Network Engineer

We are seeking a Waste Water Engineer to join our South London Field Operations team. You will be working across the whole of South London, as well as parts of Surrey and west Kent.

The role will require you to become a local expert, investigating and problem-solving defects within the sewerage network. You will ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and standards, including safety, health, and environmental legislation.

You will be required to work on a six-week rotating pattern that includes working one weekend in six, and one week of 24-hour standby.

What you’ll be doing as a Waste Water Engineer:

• Putting the customer at the heart of your work, meeting with customers/stakeholders and taking ownership of their concerns through to swift resolution.
• Providing technical expertise and raising the required repair and/or maintenance work, with the support of our Field Operations Specialists.
• Understanding and working in accordance with both internal and external processes and procedures, such as asset management standards, health and safety legislation and environmental regulations.
• Attending reactive emergencies (e.g. sewer flooding/pollution), supporting our customers and prioritising work to mitigate and resolve defects as quickly as is safely possible.
• Supervising the work of our repair and maintenance contractors.
• Completing ancillary inspections on a range of assets, including access covers, balancing ponds, outfalls, vent pipes, and valves.
• Working with our Asset Damage Investigator to collate evidence of third-party damage to our network.
• Attending meetings with external stakeholders, proactively explaining our work with a view to resolving any potential concerns before they are raised.

Base location: Crossness - Abbey Wood, South East London - SE2 9AQ

Working pattern or hours: 38 Hours Monday-Friday, plus the inclusion on a standby rota for which you will receive additional payment.

What should you bring to the role?

To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need is:

• Proven experience in the wastewater industry or be able to demonstrate at interview a strong interest in the industry.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are critical, given the diverse range of customers, contractors, and stakeholders you will engage with daily.
• Proactive attitude with good problem-solving skills.
• A flexible approach to working and the ability to prioritise effectively in a reactive environment
• Knowledge of pipe-laying/pipeline construction.
• Good communication skills – written and verbal.
• Full driving license essential.
• Good IT skills.

Additional skills and experiences would be great to have/bring:

• An engineering background is highly desirable.
• Relevant technical qualification desirable but not essential.
• A working knowledge of the sewer network is advantageous, especially for Health & Safety.

What’s in it for you?

• Offering a salary up to £35,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience.
• Annual Leave: 24 days holiday per year, increasing to 28 with the length of service. (plus bank holidays)
• Van and PPE provided for business use.
• Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets
• 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 meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

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.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, 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 and meet colleagues.

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.