Role location: Epsom, Bristol, Peterborough, Oxford, Warrington
SNC-Lavalin’s Atkins business is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies, with over 50,000 employees worldwide. At Atkins, we offer more than just a job. We offer an opportunity to make a difference and shape the world to benefit future generations and the natural environment.
Do you have the ambition, enthusiasm and technical capability to work with us as a Consultant in Water Quality, delivering the future of Atkins’ service offerings and capability in this area? The role will be part of a highly respected technical team and you will be responsible for maintaining and growing our reputation for technical excellence, working collaboratively to both win and deliver work across our extensive client portfolio
As part of this commitment, we understand the need for a diverse and flexible workforce, where a work-life balance is important. So, by default Atkins offers flexible working, where there is no fixed 9 ‘till 5, no need for a 5-day week, no requirement for a full-time contract, and no requirement to spend all your working time in the office. Similarly, Atkins’ corporate social responsibility provides the opportunity to give something back to the community, and we run professional networks supporting groups such as local schools, charities, parents, those coming out of the armed-forces and women in engineering.
Our Water Management Consultancy business, operates at the interface between people and the water environment, tackling problems around water, its habitats and future change. We offer a unique blend of skills across a large breadth and depth of experience; a diverse team of passionate, intelligent, digitally minded, capable and innovative staff. We enjoy working collaboratively delivering projects that bring about real change and make a difference to people and the places they work.
We have well-established water quality and catchment science teams, who are focussed on implementing investigations and programmes for water companies and regulators across the UK and internationally, including Thames Water’s flagship Smarter Water Catchments initiative. We are active developers and promoters of new digital technologies and monitoring techniques to support catchment management. We’ve developed tools such as SAGIS-SIMCAT, NFM Studio, and the Natural Capital Assessment Tool, as well as publishing freely available monitoring guidance in the form of our Catchment Science: Fieldscale monitoring handbook. This way of working helps us to identify and work towards more robust, resilient and sustainable outcomes in catchments.
Following the continued growth of our project portfolio, including SEW’s recent notification of their intention to award Atkins their AMP7 contract for Asset Management and Engineering Services, we have various vacancies for enthusiastic and ambitious individuals to help grow our catchment science and water quality teams. As part of our Water Management Consultancy you will also contribute to an enviable variety of projects across the UK and overseas (see also our adverts for other levels of experience and disciplines).Our current vacancies are for consultant positions in Epsom, Bristol, Oxford, Peterborough and Warrington, although consideration will be given to exceptional candidates in other locations. We have a mix of UK based and overseas projects requiring water quality skills working for infrastructure developers, regulators and the water industry across our growing infrastructure and catchment management portfolio.
Responsibilities
Your day to day activities will involve working with a team of scientists and engineers to deliver a suite of tasks / projects. You will have a developing understanding of project procedures including financial and change control, report writing, ability to present, and quality assurance through checking and reviewing. In addition, you will support work-winning activities. You’ll be expected to support the delivery of projects within the Water Management Consultancy team and to work collaboratively with other Atkins businesses; working effectively with other professionals (environment scientists, engineers, planners) to provide a consistent and integrated service to our clients.
You will be required to input to high quality client facing reports, and to undertake and deliver water quality data analysis to support projects alongside others. On an on-going basis, you’ll be working as a key member of the team, delivering a range of projects, including strategic infrastructure projects where we also provide an internally facing consultancy service, and/or supporting project managers and directors to deliver these projects.
Requirements – all applicants
- Must have a degree in a relevant discipline and preferably relevant post-graduate qualification (for example with a focus on environmental chemistry, water quality, geochemistry).
- Catchment science and/or water quality experience
- Demonstrable experience of delivering excellent technical work in one of the following fields: environmental chemistry, aquatic/marine biogeochemistry, river water quality assessment, or water quality modelling.
- Have some understanding of catchment processes and influences on water quality as well as an appreciation of water quality modelling approaches.
- Excellent communication skills. Must be able to adapt your presentation style to different types of audience, including non-specialists. Clarity in scientific writing is key, including visualisation and interpretation of complex data.
- An interest in developing project management skills, commercial and financial awareness.
- Applicants must be numerate, literate and familiar with IT and software appropriate to the tasks undertaken.
- Have a valid UK driving license, be available to travel across the UK and occasionally overseas
- Recently chartered or working towards chartership through an appropriate institution.
Additional requirements for those applying for applied water quality positions:
- An understanding of requirements for water quality monitoring programme design
- An appreciation of available monitoring technologies and approaches
- Knowledge of hydrochemical processes and relevant environmental legislation is desirable
- Have an awareness of pollution control and abatement measures
Additional requirements for those applying for water quality modelling positions:
- Water quality data analysis and modelling experience in one of the following models: MIKE 11/Hydro River, MIKE 21, MIKE 3, ICM
- Experience with decision support models such as SAGIS-SIMCAT and Farmscoper is desirable
- The Individual
- Highly motivated and proactive; focused on achieving and delivering technical excellence.
- Good team worker, comfortable working with a range of specialists with different technical backgrounds
- Flexible and prepared to take on new challenges/learn new skills
- Well organised; able to work on multiple projects running simultaneously
What we offer
we understand the need for a diverse and flexible workforce, where a work-life balance is important. So, by default Atkins offers flexible working, where there is no fixed 9 ‘till 5, no need for a 5-day week, no requirement for a full-time contract, and no requirement to spend all your working time in the office. Our IT systems support home-working, so where you have parental or carer duties; or you simply need to be elsewhere for a parcel, servicing your car, or waiting in for a tradesperson; Atkins will work for you. Similarly, Atkins’ corporate social responsibility provides the opportunity to give something back to the community, and we run professional networks supporting groups such as local schools, charities, parents, those coming out of the armed-forces and women in engineering.
Training
Atkins develops individuals through a portfolio of training and development activities designed to help you make the best of your abilities and talents. These are reviewed with individuals through an annual development process. We support staff in achieving and maintaining membership of relevant institutions. You will also be part of our global Technical Networks, which provide a flow of technically orientated information and ideas through the company. For this role, you will be expected to participate in our water resources planning technical network to support your learning.
Atkins will support you in your ongoing professional development, whether with the ICE, CIWEM or others. This includes paying your annual membership and providing access to training.
Rewards and Benefits
We offer a competitive salary that is regularly tested against other consultants with a default 25-days leave each year plus bank holidays and options to buy some or sell of that leave.
To support and safeguard your physical and mental wellbeing we provide an employee assistance programme offering advice and support in times of need. Our offices run their own sports and social clubs providing a wide range of activities. You will also have access to our Flexible Benefits, where you can opt in to a wide range of benefits to complement your work/life balance: such as medical insurance, gym membership, the cycle-to-work scheme, child care vouchers, charitable giving, additional pension contributions etc.
Please refer to our website for details of our full benefits package.
https://yourrewarduk.snclavalin.com/
We encourage the opportunity to discuss a flexible working pattern for this vacancy, and we ask you to explore the flexible working options during the interview process.
This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary, it will be discussed with you at interview. If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.
Atkins recognise that there are many well qualified people who are looking to further their career, but who cannot commit to full time employment. We support flexible working arrangements and are interested to discuss how we can accommodate individual requirements.ATKINS, part of the SNC Lavalin Group, is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability.
