Principal Water Resource Planner

Find your focus, grow with us, and be a part of the solution to the water challenges that face us in our future. How will you make a difference?

Do you recognise the vital part water plays in human health, the environment and the economy? Are you aware of the significant challenges we face providing water in a world of changing climate, improving standards of sustainability and population growth? If you are looking to be part of a team that is on the forefront of building a resilient and sustainable water supply for both the UK and our international clients then we would be interested to hear from you!

Our client is a top-tier global consultancy, who have a reputation for providing innovative water supply solutions, as well as environmental and regulatory services for a range of public and private sector clients in the UK. They have ambitious growth targets in the water resources planning market and are seeking enthusiastic people with at least 5 to 10 years of experience in the water industry to play central roles in delivering our workload.

We have opportunities to join our water resources planning team at numerous locations across the UK (including Birmingham, Redditch, High Wycombe, Reading and Shrewsbury – other office locations could be considered) along with opportunities to join collaborative projects with global teams.

About this opportunity

It\’s an exciting time to be involved in water resources in the UK. In recognition of the considerable challenges we face in the future, the industry regulator Ofwat has set out the biggest investment in infrastructure since privatisation, with £4 billion to boost water supply and £2 billion for nature-based solutions in the recently published draft determination for the period 2025-30. This includes funding for significant solutions to ensure long-term national resilience, security of supply for the future, and lowering demand through unprecedented leakage reduction and smart meter installation programmes.

Our client\’s engagement with water resources planning initiatives across the UK and Ireland has grown significantly since 2020. This has included working across several Strategic Resource Option (SRO) investigations in England and Wales, Water Resource Management Plans (WRMPs), Drought Plans, and WINEP investigations. This continues to be a growing focus in 2024 and beyond, helping water companies deliver their AMP8 schemes and plan for the future.

Our water resources planning team works with water companies, regulators (such as the Environment Agency and Ofwat), design engineers, contractors, planners, and other stakeholders to help achieve positive outcomes for projects.

Responsibilities

1. Be responsible for the full lifecycle of projects from inception to handover, ensuring they adhere to scope, budget, timescale, quality, and regulatory requirements. You will lead by example, advising less senior team members and reviewing their work.
2. Bring significant experience to the team in technical areas such as the development of WRMPs, Regional plans, Drought Plans, water resource models, demand management, option development, optimisation, regulatory environmental assessment (HRA, SEA, WFD, etc.), and development of SROs through the RAPID-led gated process.
3. Support the wider water resources team when required, complementing the other specialisms within the team and working flexibly on a variety of projects.
4. Grow and leverage your internal and external networks to achieve positive outcomes for your projects.
5. Run commercial projects, bids, and proposals on time within budget and quality constraints with limited supervision. Provide strategic insight in bid selection and the direction of work in the team for AMP8.

About you

We welcome people from varied backgrounds (regulatory, water company, or consultancy) who have recent experience applying their water resources knowledge in policy and technical areas. We are looking for people used to working in fast-paced multidisciplinary teams, working closely with their clients, statutory authorities, and other stakeholders. Ideally, you will have had previous involvement in the assessment and development of WRMPs, regional plans, SROs, or Drought Plans.

Qualifications

1. Extensive experience in leading and managing the assessment and development of WRMPs, drought plans, and regional plans, development of components of the supply-demand balance, hydrological, hydrogeological and/or water resources assessment, demand forecasting, options appraisal, or development of risk and uncertainty.
2. Extensive experience in WINEP investigations, Environmental Destination, Water Framework Directive assessments, Permitting and Abstraction licensing, wider catchment management, climate change impact assessments, and options appraisals.
3. Detailed understanding of the latest regulatory requirements of UK Water resources management, including the Water Resource Planning guidelines.
4. Project management experience, including management of larger project teams and more challenging or complex projects.
5. Track record of good client relationships.
6. A degree in a relevant subject, such as geography, geological sciences, environmental science, civil or environmental engineering, and preferably hold a postgraduate degree in hydrology, hydrogeology, and/or water resources management.
7. Actively involved with relevant institutions such as CIWEM, Institute of Civil Engineers, or the Institute of Water and a professional chartership.

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