Catchment Scientist

Thames Water; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous pension

Health & wellbeing benefits

Cycle to Work

Job summary

Thames Water is seeking a Catchment Scientist to help protect drinking water quality by analyzing catchment data, engaging with farmers, and delivering targeted projects. You will interpret water quality and land-use trends, prepare technical reports, and present findings to regulators and internal teams.

The role is based in Reading with hybrid working arrangements, requiring a weekly office presence. A degree in a relevant science and strong communication skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent experience in a relevant scientific discipline (e.g. environmental science, geography, geology, agriculture, animal science, etc.)
• Experience and confidence presenting in person to groups
• Experience analysing and interpreting data
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Driving licence and own vehicle

Responsibilities

• Gather and analyse data to input into technical discussions
• Analyse large catchment datasets, including water quality and land use, and interpret trends
• Record and score Catchment Fund applications, drafting agreements and tracking delivery of farmer activity
• Liaise with farmers
• Attend and present at farmer events
• Present data and narrative to internal and external groups as required
• Assist with design of activities and projects
• Track project delivery by third party agricultural advisors
• Deliver catchment management activities to protect drinking water quality and meet regulatory requirements
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to progress our work
• Produce written reports for regulators
• Desk-based risk assessment of pollution incidents on abstraction points

Skills

Data analysis

Public speaking

Written and verbal communication

Team collaboration

Driver’s licence

Education

Degree in environmental science / geography / geology / agriculture

Tools

GIS software

Job description

The Catchment Projects team aims to protect water quality at its source by addressing risks in the catchment to reduce our reliance on drinking water treatment processes. We work to understand farming practices, develop and deliver projects that support positive change on farm and engage with the farming community. We also build strong partnerships with specialist organisations that help deliver our schemes to achieve lasting improvements in water quality.

We're looking for Catchment Scientists to join the team to help drive this important work forward.

What you’ll be doing as a Catchment Scientist:

• Gather and analyse data to input into relevant technical discussions
• Work to analyse large catchment datasets, including water quality and land use, and interpret trends
• Recording and scoring Catchment Fund applications, drafting agreements and tracking delivery of farmer activity
• Liaising with farmers
• Attending and presenting at farmer events
• Present data and narrative to internal and external groups as required
• Assist with design of activities and projects
• Tracking project delivery by third party agricultural advisors
• Delivery of catchment management activities to protect drinking water quality, including Water Industry National Environment Programme investigations and schemes, and others including DWI notices, to meet regulatory requirements
• Liaison and relationship-building with a variety of internal and external stakeholders, raising awareness of and progressing our work
• Production of written reports for submission to regulators
• Desk-based risk assessment of potential impact of pollution incidents on abstraction points

Base location

Hybrid – Clearwater Court, Reading. It is a requirement to come into the office at least once a week.

Working pattern or hours

36 hours a week, Monday to Friday

To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need are:

• Degree or equivalent experience in a relevant scientific discipline (e.g. environmental science, geography, geology, agriculture, animal science, etc.)
• Experience and confidence presenting in person to groups
• Experience analysing and interpreting data
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Driving licence and own vehicle

Additional skills, experiences and knowledge that would be great to have/bring:

• GIS skills and experience
• Agricultural knowledge

What’s in it for you?

• A salary of £35,000 to £40,000 per annum, depending on experience
• 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays)
• Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Find out more about our benefits and perks (Please note different T&Cs apply if on secondment)

Who are we?

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job, and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else, just let us know; we’re here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.