Senior Water Scientist

Job Description

Are you ready to help us shape the future of the water industry?

Join our dynamic and multidisciplinary Water Environment team as a Senior Water Scientist or Hydrologist! At AECOM, we’re at the forefront of innovation, delivering an exceptional portfolio of water programmes and projects through long-term partnerships with key clients.

We work for clients from across the public and private sectors, including the Environment Agency, Natural England, National Highways, Water Companies, NRW, River Trusts as well as developers and overseas clients. We are also involved in major ongoing projects, such as Lower Thames Crossing, and are responsible for water environment chapters in ES’s and WFD assessments.

A selection of our current and recent projects includes:

• Developing catchment wide river restoration plans for water companies.
• Delivering hydrological reviews and water balance studies for a range of purposes, such as determining supply sources and ensuring a canal remains sufficiently full despite its top up water supply failing.
• Design, modelling and installation of Natural Flood Management measures.
• Developing a modelling approach and running these to inform management decisions, such as water level dependent designated sites.
• Delivering improvements through working on water company’s Environmental Improvement Programme (WINEP).
• Designing and helping delivering awards fish passes and river restoration schemes.
• Deriving strategies to deliver catchment water quantity and quality improvements, driven by WFD and Local Nature Recovery requirements.

The majority of our work is in the fluvial environment, although a significant proportion is also focused on estuaries, lakes and the marine environment.

What your new role will entail;

• Support the preparation of high quality and commercially astute bids and tenders for water science services, typically for Water Companies and Government bodies such as the Environment Agency.
• Co-ordinate multidisciplinary teams including water scientists, hydrogeologists, hydromorphologists, aquatic ecologists and flood risk specialists, ensuring necessary resources, budgets and controls are in place to meet both programme and budget requirements;
• Identify the need for, plan and implement complex monitoring and field work as maybe required (e.g. water quality monitoring, flow gauging, hydromorphological surveys, PWS investigations etc.);
• Support delivery of high-quality water science / hydrology consultancy and advisory services to both internal and external clients, including through our check and review processes;
• Use varied tools to deliver outcomes (software, models etc) plus be able to review data empirically (e.g. review flow data series and spot gauging to develop an understanding of low and typical flow hydrology);
• Support development of technically robust and pragmatic solutions to complex water science / hydrological issues;
• Have insight into how hydrological changes manifest in terms of water quality, geomorphology and hydroecology (e.g. changes to wetted widths and velocities and how these may affect fish passage);

Being part of the team;

As an experienced water scientist or hydrologist, you’ll provide support to colleagues and liaise closely with internal and external clients. All members of the Water Environment team take an active role in client contact and commercial aspects of our projects. Health, safety, and environmental considerations underpin all of our work.

Our Water Environment team are multi-disciplinary with specialists in geomorphology, hydrology, hydro-ecology, water quality and hydrogeology, comprising 60 surface water specialists and a further 25 hydrogeologists.

Qualifications

Here’s what we’re looking for: 

• Have a degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject such as: geography, physical sciences, chemistry, maths, engineering etc.
• Experienced in hydrology (low flows and flood risk), hydromorphology, water quality and / or hydroecology and a strong understanding of aquatic systems.
• Proficiency in the application of hydrological software and environmental modelling (hydrological/ hydraulic/ water quality/ water resources).
• Proficiency in GIS software.
• Report writing skills and ability to clearly present complex technical information visually and orally to a wide audience.
• Experienced in technical project delivery (from bid preparation, drafting technical proposals to project management)

We celebrate diversity, including neurodiversity, and believe it enriches our team. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and abilities. If you are an applicant with a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to complete the application process, please contact us at ReasonableAccommodations@aecom.com. At AECOM, we value everyone's unique contributions and perspectives. 

If you meet some of the requirements above or have transferable skills you believe would benefit us, we would be delighted to hear from you! 

Additional Information

Interested in the role or curious about life at AECOM? Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to explore our AECOM voices, employee stories, latest projects, and much more! 

For further information about the role, reach out to the recruiter on LinkedIn (Melissa Moody). 

At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity 

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation, benefits and well-being programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to applicants who have a disability or long-term condition, who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role. Please let us know using this email address ReasonableAccommodationsUKI@aecom.com  if you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Company Description

Work with Us. Change the World.

At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.