Closing Date 2026-07-06 Job Title: Automation Engineering Manager Location: Hybrid working between our head office in Durrington (Worthing) 2 days pw, and home. Contract Type: Permanent Hours: 37 hours per week, Monday - Friday Salary: Starting salary of up to £72,000, commensurate to skills and experience. About the role Water underpins everyday life, yet it remains an industry that is still evolving in how it uses automation, AI and digital technologies to transform operations. At Southern Water, that is changing. We are building a new Process & Intelligent Automation capability at the heart of the organisation. This is not about incremental improvements, it is about embedding automation, AI and digital engineering into how work gets done, creating a more efficient, resilient and future‑ready business. As Automation Engineering Manager, you will play a critical role in shaping that future. This is a senior technical leadership role within a growing capability, giving you the opportunity to lead the design, development and delivery of automation and AI‑enabled solutions at scale. You will set engineering standards, drive delivery excellence and build a high‑performing team that delivers real business value. Working closely with Architecture, Platform and Process teams, you will influence the automation roadmap, shape delivery approaches and ensure solutions are secure, scalable and aligned to enterprise standards. This role goes beyond delivery management – it is about building an engineering function that enables automation and AI at enterprise scale. What you’ll be responsible for: Leading the design and delivery of complex automation, workflow and AI‑enabled solutions across Power Platform, RPA, Logic Apps, Alteryx, Foundry and Co‑Pilot Studio Translating business and process requirements into robust, scalable and secure solution designs Owning end‑to‑end delivery, including build, testing, deployment, documentation and transition to operations Setting and enforcing engineering standards, ensuring quality, resilience and maintainability across all solutions Providing technical leadership, coaching and mentoring to Automation Engineers at different levels of seniority Conducting code reviews, peer reviews and quality assurance to uphold engineering best practice Building reusable components, patterns and frameworks to improve delivery efficiency and consistency Working closely with Platform Engineering to ensure secure environments, governance and deployment practices Collaborating with Architecture to ensure solutions align with integration patterns, security models and governance standards Partnering with Process teams to ensure solutions support optimised processes and measurable performance improvements Leading the resolution of complex technical issues, defects and performance challenges Driving continuous improvement across engineering practices, tooling and delivery approaches Exploring emerging technologies, including AI and Co‑Pilot capabilities, to drive innovation and value What you’ll bring to the role: Essential Extensive experience designing and delivering automation solutions across multiple technologies Strong hands‑on expertise across Power Platform, RPA, Logic Apps, Alteryx or similar platforms Proven technical leadership experience within automation or digital delivery teams Strong understanding of cloud governance, including DLP, RBAC, identity and secure integrations Experience working with APIs, integrations and enterprise data platforms Excellent problem‑solving and troubleshooting skills across complex technology environments Ability to lead, mentor and develop engineering teams Strong stakeholder engagement skills across technical and non‑technical audiences Desirable Microsoft certifications (e.g. PL‑400, PL‑500, PL‑600, AZ‑104, AZ‑204) Blue Prism or ServiceNow RPA certifications Experience with AI tooling (e.g. Co‑Pilot Studio, Azure OpenAI) Knowledge of data governance and platforms such as Purview Exposure to cloud engineering, data engineering or AI/ML practices Experience in regulated or asset‑intensive environments About Southern Water Southern Water is delivering a generational transformation across the business, investing significantly to improve resilience, sustainability and customer outcomes. You will be joining at a time of real change, as part of a new capability that sits at the core of how the organisation evolves. This is a unique opportunity to define the foundations of process architecture in a business that is actively transforming how it operates. We offer an environment where you will have real ownership, visibility and impact, working alongside senior stakeholders to shape strategic direction and deliver meaningful change. Our mission is to protect and enhance life through water – and this role will directly contribute to how we achieve that. . If this role isn’t quite what you’re looking for but are keen to be contacted about opportunities at Southern Water, you can register your details here: Introduce Yourself (myworkdaysite.com- Introduce Yourself) Our Commitment to Diversity 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. Additional information 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. #LI-BD1 Our purpose is big. Our impact is huge. And we know that every single one of us has the power, through our actions, to positively change society and the environment for good. It’s why careers with us have real meaning. Because, if you’re driven and ambitious, we can offer you huge opportunities for personal growth, professional development and constant innovation. Forever evolving. Forever focused on doing the right thing, we empower and encourage everyone to play to their strengths and to help us shape a fair and positive future for all. We believe in Water for Life. If you do too, Dive Right In. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, because delivering water for life is our core purpose. To achieve this, we need 24/7 support in place to resolve incidents quickly and efficiently. All our employees understand the importance of out-of-hours incident support – because when problems appear, fixing them is our top priority. That’s why our people join together and support when and however needed to make sure our customers get the service they deserve. Joining the Southern Water family means you’ll become part of our incident support team. During your interview, your manager will speak to you about any incident support rotas that apply to your position. Does this opportunity excite you but you’re not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that ‘normal’ office hours aren’t possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’ll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role?
