At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to design and optimise automation solutions using cutting-edge technologies.
- Company: Join Southern Water, transforming the water industry with innovation and sustainability.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working hours, career progression, and a competitive salary.
- Other info: Diverse workplace welcoming all backgrounds and experiences.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on digital transformation while shaping the future of automation.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in automation solutions and experience leading technical teams.
The predicted salary is between 54600 - 54600 £ per year.
Location: Durrington (with regular travel to Falmer)
Contract: Permanent, Full-time (37 hours per week) with flexible start and finish times available to support work-life balance
Hybrid: Minimum 2 days onsite
Salary: £54,600
Role Overview
We're building our Process & Intelligent Automation team and are looking for an experienced Automation Engineering Manager to lead and develop our automation capability. In this role, you'll lead a team of Automation Engineers responsible for designing, building, and optimising automation solutions using Power Platform, Copilot, RPA, and Azure technologies. You'll play a key role in shaping how automation is adopted across the business, helping teams improve processes, increase efficiency, and support wider digital transformation initiatives. Working closely with senior stakeholders, process owners, architects, and platform specialists, you'll provide technical leadership while establishing standards, governance, and best practices to ensure solutions are scalable, secure, and sustainable. This is an exciting opportunity to join a new and evolving capability where you'll have the opportunity to influence strategy, build team capability, and make a significant impact from day one.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, mentor, and develop a growing team of Automation Engineers.
- Define and drive the automation roadmap in line with business priorities.
- Oversee the design, development, and deployment of automation solutions using Power Platform, RPA, Azure, and Copilot technologies.
- Establish and maintain technical standards, governance frameworks, and development best practices.
- Work with stakeholders across the organisation to identify and prioritise automation opportunities.
- Ensure solutions align with security, compliance, and architectural requirements.
- Drive adoption of modern development practices including CI/CD, testing, documentation, and release management.
- Support the evaluation and introduction of emerging technologies, including AI-enabled automation.
- Provide technical guidance and leadership across complex automation and integration projects.
Essential Skills & Experience
- A minimum of 5 years' experience delivering and leading automation solutions within an enterprise environment.
- Previous experience managing, mentoring, or leading technical teams.
- Strong experience with Microsoft Power Platform, including Power Automate, Power Apps, Power Pages, and IVA.
- Experience developing automation solutions using Power Automate (Cloud & Desktop) and Copilot agents.
- Strong understanding of intelligent automation, workflow orchestration, and process optimisation.
- Ability to design and oversee integrations between business systems and platforms.
- Strong understanding of governance, security, and platform management, including DLP, RBAC, and identity management.
- Experience working within structured delivery environments using CI/CD, testing frameworks, documentation, and release processes.
- Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills.
- Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to balance strategic thinking and technical delivery.
Desirable Skills & Experience
- Microsoft certifications (PL-100, PL-200, PL-400).
- Azure certifications (AZ-900, AI-900, AZ-204).
- Experience with Copilot Studio and AI-enabled automation solutions.
- Knowledge of API-led and event-driven architectures.
- Experience with Alteryx or similar data and analytics tooling.
- Familiarity with enterprise systems such as ServiceNow, SAP, or GIS platforms.
- Experience leading a Centre of Excellence (CoE) or automation practice.
- Passion for emerging technology and intelligent automation.
Progression opportunities
Southern Water offers career progression, training, and development opportunities.
About Southern Water
Southern Water is at the forefront of transforming Britain’s water industry, investing significantly to enhance resilience, sustainability, and service excellence. With £7.8bn planned investment for 2025-30, this is an unparalleled opportunity to join a business committed to delivering a generational shift in the way water services are managed.
At Southern Water, we believe diverse perspectives drive innovation. If you’re passionate about making a positive impact and think you can bring value to our team, we’d love to hear from you—even if you don’t tick every box. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or any other protected characteristic. If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.
In line with Southern Water’s security requirements, successful candidates will be required to provide evidence of their identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record check (DBS) and verification of their employment and/or education history for the past three years. Appointment to this role is subject to the successful completion of all pre-employment checks, including security vetting. Please note that if a candidate does not meet the required security standards or fails to pass the vetting process, Southern Water reserves the right to withdraw the offer of employment. Some positions may also require higher levels of security vetting, which may involve providing additional documentation.
Senior AI Automation Engineer in Worthing employer: SouthernWaterServices
Southern Water is an exceptional employer, offering AI Automation Engineers the chance to work with cutting-edge technologies like Microsoft Copilot and Power Platform in a dynamic and supportive environment. With a strong commitment to employee growth through training and development opportunities, as well as a focus on diversity and inclusion, Southern Water fosters a culture where innovative ideas thrive and every team member can make a meaningful impact on the future of water services.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior AI Automation Engineer in Worthing
✨Get Involved in Local Automation Meetups
We can’t stress this enough – getting your face out there in the automation and control systems community can really set you apart. Look for local meetups or workshops where you can chat with industry professionals, learn about what’s trending, and even discover hidden job gems. Who knows, you might meet someone from a company like SouthernWaterServices!
✨Show Off Your Projects
Make sure you have a portfolio of your work ready to roll. Whether it’s academic projects, internships or personal experiments, showcase how you’ve tackled automation challenges. When you apply for the Senior AI Automation Engineer position at SouthernWaterServices, linking your portfolio gives your application that extra oomph and demonstrates your practical knowledge.
✨Leverage Your Uni Career Services
If you’re fresh out of uni, don’t forget about your career services! Many universities have established connections with companies in the automation field. They may know when SouthernWaterServices is looking for fresh talent or even have internships that lead to full-time positions. So, hit them up!
✨Keep an Eye on Industry Certifications
While hunting for roles, consider getting certified in relevant automation technologies. It shows dedication and gives you a leg up in the job market. Plus, many organisations offer job boards or networking events to certified professionals. This might just lead you to that coveted Senior AI Automation Engineer role at SouthernWaterServices!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior AI Automation Engineer in Worthing
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Technical Skills:When applying for an automation-control-systems role, it’s crucial to highlight your technical skills. Whether it's your proficiency in programming languages like Python or understanding control systems, make sure your CV showcases these prominently. Don't forget to mention any specific software or tools you're experienced with – that’s music to the ears of hiring managers!
Tailor Your Projects to Automation:If you've worked on any relevant projects, especially those involving automation or control systems, make them stand out in your CV. Use a dedicated section to highlight these projects, explaining your role and the impact of your contributions. This could be the difference between getting noticed and getting overlooked!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine, so tell us why you’re passionate about automation-control-systems! Discuss specific experiences that sparked your interest in this field. Maybe it's a university project or a previous job that truly got you hooked. We love seeing that spark! Make sure to reference how you can contribute to SouthernWaterServices and its goals.
Quantify Your Achievements:In the world of automation, results matter. When listing your experiences, quantify your achievements wherever possible. Did you improve system efficiency by a percentage? Did you reduce downtime? Putting numbers to your successes not only demonstrates your impact but also lets us see the tangible outcomes of your efforts. It makes your application pop!
How to prepare for a job interview at SouthernWaterServices
✨Master Your Technical Knowledge
In the automation control systems field, you need to brush up on your technical know-how. Be prepared to talk about specific control systems you’ve worked with, such as PLCs or SCADA systems, and expect technical questions or even hands-on problem-solving scenarios during the interview.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Whether it's freelance projects or your academic work, come ready to showcase your portfolio of automation projects. Bring along any diagrams, code samples, or automation solutions you’ve implemented—these can really set you apart and demonstrate your applied skills to SouthernWaterServices.
✨Understand Industry Trends
Stay updated on the latest trends in automation technologies and methodologies, like Industry 4.0 or IIoT. We'll want to discuss how these concepts may affect the role and future projects at SouthernWaterServices, so showing that you're knowledgeable about current and emerging technologies can give you an edge.
✨Commit to Continuous Learning
As this is a full-time role, it's essential to express your eagerness for continuous improvement and learning. Share how you plan to enhance your skills and keep pace with the evolution of automation in the workforce – companies love candidates who are committed to growth and adaptability.
