Senior Hydrologist

Mott MacDonald; Manchester; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Pension contributions match

Annual bonus schemes

Hybrid working policy

Career development and mentoring

Job summary

Mott MacDonald is seeking a Senior Hydrologist to join our Water Consultancy Division. You will contribute across hydrology topics, climate resilience, and modelling, advising clients from UK and international water sectors.

You will lead forecasting, flood hydrology, and hydropower studies, while mentoring teams and delivering high-quality reports and presentations.

Qualifications

• Degree in hydrology, geography, maths, civil engineering or related field.
• Chartered status with a recognised professional institution.
• Knowledge of low flows hydrology and climate projections (UKCP18/CMIP5/6).
• Well organised with strong workload prioritisation and attention to detail.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of hydrology topics and provide technical advice.
• Conduct low flow assessments and water systems modelling for drought scenarios.
• Implement hydrological forecasting systems.
• Estimate future climate variable changes using global/regional projections.
• Carry out flood hydrology studies incorporating climate change impacts.
• Lead hydropower feasibility studies and verify energy generation.
• Conduct climate change risk assessments of assets or portfolios.
• Lead bid and proposal writing across water resources and related sectors.
• Provide senior oversight and mentoring to the team.
• Produce high quality reports and client presentations.

Skills

Hydrology

Low flows hydrology

Climate change modelling

Forecasting systems

Hydrogeology

Education

Degree in hydrology/geography/engineering

Chartered status

Tools

GR6J

Catchmod

PDM

WEAP

Pywr

Job description

Location/s: Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Leeds, London, Manchester, Reading, Sheffield; UK

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices.

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual.

As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About The Division

The Water Consultancy Division is Mott MacDonald’s centre of excellence for responding to water and wastewater challenges, offering fantastic opportunities to get involved in diverse and technically challenging work. The work we do is at the forefront of ensuring safe water supplies for future generations and protecting our environment.

Our multi-disciplinary teams provide a variety of services throughout the full project life cycle, from advisory services and feasibility studies, through outline and detailed design, to construction support and site supervision.

Overview Of The Role

Do you want to work for a company whose purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes, and to transform businesses, communities, and opportunities for its employees? Mott MacDonald is a global consultancy whose people do exactly that.

As a Senior Hydrologist, you will be an integral part of our wider Water Resources and Flooding services which brings together a wealth of knowledge and experience in hydrology, hydrogeology, water quality, catchment management, climate resilience, hydraulic modelling, flood risk, computational fluid dynamics and associated disciplines.

We have an exceptionally strong record in providing hydrology and climate science services and expertise to the UK and international water and hydropower sectors. Our clients are increasingly demanding better predictions of the impact of climate change on the availability of water and the frequency and magnitude of floods, and we are continually innovating to support them. We have developed advanced rainfall-runoff models and weather generators as well as our own digital tool to interrogate and process the latest climate projections and run meteorological forecasts. Our portfolio includes the major UK water companies as well as the EA and SEPA. We are regularly involved in hydropower projects around the world supporting developers and lenders, and we undertake climate change risk assessments and impact assessments at a local, regional or national scale.

You will be responsible for:

• Leading delivery of and provision of technical advice to a wide range of hydrology topics including
• Low flow assessments and water systems modelling to define the availability of water for supply during droughts
• Implementation of hydrological forecasting systems
• Estimation of changes in climate variables in the future by using global or regional projections
• Flood hydrology studies incorporating the impact of climate change
• Hydropower feasibilities studies, including the definition of design floods and the verification of energy generation
• Climate change risk assessments of assets or portfolios of assets
• Leading bid and proposal writing across water resources, environmental and engineering sectors.
• Providing senior oversight and mentoring to the team
• Producing high quality reports and presentations for clients

You will have control of your own career path, which we will support through mentoring and training, but above all by giving you the opportunities to face new challenges and take more responsibilities. Alongside your technical role, you will have the opportunity to develop your skills in project management and business development through engaging with our water sector and regulatory framework clients.

You can look forward to many opportunities to do great things in Mott MacDonald. We combine heritage, vision and values into an ethos that encourages innovative thinking and career progression, whether technical, management or commercial/client-facing. Our employee-owned structure brings us the flexibility to pursue our values freely. With us, you will have control of your own career path and technical direction, which we will support by giving you the opportunities to face new challenges and take on more responsibilities.

Candidate specification

We are looking for someone with a proven track record in the field and with a passion for learning and innovating in this fast-moving discipline.

Essential:

• Relevant degree level qualification (such as hydrology, geography, mathematics, civil engineering, or other related discipline)
• Chartered Status with a recognised Professional Institution
• Knowledge of low flows hydrology which could include rainfall-runoff modelling, or applying UKCP18 and CMIP5/6 projections to climate change impact assessments
• Well organised and able to prioritise your own workload
• Logical and pragmatic approach to problem solving, attention to detail and an ambition to innovate
• Excellent communication and written skills

Desirable:

• Professional consultancy experience in water resources and hydrology
• Post graduate level qualification in hydrology, water resources management or other related discipline.
• Understanding of the regulatory requirements as regards the UK water resources management planning process is preferred.
• Experience in rainfall-runoff modelling packages such as GR6J, Catchmod or PDM will be an advantage.
• Experience in water systems modelling, such as Aquator, WEAP or Pywr will be an advantage.
• Coding/statistical techniques will be an advantage.

We are actively recruiting a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve. We recognise that differences in ability, skills and experience are a strength and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Agile working

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at [e-mail] and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Employee Ownership

• Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.
• Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
• As your career grows, so does your stake, recognising your long-term impact and contribution.
• Your voice matters, with the opportunity to connect directly with senior leadership through formal channels to help shape our future.
• For our senior roles you will have a direct pathway towards ownership from day one.

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• 10 days additional paid leave for Armed Forces Reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.
• We offer policies and dedicated support to help military families balance service life with career and wellbeing.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and Gold Award holders in the MOD Employer Recognition Scheme, supported by our dedicated internal Armed Forces Network.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Location(s): Cambridge, GB Glasgow, GB Bristol, GB Manchester, GB Reading, GB Leeds, GB London, GB Inverness, GB Edinburgh, GB Sheffield, GB

Contract Type: Permanent

Work Pattern: Full Time

Market: Water

Discipline: Environment

Job Ref: 15581