Graduate Process Engineer - Regulated Water (Reading)

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. invites applicants to join its Graduate Development Program (GDP) in the Regulated Water sector, starting September 2027. The two-year program focuses on learning across process design, modelling, and operations within water and wastewater treatment domains.

Locations span the UK & Ireland, with hybrid working options and exposure to global client projects. You’ll gain practical experience through real projects, guided by mentors and structured reviews to accelerate

Qualifications

• Be working towards a relevant Degree or Master’s level qualification in Chemical Engineering.
• A flexible, proactive mindset and motivation to drive your career forward.
• Adaptability and enthusiasm for learning.
• Permanent right to work in the UK.

Responsibilities

• Taking on new challenges with Clients in the Water Industry.
• Development and use of process calculations, modelling, and assessment methods.
• Deliver on a wide variety of projects such as water trading, large capital design, water quality and network optimisation.
• Work with multi-disciplinary teams to help deliver projects within agreed timeframes and budgets and to exceed our Clients’ expectations.
• Maintain strong and collaborative working relationships and interactions with the Client.
• Promote a culture of knowledge sharing and continuous improvement by providing technical guidance and support to other members of the team.

Skills

Adaptability

Proactive mindset

Willingness to learn

Team collaboration

Education

Relevant Degree or Master’s in Chemical Engineering

Job description

Graduate Process Engineer - Regulated Water (Reading)

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting‑edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

Join the Jacobs Graduate Development Program (GDP) and help shape better environments, communities and societies. Bring your passion, creativity and ambition — and together, we’ll create lasting change.

What You’ll Get

Our two‑year Graduate Development Program is designed to accelerate your growth as you begin your Jacobs career. Through blended learning, mentoring, progress reviews and networking, you’ll build capability across four key areas: human skills, consulting skills, championing our strategy, and developing your personal passions.

You’ll tailor your learning journey to your interests, career goals and technical strengths — creating a graduate experience that’s uniquely yours. Much of your development will come through real project work, supported by your manager and mentor to ensure you gain the experiences that matter most.

The Graduate Development Program isn’t just a steppingstone — it’s a launchpad. You’ll gain the tools, exposure and support to unlock your potential, working on meaningful projects and collaborating with industry leaders to deliver solutions to complex challenges.

About the opportunity

Our Process Discipline team is located across the UK & Ireland, working for multiple clients on all aspects of water and wastewater treatment, bioresources, circular economy and climate mitigation and adaptation including feasibility assessment, capital design, optioneering, operational support, development impact assessment, optimisation and sustainable, circular futures.

As we continue to develop exciting prospects, we are looking for passionate graduates to join our Process teams located across the UK & Ireland, working with a wide range of water companies. This role will be on a hybrid working arrangement, operating as part of our national diverse and dynamic UK team. We offer the opportunity to work for our global client base and operate as a truly national collaborative team.

The successful candidate will have the opportunities to learn all aspects of water and wastewater treatment plant design and operation. You will be a motivative and innovative individual who embraces new methodologies and technologies and who has an interest in data. We will support you to convert your innovative ideas into practical solutions that tackle the challenges facing the water industry. We will support and encourage you to raise our and your own profile across the wider industry.

Primary Job Responsibilities:

• Taking on new challenges with Clients in the Water Industry.
• Development and use of process calculations, modelling, and assessment methods.
• Deliver on a wide variety of projects such as water trading, large capital design, water quality and network optimisation.
• Work with multi-disciplinary teams to help deliver projects within agreed timeframes and budgets and to exceed our Clients’ expectations.
• Maintain strong and collaborative working relationships and interactions with the Client.
• Promote a culture of knowledge sharing and continuous improvement by providing technical guidance and support to other members of the team.

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment in which staff can pursue their interests and develop new skills, whilst contributing to our growth strategy. In ensuring we do things right, we will support the development and expansion of our technical capabilities in areas where our clients need it, not just now but in the future. In challenging the accepted, we will continue to aim higher whilst delivering high quality technical work in a cost-effective way.

We are looking for talented graduates to work on a wide range of projects, and we offer excellent career progression while enabling you to play your role in protecting our environment and making a lasting impact. Whatever you decide to do, our friendly teams will be on hand to help you along the way.

The start date for this position is September 2027.

Here’s what you’ll need

• Be working towards a relevant Degree or Master’s level qualification in Chemical Engineering
• A flexible, proactive mindset and motivation to drive your career forward
• Adaptability and enthusiasm for learning
• Permanent right to work in the UK

Joining Jacobs not only connects you locally but globally. Our values stand on a foundation of safety, integrity, inclusion and belonging. We put people at the heart of our business, and we truly believe that by supporting one another through our culture of caring, we all succeed. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees.

With safety and flexibility always top of mind, we’ve gone beyond traditional ways of working so you have the support, means and space to maximize your potential. You’ll uncover flexible working arrangements, benefits, and opportunities, from well-being benefits to our global giving and volunteering program, to exploring new and inventive ways to help our clients make the world a better place. No matter what drives you, you’ll discover how you can cultivate, nurture, and achieve your goals – all at a single global company. Find out more about life at Jacobs .

We aim to embed inclusion and belonging in everything we do. We know that if we are inclusive, we’re more connected and creative. We accept people for who they are, and we champion the richness of different perspectives, lived experiences and backgrounds in the workplace, as a source of learning and innovation. We are committed to building vibrant communities within Jacobs, including through our Jacobs Employee Networks, Communities of Practice and our Find Your Community initiatives, allowing every employee to find connection, purpose, and belonging.Find out more about our Jacobs Employee Networks here .

Jacobs partners with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain talent from a wide range of backgrounds. For greater online accessibility please visit https://www.vercida.com/uk/employers/jacobs to view and access our roles.

As a disability confident employer, we will interview disabled candidates who best meet the criteria. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support .