Senior Principal Water Resource Consultant in Edinburgh

You will join a multidisciplinary, collaborative team working with water companies, regulators, including the Environment Agency and Ofwat, design engineers, contractors, planners and a wide range of other stakeholders. In this role, you will take a leading hand in planning, delivering and implementing water resource projects, ensuring they meet scope, budget, timescale, quality and regulatory requirements.

You will bring experience to the team and support the development of early career colleagues across technical areas such as WRMPs, Regional Water Resource Plans, Drought Plans, water resource modelling, demand management, options development, environmental assessments and the RAPID‑led gated process for SROs. You will be client‑facing, with a genuine appetite for growing your internal and external networks. You will have experience running commercial projects, bids and proposals, and you will support the wider Water and Environment department as needed, working flexibly across a varied and fast‑growing portfolio.

The work you lead here will help water companies plan for a future where supply is secure, demand is managed smartly, and the environment is genuinely protected. From WINEP investigations to Strategic Resource Options and Drought Plans, your contribution will feed directly into national resilience strategies that matter far beyond the project boundary. You will also play a meaningful role in shaping the next generation of water resources professionals, sharing the knowledge and experience that takes years to build and helping your colleagues grow in a team that values expertise and curiosity in equal measure.

You hold a degree in a relevant subject such as Geography, Geological Sciences, Environmental Science or Civil Engineering, and ideally a postgraduate qualification in Hydrology, Hydrogeology or Water Resources Management. You are Chartered or actively working towards it with a body such as CIWEM, ICE or the Institute of Water. You bring extensive experience in the water industry, ideally from a consultancy, water company, regulatory or academic background. Your expertise spans water resources projects including WRMPs, Drought Plans, regional plans and supply‑demand balance assessments, and you are comfortable across hydrological, hydrogeological and environmental assessment work, including HRA, SEA and WFD.

You are used to working at pace in multidisciplinary teams, building trusted relationships with clients and stakeholders, and delivering complex programmes with both technical rigour and commercial awareness. We do not expect you to meet every requirement on this list, so if this feels like the right move, please do get in touch.

We put people first: We're proud of our friendly, inclusive and collaborative environment where everyone feels valued and driven to succeed. We are driven to achieve: Named in the top 50 companies to work by Glassdoor 2025. Recognised by Corporate Knights as one of the world's top 10 most sustainable companies 2025. Named 'Best Place to Work' and 'International Consulting Firm of the Year' at the NCE Awards 2024.

We do what is right: Industry leading training and development as well as paid for professional subscriptions. A professional progression plan, supporting you to become chartered with ICE. We are better together: A supportive and collaborative team environment and Early Careers peer group and wider ERG network. Growth: We're on an exciting growth journey across the UK - we want you to be part of it!

Great Benefits: Competitive salary, bonus schemes, enhanced pension plan, annual leave with the option to buy/sell additional days, private medical insurance, group income protection & life assurance included as standard as well as discounted gym membership and lots more. Hybrid / Flexible working: Enjoy a healthy work‑life balance with our hybrid approach to flexible working.

Stantec provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for future and current employment and prohibits discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. We prohibit discrimination in decisions concerning recruitment, hiring, referral, promotion, compensation, fringe benefits, job training, terminations or any other condition of employment. Stantec is in compliance with laws and regulations and ensures equitable opportunities in all aspects of employment.