KTP Associate in Continuous, Distributed River Water Quality Sensing

Diversity Dashboard; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Residential training programme

Development budget over £4,000

Hybrid working opportunities

Job summary

The University of Sheffield, in association with Anglian Water Services Ltd., are recruiting a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate to develop and validate a decision-support system for nitrate forecasting and management in water reservoirs across the UK.

You will lead numerical modelling, employ Python, and work across Anglian Water Huntingdon and Peterborough sites as well as the University of Sheffield, with a residential development programme and training budget to support your

Qualifications

• PhD (or equivalent) in Engineering, Physical Science or Applied Mathematics (Essential).
• Experience planning and running numerical modelling experiments and interpreting results (Essential).
• Demonstrated experience with optimization in numerical modelling (Essential).
• Proficiency in Python programming and writing code usable by others (Essential).
• Evidence of teamwork and presenting findings to diverse audiences (Essential).
• Ability to plan workload and meet deadlines (Essential).
• Ability to travel between project partners' premises (Essential).
• Experience with lake hydrodynamic and water quality models, particularly GLM (Desirable).
• Experience using ensemble weather forecasts in water resource applications (Desirable).

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the development of a decision-support system for nitrate forecasting and management.
• Demonstrate how the decision-support system informs operational and long-term investment decisions.
• Develop deployment protocols and technical documentation to embed the system within the partner organizations' frameworks.
• Communicate with Anglian Water and academic staff on economic, environmental, regulatory and scientific implications.
• Disseminate project outputs via publications and external events and engage potential water company customers.
• Lead the project, attend meetings, monitor milestones and produce technical documents.
• Engage with residential training and reporting for personal development.
• Work across multiple sites including Anglian Water Huntingdon and Peterborough offices, and the University of Sheffield.
• Carry out other duties commensurate with the grade.

Skills

Numerical modelling

Python programming

Optimization in modelling

Team collaboration

Analytical thinking

Communication

Project management

Education

PhD in Engineering/Physical Science/Applied Mathematics

Tools

General Lake Model (GLM)

Hydrodynamic modelling tools

Job description

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Overview

The University of Sheffield, in association with Anglian Water Services Ltd. are recruiting a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate to help develop and validate a groundbreaking decision-support system to jointly forecast (up to 3 months ahead) and manage water availability and quality in water supply reservoirs, with a focus on nitrate pollution. The technology has potential to immediately save millions of pounds, and to be deployed to reservoirs in the UK and beyond.

We are looking for a well-motivated individual, with a good technical background including numerical modelling and computer programming, and ideally experience of hydrodynamic and water quality modelling, seasonal weather forecasting system assimilation, and optimization under uncertainty. Working between Anglian Water and university premises, you will lead the development of the decision-support system, evaluate and improve its performance and lead its deployment for operational and investment decision-making (supported by Anglian Water Ltd.).

There will be significant opportunities for personal development including a residential programme at Ashorne Hill to further develop your professional skills and network. A generous development and training budget of over £4,000 is available. You will benefit from being a member of one of the largest urban water research groups in the UK, as well as gaining direct experience with one of the UK's most innovative and forward-looking water companies. We are also committed to exploring flexible working opportunities.

The successful postholder will be based in Anglian Water Services Limited, Lancaster House, Lancaster Way, Ermine Business Park, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 6XU and will also be required to travel and work at different sites including Peterborough and Sheffield.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Lead and manage the development of a decision-support system for nitrate forecasting and management.
• Demonstrate how that decision-support system can inform operational as well as long-term investment decisions.
• Develop deployment protocols and technical documentation to facilitate the embedding of the decision-support system within the strategic and operational frameworks the water company uses.
• Communicate effectively with key Anglian Water and academic staff to understand economic, environmental, regulatory and scientific implications of the project and ensure effective project management.
• Effectively disseminate project outputs via both publications, at external events (e.g. scientific conferences) and engagement with potential water company customers.
• Lead the project, attend project meetings, monitor milestones and produce technical documents as required. This includes planning your own workload to ensure the overall project milestones and objectives are met on time.
• Engage fully with the requirements of the knowledge transfer partnership scheme, including personal development and reporting. This includes attendance at residential training courses.
• Work across multiple sites, including at Anglian Water Huntingdon and Peterborough offices, and the University of Sheffield.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Criteria

• A PhD (or equivalent research and development experience) in a relevant Engineering, Physical Science (e.g. Physics/Chemistry), or Applied Mathematics subjects (Assessed at application) (Essential) (Application)
• Experience in planning and executing numerical modelling experiments and interpreting findings (Essential) (Application/interview)
• Demonstrable experience with optimization in numerical modelling. (Essential) (Application / interview)
• Demonstrable computer programming ability (in particular in Python), and to write code that others can use (Essential) (Application/interview)
• Evidence of working effectively in a team and presenting findings to a wide range of audiences (Essential) (Application/interview)
• Ability to plan own workload and prioritise conflicting deadlines (Essential) (Application/interview)
• Ability to make decisions and apply creative approaches to solving complex technical problems (Essential) (Application/interview)
• Appreciation of the commercial implications of decisions, particularly for costs (Essential) (Application/interview)
• Willingness and ability to travel between and work at project partners premises (Essential) (Application/interview)
• Experience of using lake hydrodynamic and water quality models, and in particular the General Lake Model (GLM) (Desirable) (Application/interview)
• Experience in using ensemble weather forecasts (such as seasonal forecasts) in water resource applications (Desirable) (Application/interview)

Further Information

• Grade: Off Scale
• Salary: £39,000 - £42,000
• Work arrangement: Full-time
• Duration: 26 months
• Line manager: Knowledge Base Supervisor
• Direct reports: N/A
• Right to work in the UK: If you do not currently hold the right to work in the UK, you can find more information here to help determine your visa eligibility. Additional guidance is also available on the UK Visa & Immigration website.
• Our website: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/mac
• For informal enquiries about this job contact Dr. Charles Rougé, (Knowledge Base Supervisor): on [e-mail]
• By applying, you are agreeing that we can share your information with Anglian Water Ltd.

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision (opens in new window).

What we offer

• A minimum of 26 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Full time hours of 37, typically 9-5pm but can be flexible as above.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women's and Parent's networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Academic Career Pathways
• A range of generous family-friendly policies
  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
  • access to menopause support in the workplace
  • paid time off and support for fertility treatment
  • and more

More details can be found on our benefits page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits (opens in a new window).

We are a Disability Confident Leader (opens in a new window). If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision ( www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision ) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.