Application Specialist (3631)

At South West Water we believe that the strongest businesses are built on solid, stable foundations - with a vision and a culture that gives them the freedom to change, improve and innovate. We’re proud to be responsible for providing reliable, efficient and high-quality drinking water and wastewater services for the beautiful South West area. And we have huge ambitions. Not only are we committed to reaching net-zero by 2030, but we’ve also partnered with wildlife charities, National Parks and local partners to help ensure a better future for generations to come. So, if you want to be part of a diverse team where opportunities flow and fresh ideas are welcomed, #JustAddWater.

Are you looking for a role where you can use your experience to bring about real change within a proactive and environmentally conscious company?

 We currently have an opportunity available for an Application Specialist to join our team working in Exeter with a mix of office-based working and home working. Joining us on a full-time, permanent basis, you will receive a competitive salary of £35,000 - £46,000 per annum plus excellent benefits, including a £3,000 relocation expenses allowance! 

About the role: 

As our Application Specialist, you will make sure critical applications, interfaces and databases are secure, resilient, highly available and cost-efficient to support key business processes, and can scale to allow planned growth and change. This includes the administration of databases including SQL Server and Oracle. 

Our Application Assurance team sits within Corporate Applications alongside two other teams, Data and BI, and Solution Delivery. Alongside this the IT department supports:

 ·         3000 colleagues and external partners that use our systems

 ·         2500 Telemetry outstations collecting information about our assets

  ·         200 process control systems on our larger Drinking Water and Waste Water sites

 ·         300 physical and 1000 virtual servers

 ·         250 databases and over 100 software applications

 ·         2700 PCs and 1400 tablets and mobile phones

  ·         1200 network assets such as routers, switches, Microwave links 

 ·         Store and backup 3.5 Petabytes of data, equivalent to storing 780,000 movies!  

As our Application Specialist you’ll benefit from working with over 100 experienced IT professionals within the department.

What you’ll be doing:

• Administration of databases including SQL Server, Oracle and Progress - this could include taking backups, reviewing the efficiency of indexes and maintaining User Acceptance, Training or Development copies of the database to allow testing and development within the Department. Ensuring latest patches, hot fixes and Service Packs are installed to ensure supported and secure.
• Receive, prioritise and escalate incidents when considered appropriate and necessary to maintain service level expectations - these could manifest into Emergency Changes (when the system is down), planned changes or P1 Incidents, and could also lead to a PRB being created, to investigate the route cause (our ambition should always be to prevent any future tickets being raised for the same reason - if practical)
• Plan and undertake upgrades to critical platforms and support the transition of new and upgraded IT services into operational use - usually from other areas within IT i.e. as a result of a Project, but could be as a request from the Business e.g. annual Billing or new features being switched on
• Maintain knowledge and skill levels appropriate to this specialist area - could be via formal training course or self-investment in personal development

What we are looking for:

• Educated to degree level standard or able to demonstrate working to degree level
• Experience with relevant operating systems, software and infrastructure, including Microsoft Server, Azure and AIX
• Experienced in Database Administration for SQL Server and Oracle
• Able to take personal responsibility to keep their business knowledge, IT governance and technical skills up to date
• Demonstrate a strong customer service orientation, taking ownership to ensure the effective resolution of questions, requests and issues by the appropriate team
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to influence change without direct authority through collaboration, diplomacy and persuasiveness
• Adept at presenting complex information in straightforward terms to a range of audiences

What's in it for you:

We know that the support and commitment of our staff is key to our success so you will receive the opportunity for ongoing development and training for a long-term career with us. We’re one of the largest companies in the South West and are proud to have been awarded Investors in People recognition.

In return, we offer an excellent range of benefits including:

• • 23 days holiday allowance rising to 27 days plus bank holidays
  • Relocation expenses allowance of up to £3,000
  • A discretionary Bonus
  • Competitive Contributory Pension
  • Access to the Company Sharesave Scheme
  • Various health benefits
  • Wellbeing support programmes
  • A range of Group Discounts
  • Cycle to Work scheme
  • Financial Support services
  • Training and Development Opportunities
  • And many more!

Closing Date: Wednesday 11th May 2022Please note that the successful candidate will be subject to a mandatory DBS check as part of the onboarding process.

Be yourself, we like it that way. Together, we will build a culture of belonging, where inclusion is instinctive. Diversity is our strength and a reflection of our communities. We care, we value everyone, we celebrate uniqueness. Our core values which are essential to our success are: 

·       Trusted - We do the right thing for our customers and stakeholders

.·       Collaborative - We forge strong relationships working together to make a positive impact.

·       Responsible - We keep our promises to our customers, communities, and each other.

·       Progressive - We are always looking for new ways to improve and make life better.