Apprentice Engineering Technician - Electrical in Claydon

We’ll look to you to provide supervised planned and reactive maintenance for all control and instrumentation areas of our plant, including specialist equipment such as Continuous Emission Monitoring (CEMs) and DCS. You will be working in all site departments to gain awareness and knowledge before specialising in the Mechanical department. You will be reporting to the Operations Manager, but working under the supervision of the Assistant Maintenance Manager.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Review and use information such as work instructions, drawings, design specifications and plant configurations.
• Use planning, prioritising, organising and time‑management techniques to plan tasks.
• Identify and organise resources to complete tasks, for example consumables.
• Respond and adapt to work demands, adapting working methods to reflect changes in the working environment and re‑prioritising workloads to react to breakdowns and fault scenarios.
• Identify equipment to work on and check plant configuration is as defined.
• Prepare the work area for maintenance tasks.
• Identify environmental and health and safety hazards and risks and apply control measures.
• Apply health, safety and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards and guidance (e.g., signage and barriers, working at height, confined spaces, COSHH).
• Follow security procedures including site access, document classification and securing assets.
• Follow emergency incident and response procedures.
• Apply sustainability principles, minimising waste.
• Segregate items for reuse, recycling and waste.
• Use mathematical principles and formulae to support engineering maintenance.
• Apply engineering maintenance standards and procedures.
• Apply foreign material exclusion procedures.
• Follow maintenance tools and equipment control procedures (e.g., handling and storage).
• Re‑instate the work area.
• Apply team‑working principles.
• Communicate with others to give and receive information (colleagues, customers, stakeholders).
• Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
• Record information.
• Produce or amend documents such as handover notes and reports.
• Identify and highlight issues (red pen) with technical drawings.
• Use digital and information technology (databases, data‑sharing platforms, email, management information systems, word processing) and follow cyber‑security and GDPR requirements.
• Apply continuous improvement techniques to identify improvement suggestions.
• Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development activities.
• Electrical, control and instrumentation: confirm safe electrical isolation lockout‑tagout method has been applied and test for dead.
• Electrical, control and instrumentation: select, check and use electrical maintenance tools, measurement and test equipment.
• Electrical, control and instrumentation: use electrical diagnostic equipment and apply fault‑finding and rectification techniques.
• Electrical, control and instrumentation: inspect and test electrical aspects of plant (visual checks, insulation and continuity checks, thermographic surveys, voltage levels).
• Electrical, control and instrumentation: remove and replace electrical parts, prepare and terminate electrical cables, set up and adjust electrical aspects of plant, clean parts (remove dust and debris).
• Electrical, control and instrumentation: conduct and confirm electrical and connected services isolation, de‑isolation, functional testing, and calibration checks.
• Electrical, control and instrumentation: inspect and test control and instrumentation systems and check loop function.
• Electrical, control and instrumentation: set up and adjust control and instrumentation systems, remove and replace instruments and sensors, reconnect instrumentation power supply, cables, pipework and services.
• Electrical, mechanical: confirm safe electrical isolation lockout‑tagout method has been applied and test for dead.
• Electrical, mechanical: conduct and confirm electrical and connected services isolation, de‑isolation.
• Electrical, mechanical: select, check and use electrical and mechanical maintenance tools, measurement and test equipment.
• Electrical, mechanical: use electrical and mechanical diagnostic equipment and apply fault‑finding and rectification techniques.
• Electrical, mechanical: inspect and test mechanical aspects of plant and equipment (e.g., pumps). Remove and replace mechanical parts and examine them for defects (e.g., pump seals).
• Electrical, mechanical: lubricate mechanical assemblies and apply bench fitting techniques.
• Communication: review and use information such as work instructions, drawings, design specifications and plant configurations.
• Planning, prioritising, organising and time‑management techniques to plan tasks.
• Resource identification and organisation.
• Adaptation to work demands and re‑prioritisation.
• Equipment identification and site configuration checks.
• Preparation of work area.
• Hazard identification and safety control measures.
• Compliance with health, safety and environmental procedures.
• Security procedure compliance.
• Emergency incident and response compliance.
• Implementation of sustainability principles.
• Segregation of reusable, recyclable and waste items.
• Engineering maintenance support via mathematics and formulae.
• Engineering maintenance standards application.
• Foreign material exclusion procedures application.
• Tools and equipment control procedure compliance.
• Work area reinstatement.
• Team‑working principle application.
• Effective communication with colleagues, customers and stakeholders.
• Escalation of issues beyond responsibility limits.
• Information recording.
• Document production or amendment.
• Issue highlighting with technical drawings.
• Digital and information technology use and cybersecurity/GDPR compliance.
• Continuous improvement technique application.
• Learning and development activity recording.

Training Schedule

• The learner will be studying the Engineering Maintenance Technician – dual discipline Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard qualification.
• Day release to West Suffolk College.
• Possible opportunity as a full‑time EC & I Technician.
• This role forms part of a 24‑hour call‑out rota, covering plant breakdowns outside normal working hours.

Qualifications and Experience

• GCSE or equivalent in Maths, English and Science (grade 5‑9). Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
• Communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Problem‑solving skills
• Patience
• Team working
• Initiative
• Logical thinking

Other Requirements

The building has grating floors, allowing a view to ground level from 30 m. Periods of working outside will be required, and manual handling will be required. This is a waste process plant, so household waste is present with the associated hazards, smells and pests.

About Suez

At Suez, we’re committed to making our world a more sustainable place – a highly complex challenge. If you’re ready to shape the future, collaborate and drive positive change, we want you on our team. Join us to unleash your talent and help us achieve our shared goals.

Salary, Hours, and Start Date

• £24,087 a year. Check minimum wage rates.
• Must be able to get yourself to site for work – public transport access poor.
• Training course: Engineering maintenance technician – dual discipline (level 3).
• Hours: Monday‑Friday 8:30 am‑4:30 pm – 30 minutes for lunch, 38 hours a week.
• Start date: Monday 7 September 2026.
• Duration: 4 years.