Environmental Permitting Specialist

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 47,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days annual leave

Generous pension scheme

Annual health assessments

Cycle to work scheme

Job summary

Thames Water is seeking an Environmental Permitting Specialist to manage environmental permits and provide technical permitting advice to support our operations.

Based hybrid at Reading, you will oversee permit applications, liaise with regulators and internal teams, and contribute to high-impact projects while benefiting from a strong pension, health assessments, and flexible working arrangements.

Qualifications

• Experience with Environmental Permitting processes.
• Strong regulatory awareness and understanding of permitting requirements.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Oversee permit applications, variations and new submissions with timely delivery.
• Liaise with regulators and internal Thames Water teams to coordinate permitting activities.
• Manage projects and ensure high-quality permit submissions.

Skills

Environmental Permitting experience

Regulatory/Environmental discipline

Stakeholder liaison & communication

Technical writing skills

IT literacy

Education

Environmental/regulatory or water industry discipline

Job description

Job title Environmental Permitting Specialist Ref 46052 Division Strategy & External Affairs Location Hybrid - Clearwater Court - RG1 8DB Contract type Permanent Full/Part-time Full-time Salary Offering between £46,565 - £58,000 per annum, depending on experience. Job grade B Closing date 26/10/2026

We are looking for experienced Environmental Permitting Specialists whose primary purpose will be to ensure necessary Environmental Permits are in place and to provide technical advice on permitting to support our business activities. Thames Water is committed to improving our impact on the environment, and this role plays a vital part in ensuring the success of our Environmental Regulation obligations.

What you will be doing as Environmental Permitting Specialist

This role involves overseeing ongoing applications including permit variations, submission of new applications, project management, liaising with the regulators and other teams in Thames Water, and ensuring timely and high-quality submissions.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a small, experienced team working on high-impact permitting projects across a diverse portfolio. This role offers a unique chance to:

• Contribute to complex, high-value applications that directly influence operational delivery and regulatory relationships.
• Gain exposure to a broad range of environmental permitting scenarios, ideal for developing your understanding of permitting and regulation.
• Make a visible impact across the wider organisation.

If you're looking to grow your expertise in environmental permitting while working on meaningful projects that shape real-world outcomes, this could be the perfect next step for your career.

Location - Hybrid Reading with the option to work at any of our other sites

What you should bring to the role

• Experience working with Environmental Permitting, ideally gained within waste water.
• Experience or academic background in an environmental, regulatory or water industry-related discipline.
• Excellent planning, organisation and communication skills, with the ability to negotiate and liaise effectively with stakeholders.
• Strong technical writing skills, with the ability to write clear, structured technical documents and coordinate complex permit applications.
• Strong analytical background and excellent IT literacy.

What’s in it for you?

• Offering between £46,565 - £58,000 per annum, depending on experience.
• Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (Plus bank holidays)
• Performance-related pay is directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year.
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of your and your family’s health and well-being, 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.

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.