Principal Hydrologist

Location/s: Bristol, Brighton, Cambridge, Leeds, London, Reading, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Madrid.
Relocation supported: Not supported
Recruiter contact: Madeleine Knight
 
We’re a global engineering, management, and development consultancy. Our purpose is to use our expertise for the benefit of our clients and the communities they serve.  
 
Our values are Progress, Respect, Integrity, Drive, and Excellence. A fundamental part of this is respecting each person’s differences and striving to meet their needs. We are proud to be a one of Glassdoor’s top employers to work for in the UK, as well as being recognised as a Top Inclusive Company in the UK.
 
About the division
The Water Consultancy Division is Mott MacDonald’s centre of excellence for responding to water and wastewater challenges, offering fantastic opportunities to get involved in diverse and technically challenging work. The work we do is at the forefront of ensuring safe water supplies for future generations and protecting our environment. Our multi-disciplinary teams provide a variety of services throughout the full project life cycle, from advisory services and feasibility studies, through outline and detailed design, to construction support and site supervision.
 
Do you want to use your experience to make an impact? At Mott MacDonald we support all leadership potential, creating high-performing teams with a flatter hierarchy that fosters more autonomy and greater employee engagement. We understand that development never stops. Our leaders have a vision of who they want to be and a strategy to take them there. As a company with a fully independent ownership, we're proud to be stewards of our business. We embed real leadership behaviours and the business priorities they serve, and believe transparency and openness make us agile and adaptable. So bring your expertise to a company looking for acknowledged and emerging leaders, where your professional journey can take a wide variety of forms. Driven by you and supported by us. 
 
Overview of role
As a Principal Hydrologist, your remit will cover a range of technical, management and commercial/client-facing activities. This is a very exciting time to join our Water & Environment team as we have had significant success winning work on major water projects and water company frameworks. You will be a key member of our water resources team working on a variety of projects across a range of clients. You will be working in a collaborative environment which strives for continuous improvement. The role offers an excellent progression route within the business and the opportunity to make a difference in the water sector, delivering long lasting customer, social and environmental benefits.
Our water resources team has an exceptionally strong record in providing hydrology and climate science services and expertise to the UK and international water sectors. Our clients are increasingly demanding better predictions of the impact of climate change on the availability of water and the frequency and magnitude of floods, and we are continually innovating to support them. We have developed advanced rainfall-runoff models and weather generators as well as our own digital tool to interrogate and process the latest climate projections. Our portfolio includes the major UK water companies as well as the Environment Agency and SEPA. We are regularly involved in hydropower projects around the world supporting developers and lenders, and we undertake climate change risk assessments and impact assessments at a local, regional or national scale.

You will have particular responsibility for:
•    Delivering water resource management, hydrological modelling and climate impact assessment projects
•    Managing projects and maintaining client relationships
•    Assisting with winning work and the development of new business within the water resources team and across the wider water resources practice
•    Providing technical leadership, support and training to junior colleagues and assisting in the mentoring and development of others.
 
Candidate Specification
We are looking for a driven individual, with a proven track record in the field and with a passion for learning and innovating in this fast-moving discipline. In addition, you should ideally have:
•    Degree level qualification in hydrology, geography, mathematics, civil engineering, or other related discipline
•    Chartership with an appropriate professional body.
•    Experience in applying UKCP18 and CMIP5/6 projections to climate change impact assessments.
•    Demonstrable experience in low flows hydrology, including rainfall-runoff modelling, water systems modelling, such as Aquator, WEAP or Pywr 
•    Awareness of regulatory requirements as regards the UK water resources management planning process
•    Excellent communication and written skills.

Desirable skills:
•    Awareness of regulatory requirements as regards the UK water resources management planning process
•    Project management and leadership experience 
•    Aptitude for digital innovation and driving efficiency
•    Experience in guiding and mentoring junior staff
 
We are actively recruiting a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve. We recognise that differences in ability, skills and experience are a strength and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion 

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

Agile working 

Happy to talk Flexible Working and how we can support your responsibilities beyond the workplace.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

 Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

 Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.