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Control Room Operator (Trainee)

Please Note: The application deadline for this job has now passed.

Job Introduction

At Tarmac, ‘who you are’ matters, we can teach you technical skills, develop your soft skills and give you the opportunities to grow to your full potential.  If you share our values of being driven to attain results, are ambitious, collaborate well with others to deliver solutions, look to make things better each day while minimising the impact on the environment and ensuring everyone goes home safe then read of what we have on offer. 


We are currently looking for a Trainee Control Room Operator (CRO) to join our dynamic team based in Dunbar, East Lothian at the operational Cement Manufacturing site.  The role will require you to use and build on your analytical skills, knowledge and production awareness to control of one of the largest rotating bits of equipment in the UK,  a cement kiln. As a CRO you will be coordinating the automated operations of over 200 items of equipment that as a key member of the shift based team will produce some 950,000tons of cement each year.  

We have built a dynamic and inclusive environment and as a company value that our people come from a variety of different backgrounds.  While we would welcome applications from interested candidates who are already in a CRO role, we would also like to hear from people who wish to develop their knowledge and skills in this area.  This role is part of a shift-working team that run operations 24x7 365 days a year on a scheduled shift pattern. 

The training will be intense, with formal assessments to enable you to become a fully qualified Cement Plant Control Room Operator. It will combine on-the-job, in-house and external courses. It is anticipated that the length of training and assessment will range from 2-3 years depending on the existing skills and experience of the successful candidate.  Following the training programme, the successful candidate will be expected to be proficient in all CCR operations and achieve Level 3 certification, with incremental recognition as you progress.

Role Responsibility

In this role, you will be responsible for a number of tasks including:  

  • Control all major process lines within the cement manufacturing operation including equipment commissioning, start-ups, shutdowns, and emergency condition management as per established standard operating procedures (SOPs) in order to meet production requirements. 
  • Monitor continuously, all plant process lines using all available tools to ensure employee safety, stable equipment operation, equipment integrity within prescribe design limitations, operating targets, and environmental regulations. 
  • Control product quality at all stages of the cement manufacturing process by having a clear understanding of the targets, and the levers that are used to control the targets, along with the appropriate decision-making process based on the impact of each lever. Conduct lab testing of raw materials and cement products to validate quality on shift. 
  • Coordinate plant resources to troubleshoot, inspect, and maintain plant equipment as required, to meet production demands and prevent failures. 
  • Maintain awareness of the automation system control strategy and makes recommendations for continuous improvement. 
  • Communicate effectively with all levels of the plant organisation in both verbal and written format. Deal in out of office hours with any calls from members of the public or government agencies.  
  • Maintain awareness of plant operating costs. Consider these costs regularly in the decision-making process to optimise the plant's cost structure. 

The Ideal Candidate

To succeed in this role it is likely that you will have/be: 

  • Five GCSEs grade C/level 4 or above with maths and English preferential  
  • An analytical and pragmatic person who is able to work in a control room which at times a challenging dynamic environment where their timely assessment of information, correct intervention and reactions will be key to the operation's success. 
  • A recognised Health and Safety or Environmental qualification i.e. IOSH Working Safely and / or IOSH Managing Safely, Environmental Awareness would be helpful but not essential. A commitment to maintaining and improving Health, Safety and Environmental standards is essential. 
  • IT Literate in MS Office , MS Word and Excel 
  • A good communicator, both written and verbally  
  • Extremely flexible approach to learning and working 
  • Ability to work well within a team 
  • A commitment to continuous self-development 
  • Self-motivated 
  • Consistent use of initiative to resolve problems 

Why Us

We offer an extensive range of career development opportunities and industry-leading rewards, incentives and benefits. 

Some of the range of benefits on offer to employees include: 

  • Bonus scheme 
  • Enhanced holiday entitlement 
  • Contributory pension scheme 
  • Access to the Tarmac Reward website with discounts on retailers, holidays, etc. 
  • Access to our Employee Assistance helpline for free and confidential advice. 
  • Training and development opportunities 

Interested? Why not click here to find out more?  Go on… are you ready to build your future? 


At Tarmac we are passionate that our workforce reflects the communities where we operate. Our ambition is that everyone regardless of level, role, or background will enjoy an environment of respect, inclusion and belonging. We actively remove barriers to ensure everyone is supported and can reach their potential with us. We take active steps to encourage people from a broad range of backgrounds to apply for jobs at Tarmac as we believe a diverse, inclusive company will enable everyone to thrive. We are a disability confident employer and will make reasonable adjustments as required. We are committed to support part-time and flexible working and believe getting the balance right is critical to personal and professional success.

Tarmac Trading Limited

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