Serious Pollutions Investigator

The Serious Pollution Investigator is a unique and exciting role that is the first line of assurance and enhancement of investigations following serious environmental incidents.

Reporting directly to our Head of Environmental Compliance, you will play a crucial role in developing new standards and ensuring that existing business processes are thoroughly documented and governed.

This role comes with high-level responsibility of working with the regulators, auditors and with legal procedures and you will be the conduit to the executive to present findings and implement recommendations across the business.

You will review initial investigation findings from our existing team, gather additional relevant evidence, and produce high-quality reports that meet legal standards. These reports may be used in investigations by external agencies or for internal formal procedures.

Additionally, you will educate and inform both field and investigatory teams on how to better support the investigation process and maintain critical evidence.

What you’ll be doing as a Serious Pollutions Investigator

• Legally Compliant Investigations: Utilise legally compliant investigative processes, analyse data, and prepare formal and legal documentation and reports.
• Review Initial Findings: Assess initial incident investigation findings from our team and across the organisation.
• Develop and Assure Standards: Create new standards and assure existing business processes, ensuring they are documented and governed.
• Second-Line Assurance: Conduct second-line assurance of our operations and the circumstances that caused the incident.
• Detailed Reporting: Collaborate with senior leadership to gather all relevant information and produce detailed reports outlining findings and recommendations to prevent repeat incidents.
• Lead Incident Reviews: Lead ‘Senior Incident Reviews’ to validate investigation findings and drive continuous improvement across the organisation.
• Flexible Location: The role offers flexibility in location, with travel expected as needed.
• Full-Time Hours: This is a full-time position, requiring 36 hours per week.

What you should bring to the role 

• Investigation Experience: Proven experience in conducting sensitive and complex investigations, including witness statements, with knowledge of relevant legislation such as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, RIPA, and PIDA.
• Methodological Knowledge: Excellent understanding of investigation methodologies and experience in conducting interviews.
• Compliance Expertise: Extensive experience in process and procedural compliance, including regulatory and incident investigations, and providing detailed reports.
• Continuous Improvement: Ability to develop and embed continuous improvement processes and procedures within an organisation.
• Financial Acumen: Excellent financial and commercial acumen to substantiate business cases for change.
• Environmental Passion: A genuine passion for improving environmental performance.

What’s in it for you?

The environmental performance of the water industry is in the ‘spotlight’ and in this role, you will have the opportunity to make a proactive and positive difference for Thames Water and how we are building resilience in water production and treatment for the environment and our future generations of customers.

We are offering the following:

• Competitive salary from £63,000 per annum depending on experience.
• Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service. (plus bank holidays)
• Car Allowance. (£5,800 per annum)
• Annual Bonus.
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• Private Medical Health Care – Grade C & D only. (delete as applicable)
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of your and your family’s health and well-being, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Find out more about our benefits and perks

Who are we?

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy fast-tracked career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.
Whether you’re interested in a role in one of our call centres or science labs, we’re looking for people like you with real passion and a burning desire to make things better.

So, if you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region and our planet.

The real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

Our overarching aim is to ensure that Thames Water is a great, diverse and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process. We aim to remove any real or perceived barriers to success, so if you need assistance, we’re here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business, meet colleagues and earn some extra money along the way.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.