Together we are Trusted to Serve Scotland.
As the guardian of Scotland’s water supply, managing our water resources for the people of Scotland is vital.
Our work keeps Scotland’s water flowing, from our sources to the taps, all year round. The Water Resources Hydrology Team is a pan Scotland team, responsible for providing a hydrological and drought planning service to ensure drought resilience whilst protecting the environment and supporting a flourishing Scotland.
We are recruiting for a Senior Drought Planner to join our team to help us manage the drought resilience of our water resources and plan for emerging climate pressures.
You will be joining a welcoming, supportive and dedicated team of specialists – a team manager, 4 hydrologists, 2 hydrogeologists and a drought planner who all share a commitment to managing Scotland’s most precious resource. This is a new drought planner role, bringing the team to 9.
What you’ll do
Scottish Water has 185 Water Resource Zones which are supplied by over 400 raw water sources spread across Scotland, from small island burn, loch and borehole sources to the larger strategic reservoir sources of the Central Belt. Our Drought Plans are key to the management of these sources during periods of prolonged dry weather.
As a Senior Drought Planner, you will provide professional, specialist advice on drought planning and advise on priorities for drought resilience investment needs. You will play a key role in the continuous development and improvement of our Drought Plans as well as the drought planning processes adopted across the business.
You will also provide a key supporting role during the management of drought incidents, with extensive liaison with both internal and external stakeholders to ensure drought mitigation options are deployed in accordance with the plans.
This involves developing close working relationships with our operational colleagues and developing networks across the business, particularly in leakage, communications and environmental teams. Liaison with our environmental regulators, SEPA and Nature Scot, together with the Scottish Government and local fishery organisations is also part of the role.
You will lead in areas of technical expertise, for example in supporting the development and maintenance of our Strategic Drought Plan, Water Shortage Orders, Drought Plan Testing or Drought Plan Habitat Regulation Assessment Programme, sharing these with the current drought planner.
What you’ll bring
A drought planning or water resources background is essential for the role, with a suitable degree in Science, Environmental or Engineering fields and a minimum of 3 years’ experience in a relevant position.
We are looking for a candidate who has the ability to display initiative and demonstrate drive, enthusiasm and innovation to meet our challenging objectives for improving our drought plans and supporting a flourishing Scotland.
You’ll be capable of advising independently on complex water resource and drought issues, but you’ll also be a strong team player, who can work well with others to achieve common goals. Excellent organisational skills with the ability to plan and prioritise your work are essential.
You will need excellent IT, analytical and writing skills, as well the ability to communicate and work collaboratively with colleagues and external stakeholders. Experience where you have demonstrated these skills in water resource management is essential.
Looking out for you
While the work we do is important, we know it’s not the only thing that matters. That’s why we make sure you have everything you need to find a good work-life balance.
You’ll get plenty of time to recharge with 38 days of holiday every year (including public holidays). And you can even buy up to five more if you need a little extra time. You can also take time off to volunteer in your community.
When it comes to major life events we have family-friendly policies around adoption, maternity, and parental leave. And for the everyday? We embrace flexible working.
For your future, there’s our pension (the ‘know-what-you’ll-get-when-you-retire’ kind), and life assurance.
The not-so-small print
This role will be a Grade 7. If you’re new to Scottish Water, you’ll join us on a starting salary of £41,000. Performance-driven pay progression would then allow you to move through the range to a maximum of £51,970
If you’re interested in this role – or know someone else who might be – we’ll be accepting applications until midnight on the 23rd of August 2024.
Job offers at Scottish Water are conditional, and will be confirmed on completion of our pre-employment screening, e.g. referencing, criminal record checks, license checks, etc. Screening is conducted on our behalf by a third party, and must be completed before your start date. Don’t worry – we’ll only start these checks once you’ve accepted an offer.
A few final things worth knowing…
Research shows that some people avoid applying for jobs unless they can meet every single criteria. If you’re interested in this job, but don’t tick all the boxes, apply anyway! We hardly ever hire people who can do every part of a job from Day One. Everyone has a learning curve. So don’t rule yourself out!
Let us know if there are any changes we can make to our recruitment process to help you perform at your best. Lots of our people have disabilities or neurodiverse conditions (including some of our recruiters!). We’re also aware that some people might be experiencing temporary challenges because of life events, like menopause. We’re very used to making adjustments, so please don’t be afraid to ask.
As part of our commitment to developing a flourishing Scotland, it’s important that all our employees are Scottish taxpayers. If you join us, your home address will need to be in Scotland. If you don’t already live here, you’ll need to commit to moving here within your first three months.
Finally (finally!), candidates who haven’t submitted an application in the last 12 months will have their records removed from our recruitment database. You won’t need to do anything. Your data will be automatically deleted.
We’re here to help. Ask us anything at SWRecruitment@ScottishWater.co.uk
