Graduate Programme 2026 – Development Services

Scottish Water; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

A major water services company seeks graduates for its 2026 Development Services Graduate Programme in Edinburgh. Successful candidates will manage customer applications and help deliver essential services through a variety of placements. Starting salary is £30,000 with a pathway to a permanent role starting at £36,410. The position offers 38 days of holiday and flexible work options.

Benefits

38 days holiday including public holidays

Annual company bonus

Access to training and mentoring

Paid time off for volunteering

Qualifications

• Graduated within the last three years or on track to graduate this summer.
• Minimum 2:2 classification required.
• Valid UK driving licence may be required for some placements.

Responsibilities

• Review customer applications and coordinate connection processes.
• Manage relationships with a wide range of customers.
• Handle complaints and identify opportunities to streamline processes.

Skills

Customer service

Technical detail interpretation

Problem-solving

Education

Degree in Engineering, Environmental Science, Geography or related subject

Job description

Together we are Trusted to Serve Scotland.

Graduate Programme 2026 – Development Services

Ready to own your future?

At Scottish Water, our graduate programmes empower you to drive change, tackle real challenges , and shape Scotland’s future. This is more than just a launchpad for your career - it's an opportunity to make a meaningful impact. As part of our team, you’ll play a key role in delivering essential services and infrastructure that help Scotland flourish every day.

You’ll be joining us at a fascinating time, as we transform into a more agile, innovative organisation that delivers outstanding service, provides great value for money, and works in an environmentally sustainable way that goes beyond Net Zero. Start a career that’s built for you, today.

What you’ll do

As a Development Services Specialist Graduate, you’ll be at the heart of our Development Operations team in Development Services. From day one, you’ll be involved in reviewing customer applications, figuring out how our assets can best meet their needs, and coordinating the connection process from start to finish. You’ll work closely with colleagues and customers to keep development projects running smoothly, all in compliance with health, safety, and environmental standards.

You’ll manage relationships with a wide range of customers, from large developers to individual homeowners, ensuring their experience with Scottish Water is a great one. You’ll also collaborate with senior leaders, building strong partnerships and sharing your expertise to keep things on track. This may include meeting customers on‑site, where you can connect face‑to‑face and really understand their needs.

You’ll be the point of support when things get tricky – handling complaints, unpicking complex issues, and sharing best practice. You’ll also help us work smarter by spotting opportunities to streamline processes and championing change initiatives that benefit customers, colleagues, and the business alike.

Over the two‑year programme, you’ll rotate through a variety of placements that will grow your knowledge, confidence and technical skills. In addition to working within our Remote Inspections Team, you can also expect to spend some time in our Contact Centre, Business Improvement Team, Connections Team, or even in our Water Operations Team, where you’ll gain a breadth of experience and improve your understanding of Scottish Water as a whole.

This broad exposure will help you appreciate how different areas work together and where your strengths and interests lie, while equipping you with the knowledge and experience to thrive as a capable, trusted DS Technical Specialist.

At the end of the programme, you’ll move into a permanent role as a DS Technical Specialist, where you’ll continue to make a real impact on Scotland’s water services.

How does the graduate programme work?

You’ll be employed on a permanent contract from Day One, with a starting salary of £30,000.

As you progress through the programme and reach key milestones, you’ll be rewarded with salary increases that recognise your growth and commitment to ongoing learning. Upon completing the programme, you’ll move into a permanent Development Services Technical Specialist role, starting from £36,410. For more details, please visit www.scottishwater.co.uk/graduates.

There is plenty of support. As well as your day‑to‑day manager, we’ll match you up with a mentor who will support and coach you as you go through your programme.

You’ll have access to both structured and informal training designed to equip you with the skills you need now, and in the future.

What you’ll need

You’ll have graduated within the last three years (or be on track to graduate this summer) with a degree in Engineering, Environmental Science, Geography or a related subject. But we know that great problem‑solvers come from all kinds of backgrounds. If you’re someone who can get to grips with technical detail, interpret plans confidently and provide brilliant customer service, we’d love to hear from you. We’re looking for a minimum 2:2 classification.

A valid UK driving licence and regular access to a vehicle may be required, as some placements will involve travel to sites across Central Scotland.

In terms of essential requirements? That’s it.

Looking out for you

While the work we do is important, it’s not the only thing that matters. That’s why we make sure you have everything you need to find a good work‑life balance.

You’ll get plenty of time to recharge with 38 days of holiday every year (including public holidays). And you can even buy five more if you need a little extra time. You can also take paid time off to volunteer in your community.

When it comes to major life events we have family‑friendly policies around adoption, maternity, and parental leave. And for the everyday? We embrace flexible working and operate on a ‘Balanced Hybrid’ approach, meaning we encourage people to spend half of their time in a Scottish Water location.

For your future, there’s our pension (the ‘know‑what‑you’ll‑get‑when‑you‑retire’ kind), as well as life assurance.

As for some nice extras? You can expect an annual company bonus. Not to mention access to SW Splash – handy rewards that can save you money on holidays, bills, and shopping.

What happens next?

• The closing date for applications is 11:59pm on Sunday 14th December.
• Assessment activity will kick off on Friday 19th December with some surprisingly fun (no, really!) online testing. You can read more about the full application process here: Graduate Application Process - Scottish Water.
• Final face‑to‑face interviews will commence at the end of January, finishing on February 13th. Where you can give us a good grilling too.
• If you accept a place on the programme, you’ll go through some pre‑employment screening during the Spring, including a criminal record check.
• All our new Graduates will start together in September, with a comprehensive induction event to set you up for success from day one. You’ll learn more about the organisation, meet our leaders, visit some of our operational sites, start making friends, and have a lot of fun.

A few final things worth knowing…

Research shows that some people avoid applying for jobs unless they can meet every single criteria. If you’re interested in this job, but don’t tick all the boxes, apply anyway! We hardly ever hire people who can do every part of a job from Day One. Everyone has a learning curve. So don’t rule yourself out!

Let us know if there are any changes we can make to our recruitment process to help you perform at your best. Lots of our people have disabilities or neurodiverse conditions (including some of our recruiters!). We're also aware that some people might be experiencing temporary challenges because of life events, like menopause. We’re very used to making adjustments, so please don’t be afraid to ask.

As part of our commitment to developing a flourishing Scotland, it’s important that all our employees are Scottish taxpayers. If you join us, your home address will need to be in Scotland. If you don’t already live here, you'll need to commit to moving here within your first three months.

Please note, Scottish Water takes the safety, health and wellbeing of our employees, colleagues and customers very seriously and as such you may be subject to Drug & Alcohol testing in line with our policy.

Finally (finally!), candidates who haven’t submitted an application in the last 12 months will have their records removed from our recruitment database. You won’t need to do anything. Your data will be automatically deleted.

We’re here to help. Ask us anything at [e-mail]