AI Automation Engineer

AI Automation Engineer

Location: Durrington (with regular travel to Falmer) Salary: £43,000 - £52,400 Hours: 37 hours per week Working Pattern: Hybrid – Minimum 2 days onsite Start Date: Flexible Closing Date: 2026-07-21 Vacancies: Multiple available

About the Role

Help shape the future of AI and intelligent automation at Southern Water. Artificial Intelligence is transforming how organisations operate, and Southern Water is investing in the next generation of AI, Microsoft Copilot, Intelligent Automation, Power Platform and Digital Transformation capabilities.

Working with technologies including Microsoft Copilot, Copilot Agents, Power Platform, Power Automate, Power Apps, Power Pages and Azure, you'll play a key role in shaping how AI and automation are adopted across the business. This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing team where you'll have genuine influence, work with emerging technologies and help build the future of intelligent automation at Southern Water.

What You'll Be Doing

• Designing and developing AI-powered automation solutions
• Building workflows, applications and integrations using Power Platform
• Leveraging Microsoft Copilot, Copilot Agents and intelligent automation technologies
• Working with stakeholders to identify automation opportunities and deliver business value
• Developing secure, scalable and supportable solutions
• Supporting governance, best practice and platform adoption
• Contributing to the growth of Southern Water's AI and Automation capability

Essential Experience

• Developing automation solutions using Power Automate (Cloud & Desktop) and Copilot Agents
• Strong experience with Power Platform, including Power Automate, Power Apps, Power Pages and IVA
• Designing workflows, automations and integrations
• Understanding of security and governance including DLP, RBAC and identity management
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
• Experience with CI/CD, testing and documentation practices

Desirable Experience

• Experience with Copilot Studio and AI-enabled automation solutions
• Microsoft certifications (PL-100, PL-200, PL-400)
• Azure certifications (AZ-900, AI-900, AZ-204)
• API-led integration or event-driven architecture experience
• Alteryx or data-driven tooling experience
• Familiarity with ServiceNow, SAP or GIS
• Passion for emerging AI technologies and innovation

Why Join Us?

• Work with Microsoft Copilot, Power Platform and emerging AI technologies
• Join a growing Intelligent Automation capability
• Influence standards, best practice and future innovation
• Access learning, development and certification opportunities
• Deliver automation solutions that support millions of customers
• Help shape the future of digital transformation at Southern Water
• Progression opportunities and career development

About Southern Water

Southern Water is at the forefront of transforming Britain's water industry, investing significantly to enhance resilience, sustainability, and service excellence. With £7.8bn planned investment for 2025-30, this is an unparalleled opportunity to join a business committed to delivering a generational shift in the way water services are managed.

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.

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. 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.

Our Commitment to Diversity

We believe diverse perspectives drive innovation. 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're passionate about making a positive impact and think you can bring value to our team, we'd love to hear from you—even if you don't tick every box. Your unique skills and experiences could be exactly what we need.

If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Flexible Working

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?

Pre-Employment Checks

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.