We are seeking a motivated Waste Water Process Scientist to be the centre of expertise for operational teams in the Marlow & Didcot area.

You will ensure that compliance is met in terms of statutory regulations and codes of practice regarding wastewater treatment; and be expected to provide technical solutions and improvements in an innovative, effective way.

You will play a leading and critical role in our pollution reduction strategy – leading on-site investigations and root cause analysis into incidents to drive action, improvement, and learning.

A hands-on role across a range of sewage treatment works, alongside data analysis, fault finding, and optimisation efforts to drive compliance risk reduction.

  • Base Location – Hybrid - Didcot (STW) OX11 7HJ, Hybrid - Little Marlow (STW) - SL7 3RT.
  • Working Hours – 36 hours per week Monday - Friday.
  • Offering a salary up to £42,000 per annum depending on skills and experience.
  • You will receive a Car Allowance on top of basic salary.
  • Due to the nature of the role a FULL UK license is required and your own transport.

What you will be doing as a Senior Process Scientist

  • Take ownership of root cause investigations into pollution incidents and drive actions to resolve.
  • Fault identification on site, proactively introducing efficiencies and improvements.
  • Ensure our sites are compliant with all permitted requirements.
  • Help improve our flow to treatment compliance, reduce storm discharges and aid flow data analysis.
  • Utilise all tools and data available to investigate issues and recommend practical solutions
  • Engagement with our various project delivery teams, inputting technical design queries using detailed site knowledge.
  • Optimisation of site processes, such as chemical dosing, aeration systems, sludge thickening/dewatering, power consumption etc.
  • Support regular business reporting and local/regional compliance meetings, being confident in presenting and communicating to different audiences.
  • Engage with operations teams, contractors, and other scientists, building rapport and improving technical understanding through mentoring and coaching.
  • Produce investigative reports and root cause analysis, driving learning throughout the business to prevent repeat occurrences.
  • Be prepared to participate in an out-of-hours call-out rota, offering expert advice to front-line staff during event scenarios.
  • Supporting our programme for continuous improvement; engaging with various teams to drive innovative, effective scopes forward.
  • Support in gathering data for regulatory information requests for our regulators, customers, and other third parties.
  • Ensure sites are working to their full potential to reduce the need for extra plant hire costs.
  • Proactive in learning about new technologies for processes, disseminating this knowledge to the wider teams as appropriate.
  • Act as a coach and mentor to frontline operations teams, raising the bar of knowledge of our sites and processes.
  • Be prepared to undertake key technical and health & safety training and responsibilities.

What should you bring to the role?    

  • Experience in implementing process improvements within a highly regulated environment, making recommendations to senior leadership, and supporting the rollout.
  • Experience in the wastewater industry and detailed knowledge of compliance KPIs, environmental regulation and wastewater processes.
  • Qualifications in water/waste treatment, biological/chemical/environmental sciences, or engineering will be of benefit. Degree-level (BSc/MSc) qualification is not essential but highly advantageous.
  • Critical is operational experience in a relevant field – ideally a minimum of 3-5 years or more
  • A methodical and data-driven approach, able to wield multiple data sets and IT systems with ease, is essential. Able to confidently write reports and communicate to wide audiences.
  • Travel to multiple and often remote sites will be required, so a full UK driving license is necessary.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills – able to build rapport and relationships with people at all levels of the organization and externally.

What’s in it for you?

  • Offering a salary up to £42,000 per annum depending on skills and experience.
  • You will receive a Car Allowance on top of basic salary.
  • 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 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.
  • GymPass, a free fitness plan and access to several wellbeing 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.

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.