Wastewater Operator

Northumbrian Water; North East; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday entitlement starting

Company pension scheme

Discount scheme

Living Well wellbeing support

Cycle to work

Job summary

Northumbrian Water is seeking a Wastewater Operator to cover sites across Durham and surrounding areas. The role is full-time (up to 37 hours per week) with flexible arrangements considered and permanent employment.

You will operate treatment plants and pumping stations, take water samples, monitor equipment, analyse trends and ensure wastewater meets our standards. A full UK driving licence is essential and a company van is provided.

Qualifications

• Great team player with a positive ‘can do’ attitude and willing to learn.
• Proactive, organised, and able to work independently.
• Good communication skills and practical problem-solving ability.
• Full UK driving licence is essential for travelling between sites; van provided.

Responsibilities

• Operate and monitor wastewater treatment plants and pumping stations to ensure optimal performance.
• Handle water samples, monitor equipment, and analyse trends to meet regulatory standards.
• Follow health and safety protocols and carry out routine inspections.

Skills

Team player

Proactive

Organised

Attention to detail

Good communication

Problem-solving

Job description

About the role

Wastewater Operator

Working hours: Full time up to 37 hours per week (flexible working arrangements considered)

Permanent

Salary £29,325 - £34,500 (depending on experience)

Location: This role covers Durham, Chester-le-street, Birtley, Washington, Houghton-le-spring

Do you have an interest in the environment? Do you want to be part of a company dedicated to treating wastewater in ways that protects the environment and improves the quality of our coastlines? As a Wastewater Operator you'll be on the front-line making sure our environment is kept safe for everyone.

You’ll join an experienced team who really know their stuff and can support your transition into the role. You’ll keep our treatment plants and pumping stations running at their best. You’ll handle water samples, monitor equipment, and analyse trends to make sure the wastewater is treated to our exacting standards. Full training will be provided to ensure you are up to speed in no time.

You’ll get to know our systems inside and out. From fault-finding to routine tasks, your role will be vital to meeting our environmental commitments and keeping operations safe. Your attention to detail will guide you as you carry out key checks, ensuring we meet our regulatory expectations.

Hard hats and safety checks come with the territory. You’ll carry out routine inspections, follow health and safety protocols and participate in an out-of-hours standby rota may be required in the future.

Candidates who participate in the standby rota, must live within a reasonable commuting distance of the geographical area they are covering or their work depot

About You

Don’t worry if you’re new to wastewater treatment, we’ll train you in all the technical skills you’ll need to do a great job. The important stuff is that you’re a great team player with a positive ‘can do’ attitude and ready to learn.

We’re looking for someone who is proactive, organised and able to work on their own. Being detail-focused is key here: nothing should slip past you, whether it’s a recording issue or a safety measure that needs attention.

Good communication skills along with a practical, hands on approach and a knack for problem-solving would be great.

A full UK driving license is essential for traveling between sites whilst at work, and yes, we’ll provide the van.

You’ll need to be able to use different technologies and Apps, so if you’re a bit of a techie this could be for you. If you’ve got an eye for trends and love tackling problems hands‑on, you’ll be right at home with us. Experience with following processes and using equipment? Perfect. Familiarity with water or wastewater processes? Even better.

Are you ready to play a key part in safeguarding the environment and making a difference for the communities we serve?

Here at Northumbrian Water, we embrace and value Diversity, Inclusion and Equity, and encourage all colleagues to bring their most authentic self to work.

Our colleague network groups include our Rainbow Support Network (LGBTQIA+), REACH (Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage), WiSTEM (Women in STEM) and Thisability (disability and neurodiversity) networks. They provide a safe space for colleagues from diverse backgrounds, welcoming all colleagues regardless of their personal characteristics to participate in valuable conversation that improves our organisational awareness, understanding and inclusivity.

We encourage and welcome all applications, as we strive to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to having diverse communities represented within all our teams, structures, and organisation.

About us

Here are NWG we strive to make Northumbrian Water Group (NWG) a Great Place to Work, for all. We embrace and value Diversity, Inclusion and Equity and encourage you to bring your full self to work. As an equal opportunity employer we’re committed to having a diverse community represented across our business.

Please note:

This role has been defined as a safety or security critical role and as a condition of a formal offer of employment you’ll be required to undergo a drug and alcohol test. Prospective employees and agency workers in defined safety and security critical roles will be required to undertake a drug and alcohol test after the job offer has been made. This will be prior to or within four weeks of their start date.

Prospective employees and agency workers who fail a pre‑employment urine drug screen will have their sample analysed by the Company appointed laboratory as a matter of course. Failing a pre‑employment drugs or alcohol test may lead to the job offer being revoked.

Please note this role will require a DBS to be completed prior to employment.

NWG at a glance

Our purpose at NWG is caring for the essential needs of our communities and environment, now and for generations to come.

We do this by providing reliable and affordable water and wastewater services for our customers.

We make a positive difference by operating efficiently and investing prudently, to maintain a sustainable and resilient business.

Our vision is to be the national leader in the provision of sustainable water and wastewater services. To support us in achieving our vision, we have five core values which are the guiding principles, defining who we are, what we do and how we do it.

Our benefits

• Generous holiday entitlement starting at 23 days, plus bank holidays and additional time off on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. There's also the option to buy or sell holidays.


• Company pension scheme, where we’ll double match your contributions up to an employer contribution of 10%.


• Free access to local attractions.


• A fantastic discount scheme, with savings on days out, shopping, travel and more.


• Award winning 'Living Well' wellbeing support, including access to a digital GP service for you and your family members.


• Support with sustainable travel - through salary sacrifice cars and a cycle to work scheme.


• Financial wellbeing support - access our community savings scheme, financial education and low cost loans through Salary Finance. We also provide 4 x Life Assurance and an Income Protection Scheme.


• Support with your development - we offer a range of development opportunities, can support you through an interest free qualification loan and we’ll even pay for any relevant professional body subscription.

While a CV may not be required at this stage of the process please be prepared to provide a copy of your CV when requested.

About us

NWG (Northumbrian Water Group) provides water and sewerage services to 2.7 million people in the North East of England as Northumbrian Water, and water services to 1.5 million people in the South East of England as Essex & Suffolk Water.

We are proud to serve our customers and we’re committed to delivering great service, putting our customers at the heart of everything we do.

Our values

Our values describe our main principles, qualities and attributes. They are the guiding principles which define who we are, what we do and how we do it. They make us different from our competitors and guide our decisions and actions to drive us towards our vision.

Results Driven

We take responsibility for achieving excellent business results.

Ethical

We are open and honest and meet our commitments with a responsible approach to the environment and our communities.

Customer Focused

We aim to exceed the expectations of our internal and external customers.

Innovative

We continuously strive for innovative and better ways to deliver our business.

One Team

We work together consistently, promoting co-operation, to achieve our corporate objectives.

Our gallery

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Colleague benefits

• Eyecare


• Discounted Medicals


• Employee Assistance Programme


• Cycle2work


• Buying & selling annual leave


• Long service awards


• Salary sacrifice car scheme


• Computer


• Loans


• Award winning wellbeing site


• NWG savings scheme


• Company pension scheme


• Pre-retirement workshops


• Life assurance


• Christmas savings club


• Discounts & cashback offers


• Qualification loan