Job Description

Closing Date

2026-11-15

Operational Customer Service Associate

Location: Durrington, West Sussex (Office-based)

Salary: £28,554 per annum + 15% shift allowance

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 37 hours per week (12-hour shifts)

Shift Pattern: 24/7 rotating shift (details below)

Be the voice of our customers – whenever they need us

Are you passionate about delivering exceptional customer service? Do you work well under pressure and have a talent for clear, timely communication?

We are looking for a group of proactive and confident Operational Customer Service Associates to join our 24/7 Operations Control Centre. This role plays a vital part in keeping our customers informed during operational incidents and service disruptions, particularly outside of standard working hours.

You'll work with a wide range of teams across the business, helping ensure customers receive accurate, timely information when they need it most. As part of our Operations Control Centre, you'll contribute to incident response activities, provide valuable customer insight and help us deliver against our commitments and values.

Now is an exciting time to join our growing team. As we continue to strengthen the service we provide to our customers, we're looking for people who want to make a real difference. You'll have the opportunity to deliver exceptional service, support the business during incidents that matter most, and play a part in improving trust and confidence in Southern Water.

What you'll be doing

You will be part of a dedicated team responsible for monitoring and managing customer communications around the clock. This includes responding to real-time enquiries on social media, handling customer calls and proactively issuing clear updates during operational events.

Working closely with Customer Services, Communications, Operational Duty Managers and senior leaders across the business, you'll support customer communications during both planned and unplanned events. You'll help ensure customer impacts are understood, information remains accurate and customers stay informed throughout service disruptions.

Key responsibilities:

• Respond promptly and professionally to customer enquiries across social media and digital channels.
• Handle customer calls outside normal business hours, providing accurate information, reassurance and support.
• Create and publish timely customer communications relating to operational incidents and service disruptions.
• Act as a key link between Customer Services, Communications and operational teams, ensuring clear and consistent messaging.
• Represent the customer's perspective within the Operations Control Centre and support customer-focused decision making.
• Support incident response activities by delivering coordinated customer communications and updates during live events.
• Engage with operational managers and senior leaders, providing customer insight and highlighting emerging concerns.
• Identify opportunities to improve customer communications, customer experience and operational processes.
• What we're looking for

We're looking for someone with strong communication skills, a calm and professional approach under pressure, and the confidence to manage live situations.

You will need to:

• Communicate clearly and calmly, particularly during high-pressure or time-sensitive situations.
• Be comfortable responding on public-facing digital channels, including social media.
• Be customer-focused with an empathetic, confident and solutions-focused mindset.
• Be resilient, adaptable and able to work independently, particularly during night shifts.
• Demonstrate good IT literacy and the ability to quickly learn new systems and platforms.
• Be confident engaging with stakeholders at all levels, including managers and senior leaders across the business.

Previous experience in customer service, digital communications, emergency response or operational environments would be beneficial but is not essential if you can demonstrate transferable skills.

Shift pattern overview

This role is part of a 6-person team working 12-hour shifts across a 24/7 rota. Your shift pattern will rotate and includes days, nights, standby days and periods of rest.

Examples include:

• 3 day shifts → 3 standby days → 4 days off
• 4 day shifts → 2 standby days → 4 days off → 1 standby day
• 3 night shifts → 6 days off → 1 standby day
• 4 night shifts → 7 days off

Full training will be provided before you move onto the shift pattern.

Why join us?

This is an excellent opportunity to join a collaborative and fast-paced team, working at the heart of our operations. It's a role where you can make a real difference to customer experience, support the business during incidents that matter most and help ensure Southern Water delivers on its commitments to customers.

If you're looking for a meaningful, customer-facing role with variety, ownership and the opportunity to grow, we'd love to hear from you.

Please note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a sufficient number of applications.

Apply promptly to secure your chance to be part of this exciting opportunity.