Catchment Hydrogeology Specialist (Senior/Principal)

Closing Date 2026-03-27 Job Title: Catchment Hydrogeology Specialist (Senior/Principal) Location: Ideally within our region (Hybrid/Flexible) Contract Type: Permanent Hours: 37, Monday to Friday Salary: £45,000- £70,000 depending on skills and experience As part of Southern Water’s drive to enhance and protect the environment, the Environment & Innovation team are deploying the latest innovative solutions and working in partnership with our customers and stakeholders. The team takes a holistic approach to managing water quality and flow across the region, with a portfolio that has rapidly expanded from £50 million to over £2 billion in the next 10-year period. This is a fast-paced team that is now expanding to continue to deliver a larger programme of new and sustainable solutions. A brand-new position has been created to join our Environment & Innovation team as a Catchment Hydrogeology Specialist at Senior or Principal level. About the role Working within the Environment & Innovation department, this is a critical role underpinning the implementation of our Catchment Management strategies, which influence our 5-to-50-year strategic plans. The catchment management programme is driving environmental benefit via the delivery of our regulatory commitments such as the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) and statutory plans such as the Water Resource Management Plan, Drought Plan and Water Resources South East. What you will be responsible for: Support the Catchment Hydrogeology team to actively promote and effectively collaborate on catchment solutions with our regulators (Environment Agency, Natural England and DWI), catchment stakeholders (Rivers Trusts, Wildlife Trusts etc) and community groups, driving the principals of the Catchment First approach. Responsible for undertaking technical evaluation / recommendations on environmental nature-based measures that will likely be needed to mitigate predicted environmental challenges from our operations. The role will involve strong cross-functional working within and outside the business. Covering technical areas of water resource hydrogeology, hydroecology, biodiversity enhancement, river restoration, catchment management (including soil and water conservation), hydrogeological risk assessment and surface water and groundwater quality and quantity assessments. What you’ll bring to the role: Demonstrable expertise in water resource hydrogeology, groundwater modelling, hydroecology, restoring sustainable abstraction, river / wetland restoration, low flow investigation, WFD, groundwater resource development. Experience of designing complex water quality, hydroecology and hydrometric investigations and monitoring programmes, data analysis and assimilation. Proven expertise of technical report writing and review of water resource and water quality investigations, catchment risk assessments. Extensive experience of water resource and water quality investigations, catchment risk assessments, and translating regulatory environmental requirements into manageable work streams. Masters degree in relevant discipline such as Hydrogeology is desirable. Chartership or working towards is highly desirable. Southern Water is at the forefront of transforming Britain’s water industry, investing significantly to enhance resilience, sustainability, and service excellence. With £7.8bn planned investment for 2025-30, this is an unparalleled opportunity to join a business committed to delivering a generational shift in the way water services are managed. You will be joining at a time of significant change, working alongside a highly skilled leadership team with a clear vision for the future. We offer an environment where senior professionals can make a meaningful impact, influence major strategic decisions, and drive long-term value creation. "At Southern Water, we believe diverse perspectives drive innovation. If you’re passionate about making a positive impact and think you can bring value to our team, we’d love to hear from you—even if you don’t tick every box. Your unique skills and experiences could be exactly what we need." If this role isn’t quite what you’re looking for but are keen to be contacted about opportunities at Southern Water, you can register your details here: Introduce Yourself (myworkdaysite.com- Introduce Yourself) Our Commitment to Diversity We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or any other protected characteristic. If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know. #LI-Hybrid #LI-AC1 Our purpose is big. Our impact is huge. And we know that every single one of us has the power, through our actions, to positively change society and the environment for good. It’s why careers with us have real meaning. Because, if you’re driven and ambitious, we can offer you huge opportunities for personal growth, professional development and constant innovation. Forever evolving. Forever focused on doing the right thing, we empower and encourage everyone to play to their strengths and to help us shape a fair and positive future for all. We believe in Water for Life. If you do too, Dive Right In. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, because delivering water for life is our core purpose. To achieve this, we need 24/7 support in place to resolve incidents quickly and efficiently. All our employees understand the importance of out-of-hours incident support – because when problems appear, fixing them is our top priority. That’s why our people join together and support when and however needed to make sure our customers get the service they deserve. Joining the Southern Water family means you’ll become part of our incident support team. During your interview, your manager will speak to you about any incident support rotas that apply to your position. Does this opportunity excite you but you’re not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that ‘normal’ office hours aren’t possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’ll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role?