Location
Stratford, London with base locations at London - Hammersmith (W69RS), Greenwich Storm (SE108JL), and Abbey Mills – Stratford (E15 2RN). You will cover a wider area and drive between several different sites, so a full clean UK driving licence is required.

Hours
36 hours per week (Monday to Friday)

Salary
£35,000 to £40,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience

About the Role
Join Thames Water as a Drone Pilot, playing a critical role in asset inspection by leveraging drones for aerial and underground surveys. This role supports operational excellence by reducing entries into underground assets and improving maintenance planning. You will conduct aerial and underground inspections using drones and photogrammetry tools, capturing and processing high-quality data to create models such as point clouds. You will develop and execute flight plans collaboratively with project teams while ensuring compliance with CAA regulations and maintaining accurate flight logs. Additionally, you will mentor and support other drone operators to enhance their piloting skills, ensure UAV equipment is serviceable and available, update dashboards, raise orders for defective equipment, and maintain inventory. During high-demand periods, you will assist below-ground teams and work closely with Catchment Managers and Field Operations Managers to identify survey opportunities. You will also engage with external departments to explore new surveying opportunities and contribute to reducing entries into below-ground assets by 5% as part of the maintenance plan.

Benefits
26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with length of service (plus bank holidays), company van provided, generous pension scheme through AON, and access to a wide range of health, wellbeing, and financial benefits including annual health MOTs, physiotherapy, counselling, Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers, and life assurance.

About Thames Water
We are the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, serving over 16 million customers. We are committed to building a better future for our customers, communities, people, and the planet. Thames Water offers meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements, and excellent benefits. We are dedicated to diversity and inclusion and provide support throughout the recruitment process.

Experience
- Knowledge of UK airspace regulations and confined space safety protocols
- Experience in writing Safe Systems of Work
- Advanced IT and data processing skills, including Microsoft Excel and dashboard creation
- Ability to balance aerial and ground-based tasks effectively
- Works well across teams and supports skill development in others
- Seeks opportunities to optimise processes and reduce manual interventions
- Prioritises compliance with safety regulations for confined space and flight operations

About you
Reliable and safety-conscious with strong teamwork and mentoring skills. You are motivated to improve operational efficiency and support colleagues in skill development.

Qualifications
- UK remote pilot licence GVC (essential)
- Desirable: Extensive UAV operation experience with logged flying hours
- Confined Space Low/Medium Risk Operative certification
- Work at Heights certification
- First Aid at Work certification
- DSEAR certification