Shift Despatcher

We have an opportunity for you to join Thames Water as a Shift Dispatcher.
This is a maternity cover, secondment.

A key component of the role is to act as an area focal point and take ownership of all aspects of operational delivery.

You will be allocating work to field staff, network service technicians in hours and repair & maintenance teams OOHs, ensuring SLAs are hit as well as reacting to high-priority emergencies, liaising with internal & external customers, and speaking to customers when required to do so.

• This role is a 12-hour shift pattern.
• 38 hours per week.
• Hybrid - Kemble Court - RG2 6AD.
• Offering a competitive salary from £25,000 per annum.

What you will be doing as a Shift Despatcher?

• Allocation of all works to field staff within service level agreements and as promised to the customer on behalf of Thames Water.
• Ensure all resources are utilised effectively, maximising output while minimising cost.
• Complete pre-history checks to understand related or duplicated work and ensure appropriate measures are in place before allocating work.
• Action tasks promptly by prioritising accordingly and ensuring adherence to SLAs.
• Monitor the status of work to ensure jobs are attended, completed and closed within SLA, arranging follow-up work as required and updating all affected parties.
• Be the focal point for the allocation of work within a geographic area and re-allocate resources where the situation arises.
• Determine whether a job is a Thames Water issue or not, referring to other departments as required. (e.g. Kemac Team)
• Escalate issues to the Team Manager promptly to enable appropriate resolution and minimise customer impact.
• In-depth understanding of Field operations, supporting NSTs with technical queries. (e.g. network issues, hydraulic issues)
• Manage escalations from the Contact Centre and Field teams.
• Complete verification calls with the customer to get to the root cause of the issue and validate whether a job needs to go ahead or not.
• Proactively contact customers before not meeting an SLA to inform them of the revised completion time/date and manage expectations.
• Work closely with Field teams to maximise resources and ensure customer issues are resolved promptly and to an industry-leading standard.
• Close collaboration with Network Service Technicians (NSTs), Field Operations Managers (FOMs), Field Operations Specialists (FOSs) and R&M Supervisors.

What should you bring to the role?

• Understanding of Work Management Process and Systems preferred.
• Customer Service experience.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to work well under pressure to meet demanding targets.
• Having previous experience in scheduling and planning field-based teams would be preferred however not essential.
• Previous experience with the Wastewater/Water industry would be preferred however not essential.

What’s in it for you?

• Offering a competitive salary from £25,000 per annum.
• GymPass, a free fitness plan and access to several well-being apps for you and up to three family members as well as discounted plans nationwide.
• Cycle to work scheme, always on and up to £3,000 save money, get fit and help protect the environment.
• WeCare, a variety of health and wellbeing services for you and your family including up to 10 specialist counselling sessions, 24/7 access to a virtual GP, get fit programmes and access to a nutritionist.
• Benefits on Tap, access to discounts, cashback and instant vouchers.
• 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.
• Ongoing performance development reviews to help you be your best and identify growth opportunities.
• 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’re 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 great 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’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, 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 disappointment.