In brief
This role serves as the senior technical leader for instrumentation, control and automation engineering. The work involves defining long-term automation strategies, providing independent technical assurance across asset lifecycles and leading governance for functional safety and industrial control systems.
Best for
Chartered engineers with senior leadership experience in regulated, asset-intensive infrastructure environments.
Non-negotiable
Chartered Engineer status or equivalent professional standing required.
Worth knowing
Hybrid role requiring office or site attendance up to three days per week.
What you need
Required
Engineering degree
Clearly required in the listing
Chartered Engineer status
Clearly required in the listing
Team leadership
Clearly required in the listing
Technical Authority experience
Clearly required in the listing
Engineering standards development
Clearly required in the listing
Asset lifecycle management
Clearly required in the listing
Engineering risk management
Clearly required in the listing
Stakeholder management
Clearly required in the listing
SCADA
Clearly stated in the job description.
PLC
Clearly stated in the job description.
HMI
Clearly stated in the job description.
Preferred
Water sector experience
Strongly implied by the listing
Functional Safety knowledge
Strongly implied by the listing
OT cyber security
Strongly implied by the listing
Digital transformation
Strongly implied by the listing
Your day-to-day
Define engineering strategy
Clearly stated in the job description.
Provide technical assurance
Clearly stated in the job description.
Lead control system vision
Clearly stated in the job description.
Manage engineering risk
Clearly stated in the job description.
Govern functional safety
Clearly stated in the job description.
Mentor engineering teams
Clearly stated in the job description.
Experience expected
Level
Senior level
Based on what the listing states
Years of experience
Not stated
No clear years requirement found
Evidence from the listing
Experience level
“As Head of Instrumentation, Control & Automation Engineering, you will be our senior technical leader and recognised authority for ICA.”
What's on offer
Full job description (from employer)⌄
This is a unique opportunity to lead our Instrumentation, Control and Automation engineering discipline at a pivotal point in our transformation. As Head of Instrumentation, Control & Automation Engineering, you will be our senior technical leader and recognised authority for ICA. You will shape the strategic direction of automation, operational technology and digital engineering, ensuring our assets operate safely, reliably and efficiently. Acting as the Technical and Design Authority for ICA, you will provide independent engineering assurance across the full asset lifecycle, from early investment decisions and design through to construction, commissioning and operation. What you’ll be doing as a Head of Instrumentation, Control & Automation Engineering? Establishing and maintaining our ICA engineering strategy, standards, specifications and technical policies. Acting as the Technical and Design Authority for Instrumentation, Control and Automation. Defining the long-term vision for control systems, telemetry, operational technology and digital engineering. Providing independent technical assurance across the complete asset lifecycle. Reviewing, challenging and approving complex ICA designs and engineering solutions. Leading technical investigations and advising on critical engineering risks and issues. Providing discipline leadership across our AMP8 investment programme and future capital portfolios. Ensuring ICA requirements are embedded within project briefs, optioneering studies and design solutions. Working closely with Capital Delivery, Operations, Asset Management and delivery partners to promote consistent standards and best practice. Providing strategic leadership for SCADA, telemetry, PLC, HMI and wider industrial control systems. Ensuring operational technology systems are secure, resilient and aligned with cyber security requirements. Leading the governance of Functional Safety and Safety Instrumented Systems across our assets. Promoting new technologies, advanced analytics and intelligent automation solutions that improve safety, reliability, efficiency and sustainability. Leading, mentoring and developing a high-performing ICA engineering team. Representing Thames Water within industry forums, professional institutions and regulatory discussions. Location: Hybrid – Clearwater Court, you will be in the office or in site up to 3 days a week and will require a driving licence and access to transport Hours: 36 hours a week, Monday to Friday. What you should bring to the role To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need are: A degree in an engineering discipline relevant to Instrumentation, Control and Automation. Chartered Engineer status, or equivalent professional standing. Significant experience leading ICA engineering teams within a regulated, asset-intensive or critical-infrastructure environment. Proven experience as a Technical Authority, Discipline Lead or in an equivalent senior engineering position. Extensive technical knowledge of instrumentation, automation, industrial control systems, SCADA, PLCs and telemetry. Experience developing engineering standards, technical-governance frameworks and assurance processes. A strong understanding of asset lifecycle management and major capital-delivery programmes. Experience managing engineering risk and regulatory compliance. Strong strategic leadership, stakeholder-management and communication skills, with the credibility to influence senior leaders and multidisciplinary teams. Additional skills and experiences would be great to have/bring: Experience gained within the water sector or another critical-infrastructure industry, such as energy, utilities, transport, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas or nuclear. Knowledge of Functional Safety and Safety Instrumented Systems. Experience of Operational Technology cyber security and industrial-network architectures. Experience delivering digital-transformation, smart-asset or automation pro
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