Level 3 Apprentice HUB Technical Officer (Wastewater) in Urmston

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.

United Utilities is accountable for water and wastewater services in the North West of England. From 2025-2030 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.

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.

As an Apprentice HUB Technical Officer, you’ll:

• Learn about the end-to-end Wastewater System from customers' homes to treated effluent being returned to the environment.
• Support the daily operation of the Wastewater County hub.
• Analyse, report on and identify opportunities for proactive interventions and efficiency opportunities across the Wastewater System.
• Learn a wide range of wastewater treatment technical skills to effectively monitor and control assets across a County.
• Develop well-developed IT, numerical, analytical and problem-solving skills to deliver operational and financial performance targets.
• Gain excellent presentation and written and oral communication skills.
• Develop excellent knowledge and practical experience of wastewater treatment processes including operational best practices.
• Gain an understanding of future regulatory requirements within wastewater operations.

Your apprenticeship will last 36 months, and successful apprentices will achieve a Level 3 Water Industry Treatment Process Technician (Wastewater) standard, endorsed by the Institute for Apprenticeships. During your first year, you’ll spend 1 week every month for 12 months working from Bolton Technical Training Centre during the working week (Monday – Friday). If you’re from outside of the area, accommodation will be reimbursed/provided by United Utilities during this period, excluding weekends. You will need to be mobile in this role, we’ll contribute up to £500 towards driving lessons and tests to help to get you on the road!

What we’re looking for: We’re looking for someone keen to gain hands-on experience, develop practical skills, and achieve the standards needed to succeed in this role. Somebody who is keen to learn about wastewater treatment, develop problem solving and analytics skills so we can start to predict problems before they happen. You will learn all things technical about wastewater treatment and the regulations that govern wastewater collection and treatment. You’ll need to have:

• 5 GCSEs or equivalent, grades A-C or grades 9-4, which must include Maths, English and a Science or Technology subject.

Why choose us to kickstart your career?

• Secure your future – Every apprentice is guaranteed a permanent position at the end of their scheme.
• A springboard to your career – You’ll receive structured training, a dedicated mentor, and high-quality learning to help shape your career.
• Inspire the next generation – You’ll have the chance to represent United Utilities at key events across the region, engaging with young people to bring careers in the water industry to life.
• Reward and benefits – There are lots of perks, including a competitive starting salary of £20,000, which will increase each year based on performance.
• Be part of the UU family – You’ll have the chance to network, bond, and learn from your colleagues and fellow apprentices.

We need fantastic people to help us deliver a great service to the public. We are committed to reaching and recruiting from every community, supporting our employees to achieve their full potential, and ensuring everyone feels valued and included, regardless of gender, age, race, disability, sexual orientation, or social background.

Additional Information: Please check and ensure that you are comfortable with the following points before you apply:

• It is essential that you live within a reasonable commuting distance of the base location of your apprenticeship.
• As part of your induction, you will attend a five-day residential trip to the Lake District. This is a fantastic opportunity to develop your skills in a beautiful setting with your fellow apprentices. Accommodation and boarding will be provided.
• During your apprenticeship, you may need to travel to your place of study. If you’re not local to your place of study, accommodation will either be provided or reimbursed by United Utilities during this period (excluding weekends).

Depending on the role that you are applying for, our recruitment process may require you to complete:

• An Online application form.
• Online tests.
• An in-person interview (and presentation) or assessment centre.
• A technical test.

Important Notes: If you are offered a job with us, a number of pre-employment checks will need to be carried out before your appointment can be confirmed. Any offer of employment with United Utilities will be subject to a satisfactory report from the Disclosure Scotland/ the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Please only apply for one apprenticeship role. Part of the assessment process will be to detail why you have applied for your selected apprenticeship vacancy. Please note that we are unable to offer Visa sponsorship for this role. You must have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least three years before starting the apprenticeship.