Water Quality Sampling Officer

Role overview

Yorkshire Water is looking for Water Quality Sampling Officers to join its Water Service Delivery team in South Leeds, supporting operations across the Leeds, Wakefield and Normanton areas. This permanent role is centred on protecting drinking water quality, meeting regulatory requirements, and helping deliver reliable service to customers across the region.

The position offers a salary of £27,052 to £33,341 depending on experience, along with a company van and a performance-related annual bonus of up to £1,000. The package also includes pension contributions of up to 12% from the company, 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays, two additional wellness days, life assurance cover equal to four times pensionable salary, and a range of other employee benefits.

This is a full-time role of 37 hours per week, working Monday to Friday. After training, you will be expected to join an operational standby rota that includes out-of-hours work. Flexible working patterns and job share options may be considered where possible.

About the organisation

Yorkshire Water provides essential water and wastewater services to millions of people across the region every day of the year. The organisation focuses on keeping water safe and clean, supporting communities, protecting the environment, and meeting changing customer and regulatory expectations through ongoing investment and service improvement.

What the role involves

As a Water Quality Sampling Officer, you will help ensure the company meets water quality sampling regulations and maintains full compliance. Your work will involve carrying out routine and investigational sampling according to the regulatory programme and business needs, including samples from treatment works, distribution assets, and customer locations.

You will also need to respond to site observations that may affect compliance or public health, support the resolution of customer issues when on site, and escalate matters that cannot be dealt with straight away. The role requires close coordination with Water Quality Scientists, Production Engineers and Field Technicians, as well as careful reporting of health, safety and security concerns.

Systems, standards and working requirements

The role requires adherence to sampling procedures, quality management systems, and ISO 17025 accreditation requirements. You will also be expected to use internal systems such as Advantex, RTS, Odyssey and laboratory systems. Compliance with the lone working policy is essential, and the position may require work at height, in confined spaces, and occupational driving.

Candidate profile

The ideal candidate is customer-focused, self-motivated and able to work independently while managing a workload effectively. You should be comfortable working in a regulated, procedural environment and able to build strong working relationships across teams. A full valid driving licence is required, along with a practical understanding of potable water quality, water treatment operations, and distribution networks.

Basic IT skills, including email and Microsoft Office, are needed, along with a willingness to learn new systems. Experience in customer service, quality, sampling, utilities, process, manufacturing, or the water and wastewater sector would be beneficial. A good sense of smell and taste for on-site testing is also part of the role requirement.

Additional requirements and checks

If appointed, you will need to complete pre-employment screening, including a Basic Disclosure Check carried out through a third party. Depending on the role, security vetting such as Counter Terrorist Check or Security Check clearance may also be required. The role is also subject to a medical questionnaire and, where necessary, additional medical assessments.

The organisation values diversity and inclusion and encourages candidates from all backgrounds to apply. The recruitment process currently includes an initial telephone interview followed by an in-person second-stage interview. The closing date for applications is 8th July, although the vacancy may be closed earlier if required.