Immigration & Compliance Officer

The Immigration & Compliance Officer role is part of the wider People Services Delivery Team. The position will provide first class operational support to employees and the business on immigration matters in recruitment and on-going obligations of those with time limited right to work.

The responsibility of the role is to manage all sponsorship processes and corresponding legal and regulatory duties and to ensure Thames Water continues to meet its legal obligations under the Border Security, Asylumand Immigration Act 2025 and remains compliant with the Government’s Right to Work Employer’s Guide. Inso doing this role is responsible for ensuring that we have on file the appropriate right to work evidence for all Thames Water employees at any given time.

What you’ll be doing as an Immigration & Compliance Officer:

• Act as a subject matter expert for employees, hiring managers, and People team members on sponsorship processes and right to work, escalating to our employment legal partners for advice where appropriate. Identifying any new governance or regulatory compliance requirements that need to be supported/implemented by Thames Water.
• Accountable for all sponsorship processes ensuring compliance with internal documentation and government guidance.
• Support the ongoing maintenance of Thames Water's Sponsor Licence, identifying and mitigating any compliance risks that could affect licence status.
• Manage the responsibilities of the 'Level 1' maintaining accurate details in the Sponsorship Management System for both the license and sponsored workers.
• Accountable for the management of any change in circumstance or changing terms and conditions for sponsored workers.
• Ensure all reportable events are submitted accurately and within Home Office prescribed timescales.
• Accountable for the maintenance of up-to-date documentation on right to work including process maps, notes, hiring manager guides, checklists. Manage the immigration aspects of all employees with time limited right to work, to ensure all employees maintain continued right to work in the UK.
• Lead preparations for internal and external audits, including Home Office compliance visits, ensuring all records and processes are always audit-ready.
• Ensure all immigration and right to work records are maintained in line with data protection requirements and company record retention policies.
• Conduct monthly audits on right to work documentation accepted for new joiners, keep evidence of these checks and feedback any anomalies.
• Maintain accurate trackers and management information that can be distributed when required.
• Provide regular training on right to work and sponsorship – ensuring Thames Water remains compliant with government guidance, and legislative changes.
• Manage those on SC and CTC clearance by ensuring the HR System reflects the additional clearance and then by tracking and highlighting to Security when clearance is due to expire and contacting managers of those with clearance to advise of their duties.

What you should bring to the role:
To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need is:

• Strong knowledge of UK Right to Work legislation, sponsorship requirements, and Home Office guidance
• Experience managing time limited right to work and sponsorship processes while maintaining compliance within a sponsor licence framework
• Ability to interpret and apply complex legislation, policies, and regulatory requirements.
• Experience maintaining accurate records, trackers, management information, and compliance reports
• Ability to identify risks, investigate issues, and implement corrective actions
• Resilient and confident in challenging and influencing stakeholders when compliance requirements must be met
• Confident delivering training, guidance, and…