Graduate Economist

Who are United Utilities?

United Utilities is responsible for water and wastewater services in the North West of England. From we will undertake the largest investment in water and wastewater services in the North West in 100 years – that\’s more than £13 billion worth of investments. Now, more than ever, we need inspiring future talent to help make the North West stronger, greener, and healthier.

Whatever area of our business your interests lie in, our 3-year graduate programme will give you first-class training and support, together with an in-depth understanding of your chosen business area – so that you can develop the skills you need to progress your career as you make a real contribution to the communities we serve. You might enter our scheme as a graduate, but one thing\\\’s for sure, before long you\\\’ll be heading into your next role as a technical, operational or people leader.

Working in the North West means there\\\’s a lot of ground to cover. You could have the opportunity to work in the heart of the Lake District, or you could sample a taste of city life. As well as our main office in Warrington we also recruit for a variety of roles based across the North West; we have 575 wastewater treatment works and 96 water treatment works in areas from Crewe in Cheshire to Carlisle in Cumbria.

Whichever scheme you join, you\\\’ll be at the heart of bringing innovation and positive change to the water industry. Ready to flow into your future with us?

The Role

Join United Utilities as a Graduate Economist where you\\\’ll receive a tailored development programme, primarily within Regulation and Compliance (RAC) but there will be opportunities for placements in other areas of the business. There is also potential for sponsorship for a Masters or other postgraduate qualification subject to suitability and making satisfactory progress in your placements. The RAC team itself leads a diverse portfolio of work, such as:

• Applying economic theory to provide advice and support to teams and individuals across the business.
• Developing and drafting regulatory submissions to Ofwat in support of the company\\\’s business plan and pricing settlement.
• Conducting statistical/econometric analysis to understand what drives cost when delivering a water and wastewater service.
• Producing analysis to inform the company\\\’s strategic direction.
• Working with teams from around the business to ensure that the information we submit to Ofwat is of high quality.
• Managing compliance with environmental requirements.
• Supporting the business as it delivers large, nationally significant infrastructure schemes.
• Ensuring that the company engages with competitive markets in an appropriate way that will benefit our customers.
• Supporting financial modelling activity to inform business decisions.
• Understanding and interpreting data to drive decisions about how charges and tariffs should be applied to the customer base.

Don\\\’t worry, you won\\\’t be going it alone. Mentors, managers and graduate buddies will support you as you find your feet and work towards your personal development goals.

We\\\’re looking for enthusiastic graduates to lead the way and help us to meet the challenges of the future.

What will I be doing?

• As a RAC graduate, you will be given responsibility at an early stage across a wide variety of projects. We\\\’ll expect you to be highly motivated and develop your understanding of how the business works, and how it\\\’s affected by economic regulation, on the job. However, we won\\\’t expect you to know everything from day one, and we\\\’ll support you every step of the way as you learn the ropes.
• The graduate scheme is three years in length over which time you will get the opportunity to work in different teams within RAC and around the business.
• You\’ll receive a tailored development programme with 3-12 month placements, based at our head offices, Lingley Mere, in Warrington.
• There is potential for sponsorship for a Masters or other postgraduate qualification subject to suitability and making satisfactory progress in your placements.
• It\\\’s fair to say no two days will be the same, as you learn how we manage regulatory risk, maintain good relationships with our regulators and use a wide range of data and information to provide expert regulatory and strategic advice.

From specialist training to mentoring and coaching, we\\\’ll be with you every step of the way. Managers, mentors and graduate buddies will be on hand to support you through your placement, help you set personal targets and make sure you\\\’re on the road to success.

What do I need to be successful?

Our team has a strong reputation for excellence and as a graduate, you be will an important part of that success. The role will suit applicants with a quantitative background or with knowledge of economics, but we encourage all those interested in the position to apply – this role will draw upon a diverse range of skillsets.

We require graduates to have a minimum 2:1 degree classification in any discipline.

You will need to be:

• Motivated, enthusiastic and curious
• A team player
• A good communicator (both verbally and in writing)
• Able to respond positively to pressure
• Highly organised
• Able to prioritise work
• A keen eye for detail
• Interested in current affairs
• Proficient with Microsoft Office
• Proficiency with a statistical analysis package is desirable but not required (e.g. Stata, SAS, R)

Additional Information

Our recruitment process requires you to complete:

• An online application form
• Online tests
• An in-person interview and presentation and numerical test

Please note that you must be available to attend an in-person recruitment stage during the period 17th November – 19th December

Application deadline: 13th October 2025 – please apply early as deadlines are subject to change