Salary: £44,625 - £52,500 (depending on experience)
Location: Washington, Tyne and Wear
Type: Full Time – 37 hours | Permanent
About The Role
We’re currently seeking a passionate and knowledgeable Water Quality Scientist to join our busy Water Quality team at Northumbrian Water. This is an exciting opportunity to play a vital role in safeguarding public health and ensuring we continue to meet our regulatory commitments for drinking water quality.
In this role, you’ll act as a technical expert, assessing risks to public health across both planned and reactive work. You’ll investigate a wide range of issues that can affect water quality, preparing clear, robust technical reports and carrying out detailed technical audits of water treatment processes and network assets. Your expertise will be central to ensuring our assets and systems operate to the highest standards.
You’ll be accountable for water quality performance at assigned treatment works and assets, using data and insight to assess performance, identify improvement opportunities and promote best practice across the business. A strong understanding of water quality legislation will be essential as you support its effective integration into day‑to‑day operations.
Protecting public health is at the heart of this role. You’ll provide trusted technical advice to internal teams and external partners, building strong relationships with key stakeholders such as Local Authorities, the UK Health Security Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate. Collaboration and clear communication will be key as you help influence positive outcomes and maintain confidence in our water quality.
The role also includes participation in a standby rota, where you’ll provide expert support and advice on water quality matters as they arise. If you’re motivated by making a real difference, enjoy solving complex technical challenges and want to be part of a team dedicated to delivering safe, high‑quality drinking water, we’d love to hear from you.
About You
This is a wide‑ranging and varied role that will suit someone who is adaptable, organised and confident in managing competing priorities. We’re looking for a candidate with a strong background in regulations and risk assessment, underpinned by a degree in a relevant scientific discipline. A good understanding of drinking water regulations, along with knowledge of water treatment and distribution systems, would be a strong advantage.
You’ll bring proven experience of working with, consulting and influencing a range of stakeholders, and you’ll remain effective and level‑headed when working in pressurised or fast‑moving situations. Confidence in presenting technical information to large audiences is desirable, as this will form an important part of the role.
Clear and concise report writing is essential, as is the ability to communicate complex information in a way that can be understood by people at all levels of the organisation and beyond. If you enjoy variety, thrive on responsibility and are motivated by protecting public health through high‑quality science and collaboration, this role offers a rewarding and impactful career opportunity.
Diversity, Inclusion & Equality
Here at Northumbrian Water, we embrace and value Diversity, Inclusion and Equity, and encourage all colleagues to bring their most authentic self to work. Our colleague network groups include our Rainbow Support Network (LGBTQIA+), REACH (Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage), WiSTEM (Women in STEM) and Thisability (disability and neurodiversity) networks. We welcome all applications as we strive to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to having diverse communities represented within our teams.
Please note this role will require a DBS to be completed prior to employment.
NWG is an inclusive employer who supports the rehabilitation of offenders. We will not consider candidates who have certain unspent convictions to ensure our commitment to fostering a safe and secure working environment for all.
Other Employer Information
We’re proud to serve our customers and are committed to delivering great service, putting our customers at the heart of everything we do.
Our Benefits
We’re a Great Place to Work and offer a range of benefits to colleagues:
* Generous holiday entitlement, starting at 26 days, plus bank holidays and additional time off on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. There’s also the option to buy or sell holidays.
* Company pension scheme, with double match of employer contributions up to 10%.
* Free access to local attractions.
* Discount scheme with savings on days out, shopping, travel and more.
* Award-winning \"Living Well\" wellbeing support, including a digital GP service for you and your family.
* Support with sustainable travel through salary sacrifice car and cycle-to-work schemes.
* Financial wellbeing support – community savings scheme, financial education and low-cost loans via Salary Finance. Also 4 x Life Assurance and an Income Protection Scheme.
* Development support – offer range of development opportunities, interest‑free qualification loan, and pay for relevant professional body subscription.
Note: This role is defined as a safety or security critical role and a drug and alcohol test is required before final offer and within four weeks of start. Failure to pass may lead to offer revocation.
About NWG
NWG (Northumbrian Water Group) provides water and sewerage services to 2.7 million people in the North East of England as Northumbrian Water, and to 1.5 million in the South East as Essex & Suffolk Water. We are proud to serve our customers and are committed to delivering great service, putting our customers at the heart of everything we do.
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