Head of Instrumentation, Control & Automation Engineering

Job title Head of Instrumentation, Control & Automation Engineering  Division Asset Operations & Capital Delivery Location Hybrid - Clearwater Court - RG1 8DB
Contract type Permanent Full/Part-time Full-time Salary Competitive salary up to £100k per annum depending on experience. Job grade C Closing date 27/10/2026

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.

• 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.

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…