Process Scientist

Southern Water; Brighton; Hybrid; GBP 33,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

A water services company is seeking a Process Scientist to ensure compliance at wastewater treatment facilities. This role involves providing technical advice, conducting pollution investigations, and optimising operations. Candidates should have a strong background in wastewater and solid communication skills to translate technical information. This position comes with a standby rota requirement and is hybrid with on-site visits necessary.

Qualifications

• Technical knowledge of wastewater, sludge, R&D, trade and waste.
• Ability to utilize company specific information systems effectively.
• Understanding legislative and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical advice on wastewater treatment processes.
• Carry out pollution investigations and inform stakeholders.
• Conduct professional reviews of data and wastewater trends.
• Identify key capital investment requirements for compliance.
• Provide technical expertise to on-site contractors.

Skills

Scientific testing skills

Good communication skills

Inquisitiveness in compliance risk identification

Tools

Pi Process Book

Process management system

Job description

Overview

Closing Date: 26/09/2025

Job Title: Process Scientist

Location: Falmer - Hybrid however site visits will be required based on operational needs - Driving licence is essential

Work type: Fixed Term Contract – Ending August 2026

Hours: 37

Salary: Up to £39,000 per annum

Each day Southern Water treat and recycle 718 million litres of wastewater from almost two million homes at 368 Wastewater Treatment Works. The role of the Process Scientist is to review and anticipate compliance risks, protect the environment and drive capex investment at the Wastewater Treatment Works. As part of this role, you will be required to provide technical support on all aspects of wastewater, sludge treatment and waste management and R&D.

Your area of responsibility will include optimisation of chemicals, power, manpower whilst ensuring best possible compliance. You will be our technical experts that drive wastewater compliance at Southern Water mitigating the risk of future compliance breaches whereby it is critical for you to investigate pollution incidents at Wastewater Treatment Works and collaborate with Operators to Protect the Environment, for Field Performance Managers, Area Operational Managers and the Pollution Team to minimise and prevent any future pollutions.

Responsibilities

• To provide technical advice to Operations on the operation of Wastewater Treatment processes including setting individual site Operating Plans, Site Process Activity Manual, monitoring of compliance, power and chemical costs, investigating and advising of corrective actions
• To carry out Pollution investigations and inform stakeholders the outcome of the investigations and liaise with EA
• To carry out professional reviews of exceptional data and wastewater trends, taking appropriate action as required, to ensure any process problems/possible breaches are pre-empted and to proactively highlight early warning triggers to possible compliance breaches.
• To carry out full investigations with root cause analysis in the case of a breach, site investigation report or process audit; making recommendations and following up on any scientific actions required and flagging all other issues to the manager
• To identify key capital investment requirements for Southern Water in order to ensure that Wastewater Treatment Works remain compliant and so are a key role in ensuring Southern Water meets its serviceability requirements and targets. Attend HAZOP and ALM meetings for capital schemes
• To provide technical and procedural expertise to on-site contractors and be an integral part of a Capital Scheme or remedial work on any Southern Water wastewater treatment works and to be responsible for ensuring the site remains compliant whilst work is implemented and carried out by Contractors

Qualifications and Skills

To be successful in this role, you will have technical knowledge and understanding of relevant area of specialism (wastewater, sludge, R&D, trade and waste) with scientific testing skills incorporating the use of specialist equipment and procedures. You will be able to utilise company specific information systems (e.g. Pi Process Book, process management system) with good understanding of the relevant business processes and the legislative and regulatory requirements affecting the company and their role.

You will have good communication skills – must be able to translate technical requirements into layman’s terms primarily for plant operators but also for other parts of the business as required with the ability to influence and persuade others. Your inquisitiveness will create opportunities to identify areas of potential or actual compliance risk or pollution risk at sites and in site processes from monitoring to investigations and determining appropriate course of action.

This role comes with the requirement to be part of a standby rota