounts and many more!

Location: We are currently looking to recruit a Technical Optimiser supporting sewage pumping works across the Leeds / York area, you will be expected to visit sites across the Yorkshire region, therefore a full driving licence (No more than 6 points) is essential requirement for this role.

Work type: Permanent. 37 hours per week, Monday – Friday. Including being part of a standby rota once fully trained.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Technical Optimiser to join the Waste water team at Yorkshire Water and be a part of helping Yorkshire Water to provide the best service to our customers. Could this be you?

What we do:

Everyone has an idea of what a water company does. Here in Yorkshire, we make sure that over 5.4 million people living in the region and the millions of people who visit our region each year, can rely on our services, and have clean and safe drinking water on tap and that their wastewater is taken away.
We look after communities, protect the environment, and plan to look after Yorkshire’s water, today, tomorrow 24/7, 365 days a year. We provide essential water and wastewater services to every corner of the Yorkshire region, and play a key role in the region’s health, wellbeing, and prosperity.

New environmental legislation, unprecedented levels of investment and changing expectations from customers means that this is an exciting time to discover opportunities within the water industry. The Wastewater team are a key part of how we plan to meet the changing expectations of customers and regulators. The Technical Optimiser is an essential role in driving and supporting excellent operational performance across a range of wastewater assets, including Treatment Works, Pumping Stations, Combined Sewer Overflows, Detention tanks etc. to achieve our company vision and our Performance Commitments, Pollution Incidents, Waste Stability and Reliability Factors, Internal and External Flooding, Bathing Water Quality, Customer Satisfaction, and Optimal Energy Generation and Consumption.

The Technical Optimiser will help to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of industry leading operational excellence through liaison with various internal teams to prevent asset failure, drive mitigation and resolution of wastewater asset risks/failures and performance management of the operational team, whilst promoting an exceptional culture of Health, Safety and Wellbeing.

Where you fit in:

As our Technical Optimiser – pumping you will:

• Demonstrate the required health and safety behaviour that complies with company policy and that creates a positive safety culture. Ensure that all activity on the asset base is completed in accordance with all YW Health & Safety policies e.g. Control of Work, Risk Assessments, Site inductions etc.
• Plan, organise and manage complex operational activities on the sites to deliver both reactive and proactive workload is delivered.
• Provide technical support and guidance to operational roles in their delivery of the operational management of the asset base and drive efficiency and productivity through operations while continuing to improve performance.
• Act as a key liaison role between the operations and other key internal departments e.g. E&MS, Asset Management and Asset Integrity.
• Verify and investigate all asset performance shortfalls using the company RCA approach.
• Resolve high priority, complex and emergency problems, using external resources where necessary.
• Deliver the Performance Commitments applicable to role i.e. Pollution incidents, TWC Compliance, Bathing Water Quality, Energy consumption, Sludge quality performance, to help Yorkshire Water be upper quartile.
• Drive efficiency and productivity through operations while continuing to improve performance.
• Ensure the team have compliance with all regulatory and quality assurance requirements through effective planning, monitoring, control, operation, and optimisation.
• Work as part of the team to deliver excellent performance by understanding how their individual performance links into achieving the team’s wider objectives.
• Provide support and investigation in event of asset failure.
• Proactive monitoring of trends, using SCADA and RTS to improve process efficiency, and monitoring of remote sites to observe performance to drive new ways of working.
• Alterations to RTS/deadbands/set point adjustment as required.
• Proactively manage, highlight and elevate customer issues, to ensure appropriate resolutions. Always ensuring all customer interactions meet our Customer Promise.
• Demonstrate financial awareness when making day to day business decisions.
• Follow any appropriate approval process for additional work.
• Ensure that the most cost-effective solution is sought when an asset requires mitigation i.e. hire pumps over tankering.
• Be involved in capital schemes and commissioning of new assets and build alliances both internally and externally.
• Promote accurate risk through the risk management process. Ensure asset risks are visible and representative in corporate system using incident support observed data and asset failure history.
• Drive for proactive operation, responding to lead measures, and maximising the benefits of failure predictor models.
• Support the Pumping Operators and Maintenance Technicians with onsite coaching, analytical support, and training to ensure that both the individuals and the assets achieve their full potential.

What skills & qualifications you will need:

• In depth technical knowledge and experience of operating and optimising similar assets to those of Wastewater Process & Pumping.
• Experience of delivering continual improvement in a process / production environment.
• Extensive experience of strategy development, deployment, and delivery.
• Strong background in data and interpretation, particularly using corporate YW systems and excel.
• The ability to be proactive and take ownership of issues, think through problems and work with others to resolve them across an operational department.
• Promoting working safely practices which are in line with Yorkshire Water procedures.
• Experience of supporting and embedding change within an operational team.
• Experience of delivering against challenging business targets and realising KPIs.
• Full valid UK driving licence (with no more than 6 points).

Although we operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it’s important to us that we support flexible working patterns and job share options (when we can), to help you make the best of both your work and home life. We know that juggling childcare responsibilities or getting that ideal work/life balance isn’t always easy!

Do we sound like your cup of tea?

If you’ve got experience in depth experience in Wastewater assets and want to help us deliver great service for our customers whilst looking after the environment, then be sure to apply today to find out what a career with Yorkshire Water can offer you.

If successful for the role, you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks that will include a Basic Disclosure Check, carried out through a Third-Party Company, prior to commencing employment. Depending on the role, you may also be required to go through the security vetting process for either a Counter Terrorist Check or Security Check clearance.

All our roles are subject to a medical questionnaire, and further medicals when required.

We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that requires changes to the recruitment process, please include this information in your application. We will then discuss any reasonable adjustments required.

Kelda Group reserve the right to close this position before the published closing date, should the need occur. We therefore advise that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible.

We’re committed to helping colleagues prioritise their growth and development in their current roles, building essential knowledge and capabilities in their area of expertise to support a successful career.