Level 6 Operational Technology Engineer Apprentice in Lymm

Are you ready to live your future? Do you want to be part of building a greener, healthier, and stronger North West? Come and join us! With a range of award-winning roles on offer, you're sure to find your perfect career here at United Utilities. We'll provide you with industry-leading skills and the experience you need to succeed in your chosen field.

Who are United Utilities? United Utilities is accountable for water and wastewater services in the North West of England. We will undertake the largest investment in water and wastewater services in the North West in 100 years - that’s more than £13 billion worth of projects. Now, more than ever, we need inspiring future talent to help make the North West stronger, greener, and healthier.

Whatever area of our business your interests lie in, our award-winning apprentice programme will give you first-class training and support, aligned with an in-depth understanding of your chosen business area - so that you can develop the skills you need to progress your career as you make a real contribution to the communities we serve.

Working in the North West means there’s a lot of ground to cover. You could have the opportunity to work in the heart of the Lake District, or you could sample a taste of city life. As well as our main office in Warrington, we also recruit for a variety of roles based across the North West; we have 575 wastewater treatment works, and 96 water treatment works in areas from Crewe in Cheshire to Carlisle in Cumbria.

Whichever scheme you join, you’ll be at the heart of bringing innovation and positive change to the water industry. Ready to flow into your future with us?

Life as a United Utilities Apprentice: Our apprentices are well looked after, with a generous salary, 26 days of leave (excluding bank holidays), a £500 contribution towards learning to drive, and many more benefits. You’ll have a dedicated mentor and manager to support you every step of the way. All we ask is that you’re willing to learn, work well as part of a team, and manage your time and workload effectively.

Our Level 6 Operational Technology (OT) Engineer Degree Apprenticeship, delivered in partnership with Siemens Apprenticeship Services, is your opportunity to earn a salary, gain hands-on experience and study towards a Bachelor’s degree in Controls & Automation Engineering - all while building a career with real purpose.

Operational Technology is at the heart of how we run our water and wastewater systems. As an Apprentice OT Engineer, you’ll work with the digital and automated systems that keep our treatment works, pumping stations and networks operating safely and efficiently.

You’ll learn how to:

• Work with PLCs, SCADA, telemetry, industrial networks and automation systems used across our sites
• Specify process instrumentation/sensors such as flow meters, level monitors and water quality analysers
• Support the cyber secure design, testing, installation and maintenance of control systems
• Help commission new equipment and diagnose faults
• Use Siemens & Schneider technologies such as TIA Portal, S7-1500 PLCs, PROFINET/PROFIBUS and industrial drives
• Contribute to real engineering projects that improve water quality, reduce environmental impact and support our long-term sustainability goals
• Work within an environment where health and safety is an embedded part of our core business

This is a hands-on, problem-solving role where no two days are the same. You’ll be part of a team that keeps essential services running for millions of people.

A bit more about the role: You will spend the majority of your time working with and alongside engineers and technicians on operational sites as part of your on-the-job training. This will be supported by block release vocational training working through a HND in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and a BEng (Hons) in Control & Automation:

Years 1-3 (Siemens and Wigan & Leigh College): You’ll build strong foundations in engineering and automation, including:

• Electrical & Electronic Engineering
• Programming for Engineers
• Engineering Maths & Science
• Mechatronics
• Automation, Robotics & PLCs
• Embedded Systems
• Digital & Analogue Electronics
• Industrial control systems modules (PLC Programming Levels 1-3)

Year 4 (University of Salford): You’ll complete:

• Embedded Systems
• Automation & Robotics
• Siemens Certified Programmer qualification
• A final-year engineering project/dissertation

You’ll also benefit from UU & Siemens’ wider support: mentoring, industry speakers, digital learning tools and access to the SiTRAIN learning platform. Your apprenticeship will last 60 months.

Who We’re Looking For: This apprenticeship is ideal for those who are curious, motivated.