Who are United Utilities?

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.

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.

Start living your future, today!

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 operational
• Gain an understanding of future regulatory requirements within wastewater ope

A bit more about the role

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?

• Guaranteed permanent role after your apprenticeship*
• Structured training, mentoring, and career support
• Represent United Utilities at regional events
• Great benefits, including £20,000 starting salary with yearly increases
• Join a supportive community of colleagues and apprentices

*As long as you meet all necessary standards and behaviour criteria throughout the programme.

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
• Duringyour 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). Please consider travel requirements and staying away from home if applicable

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

• 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.