This programme has been designed to support people who have had a career break or are trying to transfer their skills in to a new sector or one they used to work in. We know that any gap in work experience or a move away from a sector or skill set makes it very hard to return or join through standard recruitment channels.

The roles in this programme tend to run on a 12 week placement with a view to securing a permanent role at the end of that period. Although it’s not guaranteed, 96% of our candidates who join the programme go on to secure permanent roles with their host organisation.

As a candidate working with STEM Returners you have access to free CV writing and Interview coaching and if you are successful in securing the role you’ll get access to coaching and mentoring programme to help you thrive in the role.

If you meet the criteria for this role but are unsure if you are eligible for the programme, we encourage you to make an application.

The Technical Assurance Engineer plays a central role in safeguarding the quality, safety, and reliability of the organisation’s technical deliverables.

This is a new and exciting position in the team, responsible for identifying, assessing, and triaging technical risks across projects, ensuring that each issue is routed to the appropriate department for resolution. You will play a key role in shaping and improving the processes and procedures that underpin how we work.

The role strengthens organisational governance by providing clear oversight, maintaining traceability of risk mitigation activities, and championing a culture of technical excellence and compliance with Regulations.

What you’ll be doing as a Technical Assurance Engineer: 

• Assess, prioritise, and manage technical risks, issues, and non‑conformances across projects and operations.
• Validate risk information and assign clear ownership for resolution.
• Act as the central point of contact between operations, technical teams, and subject matter experts.
• Facilitate effective communication to ensure responsibilities, expectations, and timelines are understood.
• Monitor and track risk mitigation actions, ensuring completion to required standards.
• Verify technical solutions meet organisational policies, engineering standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Escalate high‑impact or unresolved risks through appropriate governance channels.
• Maintain accurate records, ensuring traceability, audit compliance, and clear accountability.
• Produce concise reports and dashboards (SharePoint / Power BI) highlighting trends, bottlenecks, and emerging risks.
• Ensure processes and procedures are followed, continuously improved, and changes are effectively managed to minimise cost, programme, safety, compliance, and environmental impacts.

What should you bring to the role?

To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need are:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant field.
• Significant experience working in a design or related role.
• A good understanding of the Construction/ Operational business.
• Good IT skills.
• Excellent technical acumen in the relevant field.
• Excellent communication skills and customer service ethic.
• Commercially aware with a good practical understanding of engineering contracts.
• A great team player with the ability to work collaboratively in a challenging project environment.
• You will be self-starting, resilient and tenacious under pressure, with a desire to successfully deliver projects to time, cost and to quality.
• Full UK Driving license required.

What’s in it for you?

• Annual Leave: 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays)
• Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Base location: 

Hybrid Working – Can be based out of any of our Thames Water sites from Reading – RG20RP to Mogden – TW77LW. Please note you will be required to travel across the Thames Valley Area.

Working pattern or hours: 

36 Hours per week (Monday to Friday)

If you wish to speak to one of our Returner Specialists about this role in more detail, please call us on 01329 623 246 (option 1)