Civil Operative

CIVILS OPERATIVE Clean Water and Wastewater Networks
• Northumbrian Water DEPARTMENT / FUNCTION Operations / Networks Delivery REPORTS TO Team Leader / Site Supervisor LOCATION Northumbrian Water operating region (North East England) CONTRACT Permanent
• Full time HOURS 50 hours
• Mon–Fri CLIENT Northumbrian Water Group (NWG)

To carry out safe, high-quality excavation, installation, repair, reinstatement and associated groundworks on Northumbrian Water clean water and wastewater assets. Working as part of a civils crew under the Team Leader, the Operative delivers planned and reactive work to Northumbrian Water specifications, street works legislation, hygiene requirements and company SHEQ procedures.

Northumbrian Water supplies water and wastewater services across the North East of England. Delivery includes planned capital and maintenance work and reactive repair, often in live highways, private land and operational sites. The Civils Operative is a hands‑on member of the crew, responsible for the quality of their own work, safe working around buried services, and a professional standard with customers and the public.

• Carry out excavation, trench support, pipe laying, jointing, connections, repairs and backfill on water mains, services, sewers, rising mains, chambers, manholes and associated assets.
• Install, repair and replace ironwork, covers and frames, chambers, ducting and minor civil structures to specification.
• Undertake highway and private‑land reinstatement, including bituminous, concrete, flagged and landscaped finishes.
• Support mains isolations, commissioning, chlorination and hygiene arrangements in line with the Disinfection Code of Practice and clean‑water protocols.
• Operate plant and equipment within competence and permit conditions, including excavator and dumper where ticketed, compaction plant and hand tools.
• Use abrasive wheels, cutting and grinding equipment only when trained and authorised.
• Locate and avoid buried services using safe digging practice and HSG
  47 principles, including CAT and Genny where trained.
• Identify and report defects, uncharted apparatus and network risks to the Team Leader.
• Respond to reactive and emergency work, including bursts, collapses, flooding, dangerous apparatus and out‑of‑hours call‑out when on rota.

• Work to the safe system of work, risk assessment, method statement and permits briefed by the Team Leader.
• Help set out and maintain barriers, signing, lighting and guarding in accordance with NRSWA / Safety at Street Works and Road Works.
• Work safely in excavations and, where trained, support confined‑space activities under a written safe system of work.
• Use correct manual handling techniques and mechanical aids; do not lift beyond capability.
• Protect live services, the environment and water quality; control silt, fuel, spoil and waste.
• Stop work and report immediately if conditions are unsafe, a service is struck, or a near miss occurs.
• Leave a clean, secure and compliant site at the end of each shift.

• Represent the company and Northumbrian Water professionally on customers’ property, in the highway and on operational sites.
• Complete personal timesheets and support site records, photographs and materials returns as directed.
• Follow instructions from the Team Leader and raise issues early if the job cannot be completed as planned.

• Experience as a civils, utilities or groundworks operative, ideally on water, drainage or highway works.
• Ability to work safely as part of a small crew on live sites and in public areas.
• Valid CSCS card (or equivalent).
• Full UK driving licence; ability to travel across the Northumbrian Water region and…