Field Hydrologist

SLR Consulting Ltd; Scotland Gate; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Company pension

Private medical insurance

Life, income, and travel insurance

Flexible, hybrid and agile working

25 days’ annual leave plus flexible PH

Job summary

SLR Consulting Ltd is seeking a Field Hydrologist to support projects across Scotland, conducting field monitoring of water quality and quantity. The role involves outdoor work, data collection, and collaboration with clients and landowners to ensure regulatory compliance and successful project outcomes.

The successful candidate will have a background in earth sciences, experience with sampling, data interpretation, and familiarity with UK water regulations.

Qualifications

• Qualification in earth sciences or related field desirable.
• Experience with groundwater, surface water and soil sampling.
• Ability to work independently in remote locations.
• Familiarity with UK water regulatory framework.
• Experience handling large datasets and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Review health and safety considerations and prepare risk assessments and method statements.
• Liaise with clients and landowners to secure site access for monitoring.
• Collect surface water, groundwater, and private water supply samples.
• Operate in-situ monitoring equipment and collect field data (water quality, water level, flow).
• Interpret field data and observations to identify water quality issues.
• Install hydrometric equipment for long-term logging.
• Maintain water quality databases and create visualisations (charts).
• Review data from field, laboratory, and loggers and flag issues.
• Prepare reports summarising water quality data.
• Maintain calibration of monitoring equipment and record keeping.
• Investigate and assess private water supply systems.

Skills

Field data collection

Water sampling

GIS experience

Data interpretation

Communication skills

Problem solving

Driving licence

Microsoft 365

UK regulatory knowledge

Education

Earth sciences degree

Environmental science

Tools

GIS software

Water quality monitoring equipment

Job description

SLR is a global leader in sustainability solutions, working with clients to help make sustainability happen, within a collaborative, people-first culture. We are seeking a motivated Field Hydrologist who enjoys working outdoors and has an interest in water quality and quantity management. The role will involve supporting our clients’ developments and will often involve working on construction / operational sites to ensure compliance with environmental permits and regulatory requirements. You will be part of a growing team specialising in hydrometrics and water management that serves the whole of Scotland. Health, safety and wellbeing are paramount at SLR. This role involves regular fieldwork in and around the water environment across rural Scotland, including lone working, the manual handling of monitoring equipment and construction of deployment installations. A strong commitment to safe working practices is therefore essential. The role is ideally suited for a remote worker in the north east of Scotland who will be supported by our team in Central Scotland, however alternative locations may be considered.

Key responsibilities

• review of health and safety considerations and preparation of documentation including risk assessment and method statements
• liaison with clients and landowners to agree access for monitoring
• ordering of containers and couriers for samples
• collection of surface water / groundwater / private water supply samples
• use of in-situ monitoring equipment and collection of field data including water quality and water level / flow data
• interpretation of field data and visual observations to identify potential water quality issues
• installation of hydrometric equipment for long term logging
• setting up and maintenance of water quality databases and preparation of visualisations (charts)
• review of field / laboratory / logger water quality data and highlighting potential issues
• reporting of water quality data
• maintenance and calibration of monitoring equipment and record keeping
• investigation and assessment of private water supply systems

Rewards & Benefits

• Competitive salary with discretionary bonus
• Company pension
• Private medical insurance
• Life, income, and travel insurance
• Salary sacrifice car lease and cycle‑to‑work schemes
• Flexible, hybrid and agile working
• 25 days’ annual leave plus flexible public holidays
• Buy or sell leave options
• Core working hours
• Cross‑border remote working and sabbatical opportunities
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave payWorkplace Nursery benefit
• Volunteering and Community Giving
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Specialist support for mental health, stress and menopause - supporting our people both professionally and personally

About You

• An early careers candidate with some commercial experience looking for their next move although candidates with greater experience may be considered.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a small team, including working at remote locations and adapting to changing site conditions, illustrating strong problem-solving skills
• Strong interpersonal skills, able to communicate with others in a professional manner without supervision
• A qualification in earth sciences or related field is desirable but not prohibitive for strong candidates
• Familiarity with groundwater, surface water and soil sampling and monitoring, and working with large datasets (data collection, interpretation, and reporting) is an asset
• An understanding of hydrological assessment techniques and UK industry guidance and relevant water regulatory framework is desirable
• Familiarity with water management techniques on construction site is advantageous
• Experience with Microsoft 365 platform, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and GIS platforms
• Familiar with project management concepts, tools, and controls
• Experience with environmental data review, analysis, interpretation, and technical reporting
• Strong commitment to Occupational Health and Safety
• A driving licence that permits you to legally drive 4x4s and small / medium vans in the UK is required for site visits

Culture & Inclusion

Inclusion is fundamental to who we are. We are committed to equal opportunities and foster a workplace where everyone can thrive, supported by active Culture & Inclusion Committees and Employee Networks. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and are a Disability Confident Committed employer. If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know and we will be happy to support you.

We’re Making Sustainability Happen. We don’t have all the answers to the complex sustainability challenges faced by humanity today. But we’re working on it. We are a consultancy with 4,500+ employees, working on projects in over 125 countries around the world. When you join SLR, you’ll work alongside some of the world’s leading advisors and technicians on projects of global importance in the environmental space. We know sustainability starts from within. And no matter how good we are today, we can always do better. We continually work on our internal ethics to set the standard for organisations and reflect the advice we give to clients.