Water Quality Technician

Join to apply for the Water Quality Technician role at Southern Water. Three positions available Closing Date: 2025-12-08 Location: Kent Contract Type: Permanent Hours: Mon to Thurs 13:00 – 21:00 and Friday 13:00 – 20:30 Salary: £27,820 per annum Other employment details: Participation in a 24/7 standby rota – once every 5 weeks; Full UK driving licence required; Company van provided. Job Overview Take samples from a wide variety of water and wastewater operational sites and customers in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Drinking Water Inspectorate and the Environment Agency. The individual must also comply with the requirements of the IS017025 standard and follow procedures within the Manual of Sampling to ensure samples are an accurate representation of the sample point or customer tap. The sampler will have discretion regarding the sampling process to ensure household plumbing issues do not contribute to Southern Water compliance failures. The role is customer‑facing, so the individual must have a broad overview of customer‑facing policies and be able to deal with customers in an empathetic and positive manner. The sampling role impacts four of the company targets: DWI, EA, Serviceability, and SIM. The role also includes an overview of operational sites, assessing factors such as security, operational effectiveness, and defects likely to lead to compliance or H&S issues. Key Responsibilities Undertake water, wastewater, and sludge sampling in accordance with the sampling schedule and with great care and attention to detail; working independently to follow procedures competently. Undertake customer sampling and complaint handling. Carry out on-site analytical testing and associated quality checking to ISO17025, DWTS, and MCERTS standards. Undertake emergency sampling during incidents and advise on water and wastewater quality issues. Register samples onto laboratory data system. Administer associated sampling and monitoring activities. Report safety hazards. Manage scientific equipment and diagnose faults. Assess operational sites for general condition, defects, and issues. Hold a full driving licence. Package This role will be full-time, covering the Kent area. We are offering a salary of £27,820 per annum along with the following benefits: Generous pension up to 11% company contribution 25 days annual leave Life assurance equal to 4x salary Salary sacrifice electric car scheme (after 6 months service) Health Cash Plan Fully funded eye tests Two paid volunteering days a year Occupational health service Discounts with over 800 popular retailers Digital GP service Study support may be available for job‑related qualifications Competitive maternity leave and flexible return to work options Cycle to work scheme Join our Water Sampling team and see how far your career could progress with a company committed to career progression, training and development opportunities, our customers and the environment. Applying Does this opportunity excite you but you're not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that normal office hours aren’t possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’ll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role? Privacy Statement Please note: If you are an existing Southern Water employee, you will need to confirm within your application that your manager is aware of your application. All applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK, and you must provide evidence of eligibility (passport, long birth certificate, proof of NI) and current proof of address (dated within the last 3 months). If you do not meet these criteria, your application will not be considered. Key Information Seniority level: Entry level Employment type: Full-time Job function: Quality Assurance Industry: Utilities #J-18808-Ljbffr