Assistant Catchment Scientist

Job Description

AtkinsRéalis is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies, with over 50,000 employees worldwide. At AtkinsRéalis, we offer more than just a job. We offer an opportunity to make a difference and shape the world to benefit future generations and the natural environment. We have a multi-disciplinary Sustainable River Management team within our Water Management Consultancy group who come together to create award winning habitats. The team continues to grow and has now over 45 specialists across the country. We have a reputation for technical excellence, innovation and actively shaping the future of our industry. We are a friendly and approachable team. We enjoy the work we do and have fun while doing it.

We are seeking to expand our Sustainable River Management team with a specialist graduate(s). The role is being advertised outside of our graduate recruitment programme but after 6 months the successful candidate(s) would be able to join this programme. If you are looking to deliver interesting and significant projects, influence environmental outcomes at the project level and beyond, and work within a strong culture of wellbeing, innovation and inclusivity, this is the place for you.

We are looking for a well-motivated individual to join our dynamic team and help deliver exciting projects. You should have a passion for the environmental sector and background in your studies in one, or more, of the following disciplines: catchment science, fluvial geomorphology, hydro-ecology, aquatic ecology and/or wetlands.

Our team is close-knit, technically progressive and offers a wonderful opportunity for you to work with like-minded specialists. We operate national and international technical networks to develop and share the very best ideas and practice in our industry. We encourage the production of papers/articles and support our staff in presenting their work at conferences. We support staff in their career progression towards chartership and beyond. This is an exceptional environment for you to develop your technical and commercial skills.

We value flexible working and encourage working from different offices across the region, flexible hours and home working. We also support part time workers who make up an essential component of our team. The role would preferably be based in our Manchester or one of our North East offices in Newcastle or Stockon-on-Tees but you would also work with specialists from our other national office bases as required (including Birmingham, Peterborough, Oxford, Derby, Epsom, London, Glasgow and Swansea).

We work for clients across the UK and overseas, including central government, regulators, water companies, NGOs and local authorities.

Your purpose:

• To support the delivery of a wide range of catchment science projects with a focus on river and wetland function, Water Framework Directive (WFD) compliance assessments, habitat design, management and restoration; Biodiversity Net Gain; river realignment and environmental assessment/EIA through collaborative working with other AtkinsRéalis’ specialists.
• Liaise with internal and external project teams to deliver the best environmental options.
• To work effectively as part of a team and with other professionals (environmental scientists, ecologists, engineers, planners to name but a few) throughout AtkinsRéalis, to provide a consistent and integrated service to our clients.
• To succeed within this role, you must have a flexible, ‘hands-on’, proactive approach to your work. You must be able to work independently as well as part of a wider team and be comfortable applying your skills in a commercial environment.

What you can bring:

• A degree in a relevant discipline is essential (with a focus on Water/Catchment Management/River processes). We also anticipate that the candidate should be either currently undertaking, or have attained, a relevant a post-graduate qualification in similar subject area. Alternatively, the candidate should be able to demonstrate that they have had additional experience, such as a year in industry, or additional research.
• Experience in undertaking environmental surveys related to river, wetland and catchment systems.
• A proven ability to undertake, and deliver, a thorough technical investigation.
• A proven ability to present findings in a well-structured, concise argument (verbal or written), supported by evidence.
• A proven ability to write reports in concise, plain English appropriate to audiences.
• The role requires the individual to be numerate, literate and familiar with IT and software appropriate to the tasks undertaken.

Desirable qualifications/skills:

• Experience in GIS, Excel, VBA, Python would be beneficial, but not essential.
• Enthusiastic in developing new ways of processing, analysing and presenting temporal and spatial data, eg GIS.
• Understand the principles behind the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).
• MoRPh Pro Accreditation.
• A valid driving licence and availability for travel across the UK and occasionally overseas where appropriate would also be beneficial.

The Individual:

The candidate should be highly motivated, enthusiastic and proactive; focussed on achieving and delivering technical excellence and sustainable outcomes. The individual would need to be skilled at collaborative working, have good interpersonal skills and an ability to communicate effectively. In addition, they would need to be flexible, adaptable and prepared to take on new challenges in a commercial environment. Finally, the candidate would need to have excellent communication, report writing and presentation skills.

What we offer:

AtkinsRéalis recognises that there are many well-qualified people who are looking to further their career, but who cannot commit to full time employment. We support flexible working arrangements and welcome discussions on how we can best accommodate individual requirements. As part of this commitment, we understand the need for a diverse and flexible workforce, where a work-life balance is important. AtkinsRéalis, offers flexible working, where there is no fixed 9 ‘till 5, no need for a 5-day week and no requirement to spend all your working time in the office.

Our IT systems support home-working, so where you have parental or carer duties; or you simply need to be elsewhere for a parcel, servicing your car, or waiting in for a tradesperson; AtkinsRéalis will work for you.

Similarly, AtkinsRéalis corporate social responsibility provides the opportunity to give something back to the community, and we run professional networks supporting groups such as local schools, charities, parents, those coming out of the armed-forces and women in engineering.

AtkinsRéalis develops individuals through a portfolio of training and development activities designed to help you make the best of your abilities and talents. These are reviewed with individuals through an annual appraisal process. We actively support staff in achieving corporate membership of relevant institutions such as IEMA, RTPI, LI, ICE, CIEEM, and CIWEM.

We offer a competitive salary that is regularly tested against other consultants with a default 25-days leave each year plus bank holidays and options to buy or sell leave. We also operate a Time Off In Lieu (TOIL) system for any hours undertaken above contracted hours which can be used throughout the year. To support and safeguard your physical and mental wellbeing we provide an employee assistance programme offering advice and support in times of need.

You will also have access to our Flexible Benefits, where you can opt into a wide range of benefits to complement your work/life balance: such as medical insurance, gym membership, the cycle-to-work scheme, childcare vouchers, charitable giving, additional pension contributions etc. Please refer to our website for details of our full benefits package: https://careers.atkinsrealis.com/total-reward-uk.

AtkinsRéalis is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability.

Why work for AtkinsRéalis?

We\’re ranked as one of LinkedIn\’s Top 25 Companies, where UK professionals want to work and stay once, they join. We\’ve also made the Times Top 50 employers for women.

Our Infrastructure team uses innovation, new approaches and the power of data to help our clients deliver end-to-end projects and programmes for essential future infrastructure. And as the work becomes ever more complex, our employees continue to challenge the status quo.

We\’re committed to engineering better for people and our planet, from our global Engineering Net-Zero programme to creating social value through EDAROTH community housing. We\’re proud of our active employee networks creating awareness and allyship for our under-represented groups. Not to mention programmes supporting communities outside AtkinsRéalis, including schools, charities, ex-forces and professionals returning after career breaks.

Security clearance:

This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary, it will be discussed with you at interview. The vetting process is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and may require candidates to provide proof of residency in the UK of 5 years or longer. If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.

We are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community – a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop. To help embed inclusion for all, from day one, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee networks to support staff from different backgrounds. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability.

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Worker Type Employee Job Type Regular

At AtkinsRéalis , we seek to hire individuals with diverse characteristics, backgrounds and perspectives. We strongly believe that world-class talent makes no distinctions based on gender, ethnic or national origin, sexual identity and orientation, age, religion or disability, but enriches itself through these differences.

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