Principal Clean Water Network Modeller

Arcadis; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Arcadis is seeking a Principal Clean Water Modeller to provide technical leadership in clean water distribution network modelling. You will lead modelling strategies, calibrate models, and deliver scenario analyses to support growth and resilience.

You will mentor junior modellers, ensure QA and documentation standards, and engage with clients to explain assumptions and results. A strong civil/water engineering background and product familiarity are essential.

Qualifications

• Degree (or equivalent) in Civil Engineering, Water Engineering, Environmental Engineering.
• Significant experience in clean water distribution network modelling within consultancy or water company environments.
• Strong understanding of water distribution hydraulics and operational behaviour.
• Proven ability to produce high-quality technical documentation and QA records.

Responsibilities

• Act as technical lead for clean water modelling commissions and define modelling strategies.
• Build, update, and maintain clean water network models (steady-state and EPANET/EPANET-like).
• Calibrate and validate models against flow, pressure, and level data.
• Deliver scenario modelling to support growth, resilience, and investment planning.
• Maintain documentation, change control, and model development records.
• Lead technical discussions with clients and mentor junior modellers.

Skills

Water distribution hydraulics

Technical documentation

QA & modelling governance

Education

Degree in Civil Engineering / Water Engineering / Environmental Engineering

Tools

InfoWorks WS Pro

Synergi Water

EPANET

ArcGIS

QGIS

Excel

Python

Job description

Arcadis

Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets. We are more than 34,000 people, in over 30 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life. Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can solve the world’s most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.

Role description

As a Principal Clean Water Modeller, you will provide technical leadership in the development and application of clean water (potable water) distribution network models. You will support planning, resilience, operational strategy, and capital delivery projects, leading the quality and assurance of modelling outputs. Working closely with clients and internal teams, you will define robust, fit-for-purpose modelling approaches that support sustainable outcomes and Arcadis' purpose of improving quality of life.

Role accountabilities

Technical Leadership & Governance

• Act as technical lead for clean water modelling commissions, defining modelling strategies and ensuring outputs are fit for purpose.
• Provide independent technical assurance, model reviews, and sign-off of deliverables with clear audit trails.
• Develop and promote best practice, guidance, and standard templates across the modelling community.

Modelling Delivery

• Build, update, and maintain clean water network models (steady-state and extended period simulation).
• Undertake demand allocation, asset representation (pumps, PRVs, reservoirs, tanks), and operational control logic.
• Carry out calibration and validation against flow, pressure, and level data.
• Deliver scenario modelling to support growth, resilience, outage planning, pressure management, leakage reduction, and investment planning.

Standards, Specifications & Quality

• Ensure compliance with client modelling specifications and water company standards.
• Maintain rigorous documentation, change control, and model development records.

Client & Stakeholder Management

• Lead technical discussions with clients, clearly explaining assumptions, limitations, and results.
• Support scope definition, data strategy, and confidence assessment at project inception.

Line Management, Coaching & Community

• Mentor and develop junior and senior modellers, supporting technical excellence and capability growth.
• Contribute to resource planning, task leadership, and a collaborative team culture.

Work Winning & Growth

• Support bids and proposals, including defining modelling methodologies, scope, programme, and fee inputs.

Qualifications & Experience

Typical Software & Tools

• Clean water modelling software (e.g. InfoWorks WS Pro, Synergi Water, EPANET).
• GIS platforms (ArcGIS / QGIS).
• Data analysis and reporting tools (Excel, Python, databases).

Essential

• Degree (or equivalent experience) in Civil Engineering, Water Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Significant experience in clean water distribution network modelling within consultancy or water company environments.
• Strong understanding of water distribution hydraulics and operational behaviour.
• Proven ability to produce high-quality technical documentation and QA records.

Desirable

• Chartered (or working towards chartership) with a relevant professional institution (e.g. ICE, CIWEM).
• Experience with water quality modelling concepts (e.g. water age, chlorine decay).
• Experience developing automation, QA tools, or advanced GIS/data workflows.

Why Arcadis?

We can only achieve our goals when everyone is empowered to be their best. We believe everyone's contribution matters. It's why we are pioneering a skills-based approach, where you can harness your unique experience and expertise to carve your career path and maximize the impact we can make together.

You'll do meaningful work, and no matter what role, you'll be helping to deliver sustainable solutions for a more prosperous planet. Make your mark, on your career, your colleagues, your clients, your life and the world around you.

Together, we can create a lasting legacy.

Join Arcadis. Create a Legacy.

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We want you to be able to bring your best self to work every day which is why we take equality and inclusion seriously and hold ourselves to account for our actions. Our ambition is to be an employer of choice and provide a great place to work for all our people. We believe that by working together diverse people with different experiences develop the most innovative ideas. Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of how we improve quality of life and we work closely with our people across six ED&I Workstreams: Age, Disability, Faith, Gender, LGBT+ and Race. A diverse and skilled workforce is essential to our success.

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