Instrumentation, Control & Automation Technician

We have an exciting opportunity for an Instrumentation, Control & Automation (ICA) or Control and Instrumentation (C&I) technician to join our Water Production Operations Team based in the SE London region.

This is a mobile role, where you would be required to work on various Water Treatment Works around the Brixton, Streatham, Croydon, Orpington, and Dartford areas.

We are looking for someone who is able to work in a safe, efficient, timely and effective manner with minimum supervision while maintaining the required standards to ensure that our statutory obligations are met and that asset availability and the associated performance measures are maintained to manufacturers' standards.

An ICA Tech may also operate and optimise processes and on-site equipment to ensure delivery of water quality compliance, safety, and operational efficiencies both in and out of normal hours.

What you’ll be doing as an ICA Technician

• The role would include installations, commissioning, maintenance, and repairs of water production assets including level instrumentation, flow meters, and TVM’s turbidity monitors.
• Working with technology including, SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems, associated PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers), Process control networks.
• Liaise with and supervise contractors and suppliers where necessary.
• This vital role also involves the investigation into asset failures and the implementation of subsequent repairs as quickly and efficiently as possible to avoid interruptions to the water supply process.
• You will be responsible for providing specialist technical advice where appropriate with up-to-date technical knowledge and provide training support for technical apprentices.

Base Location: Due to the nature of this role, you can be contractually based at either or Brixton - SW2 1SB or Orpington - Kent - BR6 0SQ.

Working pattern is 38 Hours Monday- Friday 7:30am – 3:36pm plus standby & overtime opportunity increasing earning potential by approximately £8,000-£10,000 per annum.

Please note all PPE, tools, a company van and fuel card are provided.

What you should bring to the role

• A strong practical understanding of operational assets and control systems is essential.
• A solid understanding of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems.
• Fully versed with relay logic and PLCs (Rockwell & Alan Bradley) which will include management and programming.
• The ideal candidate will have the ability to read, and fault find from circuit diagrams as well as have previous experience of inverter drives.
• Applicants should ideally have an HNC/Level 4 education or 6 + years’ experience including time served apprenticeship within Control, Instrumentation and Automation.
• Due to the nature of the role, a valid driving licence is essential, as the position will require working across several sites in your assigned region.
• Always have a safety conscious mindset.
• Be a self-motivated individual who can immerse themselves into the team around them, you need to be very disciplined have the desire to learn from those around you and have a can-do attitude. This role can be demanding at times but extremely rewarding.
• Take Ownership of responding quickly to faults, being curious to fully understand the problem, and identifying the best solution to resolve it the first time.
• Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, to interact with the team.
• Teamwork – We are one team, and our end goals are the same.
• Proactive – Take the lead on recommendations and improvements around the sites and communicate effectively. 

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary up to £45,600 per annum depending on skills and experience.
• Standby rota payments & overtime opportunities can increase this earning potential by up to a further £8,000-£10,000 per annum upon completion of essential company training.
• 24 days holiday per year increasing to 28 days with the length of service. (Plus bank holidays)
• Contributory pension – Defined Contribution - Maximum of 12% -2x employee contribution.
• Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year.
• Wider benefits scheme including our benefits hub, which is packed full of offers and information to save you money and support your wellbeing.

Who are we?

At Thames Water, our purpose is crystal clear - to deliver life’s essential service so our customers, communities and planet can thrive. Water is life’s great leveller. Every living thing needs it, every single day. From people to plants, birds to bees, farms to factories, we all need it to thrive, and we are committed to taking care of it for us all.

But keeping water flowing is becoming harder. From scorching summers to wetter winters, extreme weather affects everything from our pipes to our local rivers. We need to keep millions more kettles boiling, public services operating, washing machines spinning, showers running and more, so every drop is more precious than ever. Are you ready to play your part?

Working at Thames Water

At Thames Water, we recognise that people are at the heart of our business. To help us succeed in providing life's essential service, we need a range of skills and capabilities, representative of society throughout our business.

We seek to attract and retain a cultural mix of people who can offer different but complementary attitudes, values, talents, and knowledge. We understand the importance of appreciating and harnessing the unique skills, experiences, backgrounds, and differences that each individual brings.

Our over-arching diversity and inclusion aim is to ensure Thames Water is a diverse and inclusive place to work. We encourage applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process. Find out more about working at Thames Water.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you will 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 is also a fantastic opportunity to learn more about our business, meet colleagues and earn some extra money along the way. 

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 disappoint.