Together we are Trusted to Serve Scotland. Graduate  Programme  2026 â  Development Services  Ready to own your future?  At Scottish Water, our graduate programmes empower you to drive change, tackle  real challenges, and shape Scotlandâs future. This is more than just a launchpad for your career -  it's  an opportunity to make a meaningful impact. As part of our team,  youâll  play a key role in delivering essential services and infrastructure that help Scotland flourish every day.  Youâll  be joining us at a fascinating time, as we transform into a more agile, innovative organisation that delivers outstanding service, provides  great value  for money, and works in an environmentally sustainable way that goes beyond Net Zero. Start a career  thatâs  built for you, today.  What  youâll  do  As a D evelopment Services  Specialist Graduate,  youâll  be at the heart of our  Development Operations team  in Development  Services. From day one,  youâll  be involved in reviewing customer applications, figuring out how our assets can best meet their needs, and coordinating the connection process from start to finish.  Youâll  work closely with colleagues and customers to keep development projects running smoothly, all in compliance with health, safety, and environmental standards.  Youâll  manage relationships with a wide range of customers, from large developers to individual homeowners, ensuring their experience with Scottish Water is a great one.  Youâll  also collaborate with senior leaders, building strong  partnerships  and sharing your  expertise  to keep things on track. This may include meeting customers on-site, where you can connect face-to-face and really understand their needs.  Youâll  be the re to support  when things get tricky  -  handling complaints, unpicking complex issues, and sharing best practice.  Youâll  also help us work smarter by spotting opportunities to streamline processes and  championing  change initiatives that  benefit  customers, colleagues, and  the business  alike.  Over the two-year  programme,  you âll  rotate through  a variety of  placements  that will  grow  you r  knowledge,  confidence  and technical skills. In addition to working within our Remote Inspections Team, you can  also  expect to  spend  some  time in our Contact Centre, Business Improvement Team,  Connections Team,  or even  in  our Water Operations Team, where youâll gain a breadth of experience and improve your understanding of Scottish Water as  a  whole.   This broad exposure will help you appreciate how different areas work together and where your strengths and interests lie, while equipping you with the knowledge and experience to thrive as a capable, trusted DS Technical Specialist.  At the end of the  programme,  youâll  move into a permanent role as a DS Technical Specialist, where  youâll  continue to make a real impact on Scotlandâs water services.  How does the graduate  programme  work?  Youâll  be employed on a permanent contract from Day One, with a starting salary of £ 3 0,000.   As you progress through the  programme  and reach key milestones,  youâll  be rewarded with salary increases that  recognise  your growth and commitment to ongoing learning. Upon completing the  programme,  youâll  move into a permanent D evelopment Services  Technical Specialist role, starting from  £ 36,410.  For more details, please visit  www.scottishwater.co.uk/graduates .   There is plenty of support. As well as your day-to-day manager,  weâll  match you up with a mentor who will support and coach you as you go through your  programme.    Youâll  have access to both structured and informal training designed to equip you with the skills you need now, and in the future.  What  youâll  need  Youâll  have graduated within the last three years (or be on track to graduate this summer) with a degree in Engineering, Environmental Science,  Geography  or a related subject. But we know that great problem-solvers come from all kinds of backgrounds. If  youâre  someone who can  get to  grips with technical  detail, interpret plans confidently and provide brilliant customer service,  weâd  love to hear from you.  Weâre  looking for a  minimum  2:2  classification.  A valid UK driving  licence  and regular access to a vehicle may be  required, as some placements will involve travel to sites across  Central  Scotland.  In terms of essential requirements?  Thatâs  it.  But  hereâs  the thing: We get thousands of applications for our Graduate roles each year. What makes the best candidates stand out?  Here are a few things we love to see:  CVs that tell us more than what grades you earned over the years. Show us what  youâve  learned. What you love. What your aspirations are.  Cover letters that tell us why  youâre  interested in Scottish Water (and in this role)  People who use their application to show that they are Bold, Responsible, Inspiring and Caring.  Looking out for you  While the work we do is important,  itâs  not the only thing that matters.  Thatâs  why we make sure you have everything you need to find a good work-life balance.⯠ Youâll  get plenty of time to recharge with 38 days of holiday every year (including public holidays). And you can even buy five more if you need a little extra time. You can also take paid time off to volunteer in your community.⯠ When it comes to major life events we have family-friendly policies around adoption, maternity, and parental leave. And for the everyday? We embrace flexible working and  operate  on a âBalanced Hybridâ approach, meaning we encourage people to spend half of their time in a Scottish Water location.  For your future,  thereâs  our pension (the âknow-what-youâll-get-when-you-retireâ kind), as well as life assurance.  As for some nice extras? You can expect an annual company bonus. Not to mention access to SW Splash â handy rewards that can save you money on holidays, bills, and shopping.   What happens next? ⯠ The closing date for applications is  11:59pm on  Sunday 14 th  December.  Assessment activity will kick off in on Friday 19 th  December with some surprisingly fun (no, really!) online testing.⯠You can read more about the full application process here:  Graduate Application Process - Scottish Water  Final face-to-face interviews will  commence  at the end of January, finishing on February 13th. Where you can give us a good grilling too.⯠ If you accept a place on the programme,  youâll  go through some pre-employment screening during the Spring, including a criminal record check.⯠ All our new Graduates will start together in September, with a comprehensive induction event to set you up for success from day one.  Youâll  learn more about the organisation, meet our leaders, visit some of our operational sites, start making friends, and have a lot of fun.⯠    A few final things worth knowing⦠ Research shows that some people avoid applying for jobs unless they can meet every single criteria. If youâre interested in this job, but donât tick all the boxes, apply anyway! We hardly ever hire people who can do every part of a job from Day One. Everyone has a learning curve. So donât rule yourself out!  Let us know if there are any changes we can make to our recruitment process to help you perform at your best. Lots of our people have disabilities or neurodiverse conditions (including some of our recruiters!). We're also aware that some people might be experiencing temporary challenges because of life events, like menopause. Weâre very used to making adjustments, so please donât be afraid to ask.  As part of our commitment to developing a flourishing Scotland, itâs important that all our employees are Scottish taxpayers. If you join us, your home address will need to be in Scotland. If you donât already live here, you'll need to commit to moving here within your first three months. Please note, Scottish Water takes the safety, health and wellbeing of our employees, colleagues and customers very seriously and as such you may be subject to Drug & Alcohol testing in line with our policy. Finally (finally!), candidates who havenât submitted an application in the last 12 months will have their records removed from our recruitment database. You wonât need to do anything. Your data will be automatically deleted. Weâre here to help. Ask us anything a t SWRecruitment@ScottishWater.co.uk Â