About the role:
As a System Optimisation Solutions Lead, you will work in conjunction with all areas of the System Optimisation team to lead the design and delivery of solutions out on the hydraulic system, and improve all aspects of the water system in line with regulatory requirements.
Other aspects to the role include working closely with the Water Control Centre and Strategic Control team, taking the technical lead in the office and field across various projects to ensure field activities do not have a negative impact, whilst providing a holistic solution for the business.
A key requirement is to identify potential for improvement, carry out desktop design, implement a feasibility study and lead the delivery of solutions in the field that directly impacts achieving key operational and regulatory targets.
What will this role involve?
- Support the System Optimisation Team in leading delivery of activities, in liaison with various partners, to identify and prove various anomalies in the clean water system.
- A key requirement is to work through the ongoing ZPA programme to close off any anomaly that has been raised. Part of this work involves desktop modeling being carried out in the office and then delivering the solution in the field.
- Management of key strategic system reconfigurations in order to optimise/rezone identified areas ensuring no negative impact is noticed to either customer or leakage strategy for that area.
- Assist with analysis of longterm hydraulic system issues such as excessive headloss, low flows or issues with Reservoir turnovers, area integrity, network resilience providing modeling reports for solutions.
- Assist with identifying, designing and commissioning of key operational assets that are being installed to help the business achieve its key operational and regulatory targets.
- Support Strategic, System and Leakage Engineers formulating wider strategies for managing pressures flows, reservoir levels and pumping regimes in conjunction with the water control centre – across the whole TW estate.
- Evaluate and analyse operational information, understanding data integrity difficulties, to resolve basic problems - such as site schematics for Service Reservoirs
- Update, via various mediums, all relevant teams, and coordinate projects.
- Carry out Health and Safety audits (SHE6) on various staff working on System Optimisation led projects to ensure everyone is working to current HSE standards.
To be successful you will have the following skills and experience:
The successful candidate will have developed key industry experience, whilst having an in-depth knowledge of hydraulic principles and is experienced in carrying out field activities.
It would be preferred if the candidate was conversant with Thames Water’s corporate systems: SAP, WAMI, Netbase, Pi, AORTA, ViewTool, NMT, ARC GIS, and z-one, will have an in-depth understanding of the regulatory measures relating to customer satisfaction, customer low pressures and interruptions to supply, also prior experience concerning industry best practice in relation to valve operations, water quality, leakage management, mains commissioning, DG2, Supply Interruptions (SI4/SI12), DMA management and Event management.
The ability to demonstrate previous experience carrying out large scale hydraulic analysis and reconfiguration is vital for this role.
It is preferred that the candidate will have extensive experience concerning industry best practice in relation to valve operations, water quality, leakage management, mains commissioning, CDM and operational risk management assessments.
A key skill should be the ability to work with multiple teams and carry out desktop analysis whilst always being Health and Safety conscious on site.
Strong communication skills are needed and confidence when negotiating with internal stakeholders in this post. It is essential that the candidate possesses good analytical, problem solving, reasoning and negotiating skills.
What’s in it for you:
This is an exciting opportunity to work in a busy network environment. The System Optimisation Solutions Lead will report into a Strategic Optimisation Manager and work with the wider System Optimisation teams.
This is vital for Thames Water to maintain and improve its status at a time when the business faces unprecedented challenges from a Customer Service and Leakage perspective. This will ensure Thames Water delivers acceptable levels of service in terms of pressure, interruptions to supply and limited disruption during the numerous repair, maintenance and construction activities that you will be a key stakeholder in.
Our competitive salary package includes an excellent contributory pension, 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service and a wider benefits scheme. This includes an annual pay review, season ticket loans, voucher scheme giving you money off in major retail outlets, loyalty awards for continuous service plus much more, including our refer-a-friend bonus, where you can receive up to £1,000 for helping someone get a permanent position within the company.
We’re also proud to be here for our local community, offering all of our teams two days paid volunteer leave a year, as well as proudly supporting a lot of local events and charities.
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About us:
Thames Water is the UK’s largest water and wastewater company. We make a daily difference to millions of customers by supplying 2.7 billion litres of world-class water to around 10 million homes.
As our world changes, the need to take care of our most precious resource is greater than ever, both locally and globally. That’s why, at Thames Water, every one of our actions, big and small, matters every day. Water is essential to daily life, and that means our business is always open. We’re passionate about providing world-class tap water, now and for the future.
We’re also turning waste into power, self-generating 20% of the energy we use and, in turn, doing our bit for the planet. We’re reducing plastic waste by celebrating our tap water and rolling out an ambitious water fountain project. We’re using our voice to lobby for change and partnering with WaterAid to provide clean water to the world’s poorest communities.
Together, we’re building a better future for our customers, our region and our planet.
Thames Water is a unique, rewarding and diverse place to work. If you join our team, you’ll enjoy fast-tracked career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and unparalleled benefits. We’re also proud to be an equal opportunity employer, Stonewall Diversity Champion and Disability Confident Leader, welcoming individuals from all walks of life and leading the way with an award-winning mental health and wellbeing strategy.