Immigration and Compliance Officer

The Immigration & Compliance Officer role is part of the wider People Services Delivery Team.  The position will provide first class operational support to employees and the business on immigration matters in recruitment and on-going obligations of those with time limited right to work. 

The responsibility of the role is to manage all sponsorship processes and corresponding legal and regulatory duties and to ensure Thames Water continues to meet its legal obligations under the Immigration Act 2016 and remains compliant with the Government’s Right to Work Employer’s Guide. In so doing this role is responsible for ensuring that we have on file the appropriate right to work evidence for all Thames Water employees at any given time.

What you’ll be doing as an Immigration and Compliance Officer

• Act as a subject matter expert for employees, hiring managers, and the people team members on sponsorship processes and right to work, escalating to our employment legal partners for advice where appropriate.
• Identify any new governance or regulatory compliance requirements that need to be supported/implemented by Thames Water.
• Provide regular training on right to work and sponsorship – ensuring Thames Water remains compliant with government guidance, and legislative changes.
• Be accountable for all sponsorship processes (for new and existing employees) ensuring compliance with internal documentation and government guidance.
• Be accountable for the maintenance of up-to-date documentation on right to work and sponsorship processes including process maps, notes, hiring manager guides, checklists.
• Be accountable for the management of any change in circumstance or changing terms and conditions for sponsored workers to ensure all reporting requirements are fulfilled and the change is permissible.
• Fulfil the duties of a ‘Level 1 User’ and responsible for the details held in the Sponsorship Management System, both in respect of the licence itself and sponsored workers.
• Carry out monthly audits on right to work documentation accepted for new joiners, keep evidence of these checks and feedback any anomalies.

Base Location: Reading - Hybrid
Working Pattern: 36 Hours

What you should bring to the role

• Knowledge of right to work and sponsorship processes
• Highly organised and responsive, with an ability to deal with a high volume of queries each day whilst prioritising work to meet tight deadlines
• Confident and tenacious, taking ownership of issues, escalating where applicable to ensure resolution in a timely manner
• Experience of managing challenging stakeholders
• Excellent communication skills, able to adapt and build rapport/provide advice to all levels
• Experience of SAP HCM, ServiceNow and the Sponsorship Management System
• CIPD qualification is desirable

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary up to £40,000 per annum, depending on experience
• Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays)
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you 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

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 fast-tracked career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.
Whether you’re interested in a role in one of our call centres or science labs, we’re looking for people like you with real passion and a burning desire to make things better.

So, 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.

Our overarching aim is to ensure that Thames Water is great, diverse and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process. Our aim is to remove any real or perceived barriers to success, so if you need assistance, 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, 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.