Now is the perfect time to join us in shaping the future of water! Are you a research engineer or scientist passionate about tackling climate challenges through nationally recognised projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support Net-Zero goals? Are you keen to contribute to Ofwat Innovation Fund projects focusing on wastewater solutions? If your answer is yes, keep reading! This is your chance to become part of a dynamic team that values creativity and innovation and to make a significant impact in Research, Development, and Innovation (RD&I) at Thames Water.
What you will be doing as a Research Engineer/Scientist
- First and foremost, Research, Development and Innovation.
- Providing an innovative outlook and a natural curiosity for wastewater treatment technologies and solutions.
- Scanning the horizon for new technologies or strategies for solving some of the most significant challenges in the water sector.
- Getting Research, Development, and Innovation projects off the ground while making significant technical contributions to others.
- Designing, planning, implementing, and monitoring activities to ensure smooth operation and high-quality outputs.
- Analysing data (preferably using Python, MATLAB or similar) and logging information to produce robust results, conclusions, and recommendations for business strategy and beyond.
- Writing, structuring and reviewing high-quality technical reports for communication with internal and external stakeholders.
- Participating in and presenting project outputs at internal and external meetings.
- Developing excellent working relationships with internal clients, external contractors/suppliers, and research organisations.
- Promote research, development, and innovation to customers and stakeholders to make our projects visible.
This Hybrid role is based at Reading Sewage Treatment Works. However, depending on project requirements, the successful candidate should attend the office and other Thames Water sites.
36 hours a week, Monday to Friday.
Must have a valid UK driving licence.
What you should bring to the role
- Hold a degree in science or engineering or equivalent in a relevant discipline.
- Background in industry experience in a related discipline.
- Have relevant technical knowledge of the industry, such as utilities.
- Good practical skills relevant to the operation and maintenance of pilot plants.
- Excellent communication and technical reporting skills.
What’s in it for you?
- Competitive salary between £40,000 to £50,000 per annum.
- 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (Plus bank holidays).
- Contributory pension – Defined Contribution - Maximum of 12% -2x employee contribution.
- Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year.
- A wider benefits scheme, including our benefits hub, is packed with offers and information to save you money and support your well-being.
- Contribution to becoming chartered as an engineer or scientist through your chosen institution.
Who are we?
At Thames Water, our purpose is crystal clear - to deliver life’s essential service so our customers, communities and planet can thrive.
Water is life’s great leveller. Every living thing needs it, every single day. From people to plants, birds to bees, farms to factories, we all need it to thrive, and we’re committed to taking care of it for us all.
But keeping water flowing is becoming harder. From scorching summers to wetter winters, extreme weather affects everything from our pipes to our local rivers. We need to keep millions more kettles boiling, public services operating, washing machines spinning, showers running and more, so every drop is more precious than ever. Are you ready to play your part?
Working at Thames Water
At Thames Water, we recognise that people are at the heart of our business. To help us succeed in providing life's essential service, we need a range of skills and capabilities, representative of society throughout our business.
We seek to attract and retain a cultural mix of people who can offer different but complementary attitudes, values, talents, and knowledge. We understand the importance of appreciating and harnessing the unique skills, experiences, backgrounds, and differences that each individual brings.
Our over-arching diversity and inclusion aim is to ensure Thames Water is a diverse and inclusive great place to work. We encourage applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process.
Find out more about working at Thames Water.
When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business, meet colleagues and earn some extra money along the way.
Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to
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