Water Quality Analyst - Senior/Principal grade

JBA Group; Wallingford; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading environmental consultancy in the UK seeks a skilled professional to lead water quality modelling efforts. This role involves guiding junior staff, liaising with stakeholders, and ensuring technical quality in projects. Applicants should have a relevant degree, ideally near Chartered status, and experience in water modelling. The position supports hybrid working and offers opportunities for client engagement. Competitive compensation is provided, along with the chance to grow in a dynamic team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in geography, environmental science, geoscience, or chemistry.
• Near Chartered status with an appropriate professional body.
• Experience in water quality modelling.

Responsibilities

• Bidding for Water Cycle Studies and guiding junior staff.
• Reviewing UPM water quality models and modelling reports.
• Liaising with stakeholders such as local authorities and water companies.

Skills

Water quality modelling

Stakeholder liaison

GIS (ArcGIS/QGIS)

Effective communication

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in geography, environmental science, or related field

Tools

MIKE+

ArcGIS

Python

Job description

Overview

JBA has a well established workstream and reputation delivering water cycle studies for local authorities. A water cycle study includes assessing water resources and supply, wastewater networks and treatment required for future developments. We have secured a major five-year UPM water quality modelling framework for the AMP8 period for a water company in England and aim to expand this work with further companies in future. JBA also has contracts with water companies across England for whole catchment modelling to inform solutions to nutrient pollution using nature-based solutions. JBA supports hybrid working and has offices in the UK, Ireland, Romania, India, Singapore and Australia.

Visit https://www.jbaconsulting.com to find out more.

We are an award-winning environmental and engineering consultancy which puts innovation, sustainability and resilience at the heart of its work and invest in lifelong learning and skills development for our people.

The role

In addition to water quality, JBA is involved with a range of water resources work. We support water companies to develop water resource management plans, including resource modelling, and aim to widen our resource work for more companies, including integrated water resource planning. We are working with water companies developing Strategic Resource Options and groups of agricultural abstractors to plan local resource options in England to support the agricultural sector. JBA is part of the hydrology and water resources framework to SSE to provide hydrological assessments to inform hydropower schemes in Scotland.

Responsibilities

• Bidding for Water Cycle Studies, guiding junior staff and reviewing client reports.
• Reviewing UPM water quality models built with MIKE+ and modelling reports for the AMP8 framework.
• Reviewing SIMCAT catchment models and results.
• Reviewing work using the Environment Agency’s discharge modelling tool – River Quality Planning (RQP).
• Reviewing assessments of highway discharges with National Highways water quality risk assessment tool [HEWRAT].
• Liaising with stakeholders such as the Environment Agency, Natural England, local authorities, water companies and National Highways.

For a candidate with relevant experience there would be opportunity to develop and review water resource modelling and plans for water companies, the agricultural and energy sector.

Team member profile

We are primarily looking for a candidate with proven experience, who would enjoy leading and reviewing technical water quality work. They will have the ability to win work, establish client relationships and guide junior staff. We would also be interested to hear from candidates with a water resource background.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) – geography, environmental science, geoscience, chemistry or related field is required. A master’s degree is not essential but advantageous if related to water management, water resource management, hydrology.
• Near Chartered status with an appropriate professional body (candidates are required to be close to or have already achieved chartered status).

Essential attributes

• Experience of working in a water quality discipline, ideally water quality modelling.
• Ability to work autonomously and have in depth knowledge of their area of expertise.
• Proven experience reviewing technical modelling and reporting.
• Proven experience leading, guiding and developing junior team members.
• Ability to establish and maintain impactful client relationships.
• Effective communication skills to a variety of audiences.
• Can contribute to business growth - lead in winning work.
• Proficient in GIS (ArcGIS/QGIS).

Desirable experience

• Reviewing Water Cycle Studies.
• Reviewing MIKE+/MIKE11, SAGIS-SIMCAT, RQP water quality modelling work.
• Using and reviewing work with other hydraulic modelling packages (Infoworks ICM, Tuflow, Flood modeller).
• Developing or evaluating water resource/drought management plans.
• Developing or evaluating drainage and wastewater management plans.
• Developing catchment management plans.
• Delivering training internally and/or externally.
• Coding – Python/R.
• Hydrological/rainfall runoff modelling.
• Reviewing aquator and/or Pywr models.

Location

The role is available at various JBA offices. If you would like to know more, please contact us.

Contact

For further information or an informal discussion about this position, please contact Jenny Grist on 01491 836688.