Senior Research Scientist/Engineer

Exciting opportunity alert for Senior Scientists and Engineers! Join us in leading Thames Water's engineering requirements in AMP8 and beyond. Your role involves providing critical technical support and ensuring the correct engineering solutions are in place. Let's drive process efficiency and performance together!

This is a unique opportunity to work on an Ofwat Innovation Fund project aiming to deliver the first continuously operating, sewage sludge-fed, UK-based pyrolysis demonstration plant. You will play a significant role in a circular economy approach that will provide a sustainable future for biosolids management.

What you’ll be doing as a Senior Research Scientist/Engineer

• Leading research projects/ activities and making significant technical contributions to others. Designing, organising, implementing and monitoring research activities to ensure their smooth operation and successful completion.
• Evaluating data and information to produce sound results, conclusions, and recommendations for business strategy. Produce and peer review high-quality technical output documents relating to the research for Research & Development's internal use, business managers, and external communication.
• Develop working relationships with internal clients, external contractors, and research organisations by participating in and presenting research outputs in internal and external meetings with customers and stakeholders to build awareness of Research and development activities and outputs.
• We provide business, financial and technical management support to the team leader for the smooth running of the team and projects. Act as delegated authority in the team leader’s absence.
• Assessing and monitoring demonstration plant performance, safe operational practice, and compliance with relevant UK legislations and standards. Practical intervention through planned, safe, and risk-assessed process alterations. Evaluating outputs through tools such as techno-economic assessment and carbon assessments.
• Participate in risk assessments, H&S assessments, and hazard and operability assessments and verifications.   

This role will be based at Reading Sewage Treatment Works, Hybrid or Crossness Sewage Treatment Works, Hybrid. You will be required to attend the office and regularly travel to sites as the role and business require you to do
36 hours a week, Monday to Friday
Must be a driver and be able to travel periodically to sites using a central pool car

What you should bring to the role

• Graduate in science, engineering or equivalent in a relevant discipline.
• Have relevant technical knowledge of the industry, for example, water utilities.
• Excellent practical skills relevant to the operation and maintenance of pilot plant
• Excellent communication and technical reporting skills.
• A good understanding of wastewater - and sewage sludge treatment processes and the associated process engineering and best practise.
• A good understanding of H&S and environmental regulations relating to the management and treatment of sewage sludge.
• Ideally, a broad understanding of thermal conversion technologies of sewage sludge (gasification, pyrolysis, incineration) and the associated risks and risk mitigations.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary between £45,680 - £57,500 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.
• Wider benefits scheme, including our benefits hub, is packed with offers and information to save you money and support your wellbeing.

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, background, 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.