Summer Internship Programme 2025 - Environmental Sustainability & Net Zero

Ready to own your future? At Scottish Water, our Summer Internship programme empowers you to gain hands-on experience, tackle real challenges, and contribute to shaping Scotland’s future. This isn’t just a summer job – it’s an opportunity to make a real impact. As part of our team, you’ll play a key role in delivering essential services and infrastructure that help Scotland flourish every day. You’ll be joining us at a fascinating time, as we transform into a more agile, innovative organisation that delivers outstanding service, delivers great value for money, and works in an environmentally sustainable way that goes beyond Net Zero. Graduating in 2026? Kickstart your career with a 12-week summer placement and start building your future today. What you’ll do As an Environmental Sustainability Intern in the Zero Emissions team or Capital Investment Net Zero team, you’ll dive right into real-world projects that help drive Scottish Water’s bold mission to reach net-zero emissions by 2040. This isn’t just about theory – you’ll make a tangible impact. From the get-go, you’ll gain hands-on experience in reducing process and capital emissions, collaborating with our partners on embodied carbon initiatives. You’ll contribute to cutting-edge projects by tracking emissions, analysing data, and recommending impactful changes. You’ll may also head out to sites to see the action firsthand, assisting with the installation and calibration of sensors that monitor emissions. This is your chance to witness how data drives decisions in the fight against climate change and play a direct role in making a difference. You’ll collaborate with operational teams and contractors to implement changes that cut emissions and help write reports that showcase the results of your work. You’ll also be involved in broader sustainability projects, from climate change adaptation to biodiversity, all while contributing to Scottish Water’s commitment to sustainability beyond just emissions. This is a paid summer internship with an hourly rate of £12.60, aligned with the Real Living Wage. This is typically a full-time position (35 hours), but we’re open to discussing flexible working patterns where possible to suit your needs. For a 35-hour week, the equivalent annual salary would be around £23,020, pro-rated for the length of the internship. What you’ll need You’ll be in the penultimate year of university, or maybe about to do a Masters. Either way, you’ll be on course for at least a 2:2 degree. And it goes without saying that you will be available for the full placement time: 12 weeks. You’ll be studying towards a degree in an environmental subject, such as Environmental Science, Sustainability, or a related field. A strong interest in emissions reduction and/or data analysis is essential, as you’ll be working with both environmental data and sustainability projects. In terms of essential requirements? That’s it. But here’s the thing: We get thousands of applications for our internships each year. What makes the best candidates stand out? Here are a few things we love to see: CVs that tell us more than what grades you earned over the years. Show us what you’ve learned. What you love. What your aspirations are. Cover letters that tell us why you’re interested in Scottish Water (and our Environmental Internship in particular). People who use their application to demonstrate that they are Bold, Responsible, Inspiring and Caring. What happens next? The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 9th of February. Please provide a Cover Letter (max. 500 words), alongside your CV – multiple attachments can be uploaded at the application stage. If you’re shortlisted, final face-to-face interviews will happen during February. Where you can give us a good grilling too. If you accept a place on the programme, you’ll go through some pre-employment screening during the Spring, including a criminal record check. All our new Interns will start together at the beginning of June for a 12-week Summer Internship, finishing at the end of August. You’ll learn more about the organisation, meet our leaders, visit some of our operational sites, start making friends, and have a lot of fun.