Location
Hybrid - Beddington (STW), Hybrid - Hogsmill (STW), Hybrid - Mogden (STW) - TW7 7LW

Hours
36 Hours per week (Monday to Friday) plus participation in a standby rota with additional payment

Salary
Up to £60,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience, plus a car allowance

About the Role
Are you a wastewater treatment technical lead? Thames Water is seeking a Principal Process Specialist to shape and lead environmental compliance across sewage treatment works in the South London area. As the most senior technical position in process compliance, you will provide expert wastewater knowledge to achieve regulatory requirements, blending process science, engineering, operations, and regulation to address escalations and complex matters.
You will provide strategic oversight on regional compliance performance and horizon scanning for future risks. Acting as a coach, mentor, and leader, you will promote continuous improvement and drive quality, assurance, and consistency. This role embodies a compliance-driven culture focused on improving environmental performance.

Key Responsibilities:
- Serve as a subject matter expert in wastewater treatment and regulation, using extensive operational experience to solve problems across multiple sites and process streams
- Analyse wastewater treatment KPIs, report findings, and strategise improvements
- Maintain comprehensive understanding of permitting requirements and generate innovative solutions for non-compliances
- Represent Operations teams in project design, delivery, and commissioning of capital schemes, including confident handling of calculations
- Optimise site processes to reduce cost-of-treatment with a holistic cost-benefit approach
- Lead reduction of flow-related compliance issues, including storm discharges
- Undertake technical training and hold key process safety roles
- Stay proactive in learning new wastewater technologies and disseminate knowledge
- Lead, coach, and mentor colleagues to drive knowledge sharing, upskilling, and competency improvements
- Provide thought leadership and positive problem-solving, effectively communicating complex information to all audiences
- Produce root cause analyses, peer review work, and share lessons learned to prevent recurrence
- Participate in out-of-hours rota, offering advice during event scenarios
- Manage a sub-team of Process Specialists as an organised, empathetic, and supportive leader
- Coordinate input across multiple teams and departments to deliver complex outputs
- Spearhead development of wastewater learning materials, asset standards, and project scopes

Experience
- Significant experience with wastewater processes, regulation, and pollution investigations
- Proven track record in fault finding, process improvements, and delivering change
- Experience managing and leading technical teams, including coaching and mentoring
- Strong data handling, processing, reporting skills, and adaptability to IT systems
- Confident in technical conversations and communicating complex information to non-technical audiences
- Full UK driving licence with access to transport and business-use insurance (car allowance provided)

About You
- Curious, self-driven, and motivated
- Superb time management and self-organisation skills
- Positive, proactive problem solver and effective communicator
- Empathetic and supportive leader capable of driving continuous improvement

Qualifications
- BSc/MSc in science or engineering is highly advantageous