Job Description

What if you could shape a career as unique as you? At WSP, you can always find opportunities to grow and do what matters to you. Make the most of our global reach to discover new challenges and chances to work with diverse, talented individuals who will help you expand your horizons.

Role Overview

We need people to join our rapidly expanding team of Water Quality and Catchment Management specialists so that we can continue to deliver sustainable solutions to the water sector and environmental regulators in the UK and help protect the water environment.

Key Knowledge & Requirements

• How river, lake and TraCs water quality is protected through the WFD and other regulatory tools.
• Working knowledge of water quality modelling tools (SAGIS, SIMCAT, InfoWorks, ICM, etc.).
• Experience of WFD/EIA scoping, reviews and assessments for water/hydrology chapters.
• Experience of water environment data collation (field and/or desk based), quality checking, assurance and interpretation.
• Experience of water quality permitting and completion or review of H1 and RQP assessments.
• Understanding of conceptualising a water quality problem and knowledge of available datasets for problem solving.

Prior work experience, either postdoctoral or in consultancy or working in the water sector (regulator or industry) would be desirable.

You should have an interest in problem solving through interrogation of time series and spatial datasets, good conceptualisation skills, and an understanding of source pathway receptor models. You should be able to clearly communicate ideas through writing or visualisations. An awareness of how groundwater and surface water interact would also be useful.

Field experience including sampling network design, risk assessment before field work, and data collation and interpretation (for river and/or groundwater sampling and monitoring) would also be beneficial, along with some knowledge of catchment management / agri‑environment schemes.

Responsibilities

• Water quality data analysis, conceptualisation and visualisation and clear communication;
• Carrying out desk‑based investigations / interpretation of datasets;
• Helping to design field monitoring campaigns including traditional and non‑traditional approaches;
• Delivery of technical reports and presentations to clients;
• Winning new work and writing proposals for new projects;
• Project and task management;
• Being a key member of our water quality team in Sustainable Water Management.

Location & Collaboration

You will be mainly UK based but will work collaboratively with teams across WSP’s global business. Being able to work effectively as part of a diverse team, as well as independently for discrete tasks, is very important to us.

Benefits

We offer a dynamic but supportive environment for a motivated and talented individual to fulfil their potential. We recognise that our people are central to our success and are committed to providing a comprehensive framework for professional development. Benefits include:

• Access to extensive internal and external training opportunities;
• Support for volunteering;
• A mentoring programme;
• Support for gaining chartership through professional institutions.

This position is UK flexible, with main offices in Newcastle‑upon‑Tyne, Cardiff, Manchester, Shrewsbury, London, Bristol or Glasgow. Hybrid office‑home working is available.

Qualifications

• Degree‑level qualifications in a relevant subject (e.g. geography, geology, geochemistry, earth/environmental science, civil engineering or similar);
• A higher degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. river or lake water quality, water chemistry, hydrogeochemistry, water management, environmental science, or similar) is desirable, but not essential;
• Excellent analytical skills, able to apply them to analysing problems and finding solutions;
• Experience using MS Office tools (Word, Teams, Excel, Access, PowerPoint) and GIS packages (ArcGIS or QGIS);
• Ability to collaborate effectively as part of a team and to work independently with some steer;
• Excellent communication skills, being able to write clearly and/or communicate ideas through visualisations.

EEO Statement

Here at WSP we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. As a Disability Confident leader, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. Please let us know if you require any workplace adjustments in support of your application.