Hydraulic System Operator

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Reading; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water utility provider in the UK is seeking a Hydraulic System Operator to join their System Operations team in Reading. This full-time position offers a competitive salary between £29,040 and £35,000, along with structured training and career progression opportunities. The role involves ensuring water quality, managing risks, and operating within a 24/7 service environment, requiring strong problem-solving and analytical skills. Full benefits are included and a good work-life balance is promoted through a 14 days on, 28 days off schedule.

Benefits

24 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Contributory pension plan

Personal medical assessments

Wider benefits scheme

Qualifications

• Ability to analyse and use data to make decisions.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills with stakeholders.
• Experience in water treatment and regulations is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Identify problems using technology to minimise disruption.
• Ensure water quality standards to protect public health.
• Provide guidance during emergency work and assess incoming information.

Skills

Problem-solving

Data analysis

IT literacy

Good numerical skills

Communication skills

Tools

SCADA

GIS systems

Job description

Job title Hydraulic System Operator Ref 43659 Division Asset Operations & Capital Delivery Location Reading - Kemble Court - RG2 6AD Contract type Permanent Full/Part-time Full-time Salary This role will be paid from £29,040 to £35,000 per annum Job grade A Closing date 20/01/2026

Make an Impact and join us as a Hydraulic System Operator!

This is an exciting role, where you will be part of the broader System Operations team, the only Thames Water Operations team that covers water supply from source to tap.

Our main purpose is to identify emerging risks within our water supply system and implement solutions and mitigations for these to ensure our objectives for Health and Safety, Water Quality, customer service, leakage minimisation and energy usage optimisation are achieved. As part of the Water Control team, you will contribute to the here-and-now delivery of a 24/7 service to our customers.

What you’ll be doing as a Hydraulic System Operator

• Using our technology to identify problems before they happen and minimise disruption to customers.
• Ensuring the water we provide meets strict water quality standards to protect public health.
• Providing technical guidance and advice during emergency work to prevent environmental damage and keep customers’ taps running.
• Keeping two steps ahead of constantly changing supply and demand patterns, influenced by factors such as the weather, social behaviours and even pandemics.
• Assessing incoming information from e-mails, phone calls, direct messaging, and the control room systems to ensure risks are identified and responded to in priority order ,and high-consequence risks are escalated to the incident team as soon as possible.

You will be based at Kemble Courtin Green Park, Reading, located just off the M4 and a 20-minute bus ride from central Reading.

This role involves working 12-hour shifts day and night on a shift pattern involving 14 days on, and 28 days off spread over a 6-week period (to be discussed further during the application process), ensuring a great work-life balance.

What you should bring to the role

• A problem-solver who works well under pressure.
• The ability to analyse and use data to make decisions, respond to problems and deliver operational outcomes.
• IT literate (Microsoft Word, excel, outlook etc) and quick to embrace new digital tools.
• Good numerical skills.
• Have good communication and interpersonal skills for day-to-day liaison with colleagues, stakeholders, and customers.
• Knowledge of SCADA and GIS systems would be advantageous, but not essential.
• Experience in water treatment, networks and regulation would be advantageous, but not essential.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary from £29,040 to £35,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience. A full training and development programme is provided to ensure you feel confident in the role, and great opportunities for career progression.
• Annual Leave is 24 days holiday per year, increasing to 28 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.

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.