E&I Operations Technician

Electrical & Instrumentation Operations Technician (South East)

£44,642 to £52,519 + up to 6% bonus + access to liveried vehicle

• Up to 10-15% additional earnings through overtime and standby

Chelmsford (South East of England)

Field‑based across the South East of England, with Chelmsford as the central compressor station.

You’ll travel to multiple sites across the area (we call this the E5 zone) 5 days a week, so you’ll need to be based locally and comfortable with regular travel. Some travel to our regional hub in Peterborough will also be required.

About us

National Gas is securing Britain’s energy. We transport gas throughout Great Britain, repair and maintain gas pipelines, and manage the meters that allow millions of homes and businesses to access the energy they need. We are the national gas network, providing secure energy to power Britain, achieve net zero, and maintain our industrial competitiveness.

About the role

You’ll be a key electrical and instrumentation specialist for the area - keeping critical assets running safely, reliably and efficiently. This is predominantly a pipelines-focused role, working across a range of operational gas infrastructure.

Working as part of the operations team, you’ll take ownership of maintaining and supporting electrical and associated systems, playing a hands-on role in fault finding, repairs and performance improvement.

From day-to-day maintenance through to emergency response, you’ll be right at the centre of operations - working with field instrumentation technicians and wider operational teams, helping to keep plant, pipelines and equipment safe, compliant and performing at their best. There will also be plenty of opportunities to develop cross-discipline experience across electrical and instrumentation systems.

What you'll be doing

• Carry out installation, maintenance, inspection and fault-finding across electrical and associated systems
• Support commissioning of new assets and upgrades to existing plant and equipment
• Work safely within the permit-to-work system, including issuing permits and setting work parties to work
• Maintain accurate records of maintenance, operations and control of work activities
• Respond to faults and incidents, supporting safe and efficient resolution
• Contribute to operational, safety and emergency procedures and plans
• Undertake roles within emergency response, including incident control when required
• Monitor and help protect pipeline and site assets, including supporting inspection programmes
• Oversee contractor activities where required to ensure safety and technical standards are met
• Support delivery of capital projects, including involvement in commissioning, factory acceptance testing (FAT) and associated safety studies
• Contribute to Management of Change processes, ensuring changes are understood and implemented safely in line with site and network requirements
• Participate in a standby rota once fully trained

About you

You’ll be someone who enjoys getting hands-on and taking ownership of your work. You’re confident fault-finding and solving problems, and you take pride in keeping systems running safely and reliably.

You’ll work well as part of a team, but you’re equally comfortable taking the lead on tasks and making decisions when it counts. You understand the importance of following safe systems of work and supporting consistent standards across the area. Safety is always front of mind, and you’re proactive in spotting and addressing risks before they become issues.

Key requirements & experience

Essential

• Time-served apprenticeship (or equivalent) in electrical, instrumentation or related engineering discipline
• Level 3 qualification (e.g. NVQ, City & Guilds, BTEC or equivalent) in electrical or instrumentation engineering
• Strong engineering knowledge and hands-on experience in electrical or instrumentation disciplines within an industrial or process environment
• Experience carrying out maintenance, fault diagnosis and repairs on electrical and/or instrumentation systems
• Experience working within a formal safe system of work / permit-to-work system
• Experience inspecting and working on equipment in hazardous areas
• Understanding of relevant engineering standards and regulatory requirements
• Experience operating and maintaining process plant or industrial equipment
• Strong commitment to health, safety and safe working practices
• Full UK driving licence

Desirable

• Electrically biased background or experience in electrical systems (preferred)
• CompEx certification (EX01–04) for hazardous areas
• 18th Edition Wiring Regulations (BS7671)
• City & Guilds 2391 Inspection & Testing
• Experience within oil & gas or similar process industry

Security clearance

The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role.

Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

What we offer

• Competitive salary and annual performance bonus
• Double-match pension scheme (max. company contribution 12%)
• Generous holiday allowance (26/28 days + bank holidays)
• Flexible benefit scheme, inc. private healthcare, dental insurance, technology plans, and more
• Financial protection with 10x salary death in service and financial support if you’re unable to work due to long-term illness or injury
• Excellent family friendly provisions such as maternity, paternity, adoption, and shared parental leave
• Professional development opportunities inc. financial support to help you cover the cost of professional membership subscriptions
• Employee assistance programme offering free confidential professional counselling 24/7
• Inclusive, supportive, and forward-thinking workplace

Inclusive recruitment

At National Gas, we are disability confident, and we are signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant, committed to building a workforce that represents the communities we serve. We celebrate the different experiences our colleagues bring to our organisation and strongly encourage applicants of all backgrounds to apply. Please let us know of any reasonable adjustments you need to perform your best.

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