Local recruitment: Water Modelling Practice Lead

Job No: WaterNSW3233 Location: Parramatta

Ready to make a splash in your career? WaterNSW is seeking an experienced Water Modelling Practice Lead (Full-time, Permanent) to join our Land & Water Operations team.  

This is an opportunity to work with an essential organisation creating a more sustainable future for the state.  

This role offers the flexibility to work around life, your contribution will be valued, and you’ll be supported to build a rewarding career. 

Our perks and Benefits:

At WaterNSW, we believe that our employees should be as well taken care of as our rivers, dams, and pipelines, that’s why we offer a load of benefits.  

• Flexible working
• Work a 9-day fortnight at Full Pay on the Enterprise Agreement
• Up to 16 weeks paid parental leave
• Fertility leave
• Corporate wear allowance 
• Professional development and educational assistance
• Salary starting from $156, 345 base + 12% super
• And so much more! 

What you’ll do: 

• Modelling Governance & Lifecycle Management: Lead and support the development and implementation of governance frameworks that span the full model lifecycle. Embed QA/QC protocols, audit trails, and standardised record-keeping to ensure model integrity, reproducibility, traceability, and long-term accountability.
• Digital Enablement & Tool Integration: Identify digital gaps and work with Digital and other business areas to scope, implement, and optimise modelling platforms, data pipelines, and automated workflows. Ensure transitions to new tools are well-managed and aligned with WaterNSW’s digital strategy.
• Modelling Consistency & Comparability: Promote alignment in modelling approaches, assumptions, and outputs across WaterNSW to enable comparability, collaboration, and coherent decision-making.
• Continuous Improvement & Knowledge Sharing: Champion a culture of technical excellence and drive the development of modelling solutions aligned with WaterNSW’s digital and business strategies. Proactively identify opportunities for improvement through close collaboration with internal teams, and external partners, assuring we stay ahead of emerging technologies and practices.
• Model Development: Responsible for ensuring models are fit for purpose by leading the design, build, calibration, and maintenance of water quality, land-use, hydrology, and/or hydraulic systems. Ensure modelling practices align with WaterNSW’s strategic priorities, climate risk frameworks, and regulatory obligations.

What we are looking for:  

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in a STEM field (e.g. Science, Hydroinformatics, Engineering, Maths field), or equivalent demonstrable experience.
• Extensive experience (ideally 10+ years) in the development, application, and/or governance of large-scale numerical models for catchments, rivers, or water supply systems.
• Extensive knowledge and experience in the use of large datasets for modelling, analytics, and decision support, including data collection, storage, curation, and governance.
• Familiarity with digital platforms, scripting languages (e.g. Python, R), and tools for model automation, version control, and workflow integration.
• Proven ability to provide strategic and technical advice to internal and external stakeholders to inform business decisions, with advanced written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare and present complex technical reports to diverse audiences.
• Current NSW Drivers Licence.

How we will support you: 

At WaterNSW, we balance flexibility – and the way we work – with the needs of the business, our teams, and us as individuals. When it comes to working in an office, we work in a hybrid way. If you’re required to be in the field or on site, the benefits of flexibility can be achieved in other ways, such as through a condensed work week.

We are proud to be a WORK180 Endorsed Employer and are committed to providing equal opportunities for women. Visit our WORK180 page to access our benefits and career development opportunities. 

More about our team / culture:

No matter how or where you work, safety is the number one priority. This means the physical and mental safety of you, your colleagues, and the public.

Who is WaterNSW?

WaterNSW operates the state’s dams, capturing and storing water, and then supplying it ready for distribution – for the environment, agriculture, industry and the community. With 41 major dams and hundreds of waterways across the state, we play a vital role at the source of the state’s water, delivering two thirds of all water used in NSW.   

We’re the people taking care of the state’s water at the source – capturing, storing, delivering. Find out more at waternsw.com.au. 

For more information, please reach out to: Jasmine Choong (jasmine.choong@waternsw.com.au).  

Please note applications for this position will close on 16th December 2025, 5.00pm.

Click for Position Description – Please note this can only be accessed on the WaterNSW Careers Page. 

You must have full work rights in Australia to qualify for all positions at WaterNSW.  

We are a 2025 Circle Back Initiative Employer – we commit to respond to every applicant.