Senior Water Resources WINEP Officer - 14 Month Contract

Powered by Water, Driven by Purpose

South West Water keeps the South West flowing with safe, reliable drinking water and wastewater services across some of the United Kingdom’s most stunning landscapes. We are part of the Pennon Group, a leader in the UK water sector, working towards a greener future by lowering our carbon footprint, planting 300,000 trees, restoring peatlands and partnering with farmers and landowners to improve water quality and wildlife.

Role Purpose

The Senior Water Resources WINEP Officer will lead the delivery of Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) projects across our Bristol Water water resources portfolio. The role is responsible for providing technical leadership, stakeholder engagement and programme delivery to ensure environmental obligations are met and sustainable water resource outcomes are achieved. The postholder will protect rivers and groundwater resources while supporting the development of future water resources strategies and environmental programmes.

Key Accountabilities

Technical Leadership

• Act as technical lead for water resources WINEP projects.
• Provide specialist advice on water resources, environmental impacts and regulatory obligations.
• Lead and review technical investigations, options appraisals and environmental assessments.
• Produce and review technical reports, recommendations and supporting documentation.

Project & Programme Delivery

• Manage the delivery of multiple WINEP projects to agreed timescales, budgets and quality standards.
• Support programme planning, budgeting and reporting activities.
• Identify project risks and implement appropriate mitigation actions.
• Ensure robust governance and reporting arrangements are maintained across assigned projects.

Regulatory & Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead relationships with regulators including the Environment Agency and Natural England.
• Support negotiations and secure agreement on project outcomes and regulatory requirements.
• Build productive partnerships with environmental organisations, local authorities, landowners and industry stakeholders.

Strategy & Future Planning

• Support development of future water resources investigation programmes.
• Influence long‑term environmental and water resource strategies.
• Work with internal stakeholders to identify and prioritise future investment requirements.

Team & Capability Development

• Share technical expertise across the wider team.
• Provide mentoring, coaching and guidance to develop technical capability and resilience within the function.

Essential Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Strong knowledge of UK water industry environmental and water resources activities.
• Experience delivering environmental, regulatory or water resources projects.
• Sound understanding of water resources management and environmental impacts.
• Experience managing stakeholders and developing effective partnerships.
• Ability to communicate complex technical, environmental and financial information clearly and effectively.
• Strong project and programme management skills.

Desirable

• GIS experience.
• Knowledge of hydrology, hydrometry, hydroecology or hydromorphology.
• Experience working directly with environmental regulators.
• Understanding of water company business planning and environmental investment processes.

Qualifications

• Degree (or equivalent qualification) in a relevant environmental, engineering, geography, hydrology or water resources discipline.
• Full UK Driving Licence.

Closing Date: 23rd July 2026. We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. Please note that the successful candidate will be subject to a mandatory DBS check as part of the onboarding process.

Be yourself, we like it that way. Together, we build a culture of belonging where inclusion is instinctive. Diversity is our strength and a reflection of our communities.

Bristol Water has been proudly providing an essential public water service to the communities within and surrounding the city of Bristol since 1846. We supply water to 500,000 homes and businesses across Bristol City, North Somerset and areas of Bath, North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire – about 1.2 million people who have access to our water every day.