Graduate Water Resources Consultant - Water - 2027 (Birmingham)

With every community, Stantec redefines what’s possible. The Opportunity Join our 2027 Graduate Programme as a Graduate Water Resources Consultant in our Birmingham office, where you will be part of our market-leading Water Environment discipline. As a Stantec graduate, you will collaborate with your team and wider Early Careers cohort, developing your professional skills and expertise within an exciting and creative interdisciplinary environment. We offer a supportive environment to further your personal and professional development through a combination of our graduate programme, structured mentoring and comprehensive training opportunities. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with leading technical experts throughout the UK and contribute to exciting projects while developing your career.

Stantec’s market-leading Technical and Environmental services group in the Water sector supports clients in the water industry, including water companies, regulators and research bodies across the UK and occasionally internationally. We also support other multidisciplinary sectors, including energy and infrastructure. Water resource requirements now and in the future will be significantly impacted by global trends in population growth, climate change, environmental requirements, energy production and agricultural needs.

You will join a UK-wide team working on a variety of projects, providing high-quality solutions to the challenges faced by the water sector, including:

• Investigating the sustainability and impacts of water abstractions on the wider environment, such as dependent surface water and terrestrial ecosystems.
• Developing conceptual understanding and modelling of water resource availability in complex hydrological and hydrogeological systems.
• Undertaking water supply option development and appraisals, in addition to other elements of Water Resource Management Plans.
• Undertaking deployable output, yield and drought modelling in different climate and operational scenarios.
• Collaborating on regional water transfer schemes such as Strategic Resource Options.

About The Role In our Water Environment discipline within the Water Resources team, you will learn to provide technical advice and innovative solutions to water resource investigations, including preparing data, reports and other deliverables. You and the wider team will collaborate effectively with water companies, regulators, design engineers, contractors, planners and other stakeholders to ensure project success. Technical work will be complemented with learning fundamental project management principles, working within budget and scope, and liaising with other professionals in the industry. As part of the role, you will develop in-depth knowledge of UK and global water resources and drought planning processes. You will complete water resource options assessments, Water Resource Management Plans, drought plans, WINEP investigations, catchment management studies, climate change impact assessments and Water Framework Directive assessments, with opportunities to collect hydrometric data in the field.

Core responsibilities:

• Developing conceptual understanding and modelling water resource availability within complex hydrological and hydrogeological systems.
• Supporting water abstraction sustainability assessments and investigations into environmental impacts on rivers, wetlands and groundwater-dependent ecosystems.
• Assisting with Water Resource Management Plans, drought planning and water resource option development studies.
• Preparing technical reports, datasets and other project deliverables to support client decision-making.
• Collaborating with water companies, regulators, engineers, planners and environmental specialists to support successful project delivery.
• Applying project management principles to support delivery within agreed budgets, programmes and scopes.

We are committed to supporting employees in achieving relevant professional qualifications and accreditation. This role provides opportunities to develop expertise in water resource management, drought planning, climate change resilience and environmental assessment, with support towards professional chartership through relevant institutions such as CIWEM.

Your Impact This role is fundamental to securing sustainable water supplies for future generations. By supporting water resource investigations, climate resilience studies and long-term planning initiatives, you will help shape how water companies respond to growing environmental and resource pressures. Your work will contribute to improving water security, protecting natural ecosystems and developing resilient infrastructure solutions that benefit communities across the UK.

We are looking for candidates with a bachelor’s degree in geography, environmental science, environmental management, civil engineering or a related water or environmental discipline. Strong analytical skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications are essential. Experience working with environmental data, GIS, modelling software or water-related projects would be beneficial but is not required.

Please note, we ask our graduates to come into the office 4 days per week, to ensure that you receive sufficient time with your team and receive the appropriate level of support.

About you At Stantec, we value your potential over past experience. Along with a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Geography or Environmental-related subject, with a keen interest in working in the Water sector, you will be:

• An Adapter - You’re able to remain calm in new and changing situations, comfortably switching between a variety of dynamic and exciting tasks.
• A Perseverer - You stay composed in the face of setbacks, approaching challenges with confidence and determination.
• An Eager Learner - You learn from your experiences and the world around you, using this knowledge to anticipate how situations may unfold.
• A Collaborator - You work effectively with lots of different people, considering others’ perspectives to shape better outcomes.
• A Problem-Solver - You love to give your thoughts based on what you see, being unafraid to challenge conventional thinking.

What we can offer you:

• A competitive salary
• Private medical insurance
• A range of benefits, including holiday buy and sell, group income protection and life assurance
• Permanent employment contract to demonstrate our commitment to your long-term career at Stantec
• Professional progression plan, supporting you to gain professional chartership
• A supportive and collaborative team environment and Early Careers peer group and wider ERG network

Applicants must have an unconditional right to live and work in the UK for an indefinite period without limitation.