Innovation Technical Specialist - 12 Months Fixed Term Contract

Hello! Thanks for stopping by. Let us tell you about all the great reasons to join us here at Yorkshire Water:

• We offer a competitive salary, depending on experience £44,883 - £56,105  
• Annual incentive related bonus (£1000 maximum bonus opportunity for the performance year)
• Attractive pension scheme up to 12% company contribution
• Development opportunities in line with the Innovation Technical Specialist progression plan
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays - plus an extra wellness day!
• Life assurance cover of 4 times pensionable salary
• A great benefits package - choose from health cash plan scheme, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, life assurance flex and partner cover. 
• Retail savings scheme 
• Online GP service, cycle to work scheme, gym membership discounts and many more!

Location: Buttershaw / Hybrid Working (1-2 days office a week - Bradford)

Work type: 12 Month Fixed Term Contract. 37 hours per week, Monday - Friday.

We have an exciting opportunity a Wastewater Network Technical Specialist to join the Innovation Team at Yorkshire Water and be a part of helping Yorkshire Water to provide the best service to our customers. Could this be you?

What we do:

Everyone has an idea of what a water company does. Here in Yorkshire, we make sure that over 5.4 million people living in the region and the millions of people who visit our region each year, can rely on our services, and have clean and safe drinking water on tap and that their wastewater is taken away. But for us, it's so much more than this.

We look after communities, protect the environment, and plan to look after Yorkshire's water, today, tomorrow 24/7, 365 days a year. We provide essential water and wastewater services to every corner of the Yorkshire region, and play a key role in the region's health, wellbeing, and prosperity.

New environmental legislation, unprecedented levels of investment and changing expectations from customers means that this is an exciting time to discover opportunities within the water industry. Strategy & Regulation are a key part of how we plan to meet the changing expectations of customers and regulators. 

The Innovation Team exists to facilitate and enable the delivery of Innovation within Yorkshire Water (YW), which many teams do not have the capacity or technical skills to deliver themselves. The Innovation Technical Specialist role is central to the core purpose of the team: to find, evaluate and progress the most beneficial ideas to resolve a risk or provide an opportunity for YW.  To ensure that the team delivers its key measure of 'return on innovation investment', the Technical Specialist role exists to ensure a strong commercial focus in projects and to influence stakeholders to support and implement successful innovation outcomes

Where you fit in:

As our Wastewater Network Innovation Technical Specialist you will

• Understand business needs so that you can clearly articulate the risks and challenges in that business area and seek effective solutions to fill gaps in knowledge, technology, and services.
• Find, evaluate, and inform the selection of the most beneficial ideas to meet short- or long-term risks and challenges, or to provide an opportunity for Yorkshire Water.
• Lead the prioritisation and support delivery of a programme of projects to demonstrate concepts, evaluate solutions and facilitate research, whilst influencing business Sponsors to ensure that projects are well-supported.
• Provide the technical expertise needed to support projects, or ensure this is provided by internal or external colleagues. Where necessary, secure external funding to supplement the Innovation budget, for example, via the Ofwat Innovation Fund, PhD programmes, or UKWIR.
• Support with the transition of any successful projects from the Innovation programme into business-as-usual. This includes writing and presenting business cases; translating complex technical outputs into actionable insights for colleagues; and sharing externally across the sector when appropriate.
• Promote the value of Innovation both within and beyond Yorkshire Water via networking and influencing of stakeholders. This includes presenting at both national and international conferences; providing input to Yorkshire Water strategies; and engaging with industry working groups. All while maintaining due consideration of Information Security and reputation when representing the business.

What skills & qualifications you will need:

• Demonstrable technical experience in the area of Wastewater networks
• A science or engineering degree and/or significant (5+ years) demonstrable experience in the relevant technical area.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with a particular talent for communicating complex, technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• A drive for continuous learning and development in your technical specialist area with a curiosity and passion to keep at the forefront of emerging knowledge and technologies.
• Ability to analyse and challenge perceived norms and new ideas, and to be creative with solutions and ways of working to solve problems.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective internal and external relationships with experience of collaborative working and ability to influence for real change.
• Technical appreciation of the operations of a water company, including treatment assets, infrastructure, regulatory frameworks and customer service requirements.
• Experience of working within a team to deliver significant projects in a Research and Development environment.
• Experience of supporting and embedding change, able to influence and drive the right culture and behaviours.
• Experience in a commercially orientated role within a regulated sector.

Although we operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it's important to us that we support flexible working patterns and job share options (when we can), to help you make the best of both your work and home life. We know that juggling childcare responsibilities or getting that ideal work/life balance isn't always easy!

Do we sound like your cup of tea???

If you've got experience in Wastewater Networks and want to help us deliver great service for our customers whilst looking after the environment, then be sure to apply today with a CV and covering letter to find out what a career with Yorkshire Water can offer you.

Closing date - 30th April 2025

If successful for the role, you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks that will include a Basic Disclosure Check, carried out through a Third-Party Company, prior to commencing employment. Depending on the role, you may also be required to go through the security vetting process for either a Counter Terrorist Check or Security Check clearance.

 All our roles are subject to a medical questionnaire, and further medicals when required.

We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that requires changes to the recruitment process, please include this information in your application. We will then discuss any reasonable adjustments required.

Kelda Group reserve the right to close this position before the published closing date, should the need occur. We therefore advise that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible.