Senior Associate Hydrologist in London

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices. We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual.

The Water Consultancy Division is Mott MacDonald’s centre of excellence for responding to water and wastewater challenges, offering fantastic opportunities to get involved in diverse and technically challenging work. The work we do is at the forefront of ensuring safe water supplies for future generations and protecting our environment. Our multi-disciplinary teams provide a variety of services throughout the full project life cycle, from advisory services and feasibility studies, through outline and detailed design, to construction support and site supervision.

We are engaged on major AMP8 frameworks with most UK water companies and through our global reach we support regulators, asset owners and investors worldwide to manage water resources efficiently while protecting the environment. The current public and political pressure to resolve water quality issues in our watercourses, alongside the emerging climate change impacts, has resulted in a significant increase in demand for these services, and in response to this we are keen to engage talented scientists and modellers to drive innovation, work across disciplines on modelling projects, support the development of our people and strengthen our client offering.

Our water resources team has an exceptionally strong record in providing hydrology and climate science services and expertise to the UK and international water sectors. Our clients are increasingly demanding better predictions of the impact of climate change on the availability of water and the frequency and magnitude of droughts and floods, and we are continually innovating to support them. We have developed advanced rainfall-runoff models, weather generators as well as our own digital tools to deliver operational forecasting services and to analyse and process the latest datasets and climate projections.

Key responsibilities and duties include:

• Leading water resource management, hydrological modelling and climate impact assessment projects
• Maintaining key client relationships through excellent technical delivery and customer care
• Winning work and developing new business with our clients and through our global reach
• Contributing to our global water resources and flooding discipline, leading on innovation, sharing knowledge and developing new approaches and tools
• Providing technical leadership, support and training to junior colleagues and assisting in the mentoring and development of others

Candidate specification:

We are looking for a driven individual, with a proven track record in the field and with a passion for learning and innovating in this fast-moving discipline.

Essential:

• A degree level qualification in hydrology, geography, mathematics, civil engineering, or other related discipline
• Demonstrable experience in low flows hydrology, including rainfall-runoff modelling and/or water systems modelling, such as Aquator, WEAP or Pywr
• Project delivery and management in a consultancy environment
• Track record in winning work
• Experience in guiding and mentoring junior staff
• Excellent communication and written skills

Desirable:

• Chartership with an appropriate professional body
• Experience in applying UKCP18 and CMIP5/6 projections to climate change impact assessments
• Awareness of regulatory requirements as regards the UK water resources management planning process
• Aptitude for digital innovation and driving efficiency
• Leadership experience

We are actively recruiting a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve. We recognise that differences in ability, skills and experience are a strength and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.

Agile working:

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion:

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

AI Usage:

At Mott MacDonald, we see the value AI can bring, but we take a people-first approach to hiring. While AI tools can help candidates prepare and build confidence, every application and hiring decision is reviewed by our recruitment and hiring teams. We encourage the responsible use of AI while ensuring we get to know the real person behind the application.

Accessibility:

We want you to feel supported and able to perform at your best throughout our recruitment process. If there is anything we can do to make applying or interviewing with us more accessible, please contact us and we'll be happy to discuss how we can help.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

• Financial wellbeing: We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%. Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary. Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long‑term illness or injury. Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• Employee Ownership: Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success. Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
• Health and wellbeing: Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues. Health cash plan to support you with everyday health costs and treatments. Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• Lifestyle: A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Enhanced family and carers leave: Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Learning and development: Primary annual professional institution subscription. A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self‑development options.

Location(s): Cambridge, Sheffield, Glasgow, Leeds, Reading, London, Birmingham, Inverness, Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh.

Contract Type: Permanent

Work Pattern: Full Time

Market: Water

Discipline: Water

Job Ref: 17991