Senior Scientist – Business Improvement and Assurance (Dundee)

Together we are Trusted to Serve Scotland.

Most people don’t think too much about how clean water reaches their taps. Or what happens to their wastewater.

But Scottish Water does. In fact, it’s all we think about.

Want to help? As a Senior Scientist in our Business Improvement and Assurance team in Dundee. You’ll be on the front lines of making sure Scotland’s drinking water is dependably pure, whilst making sure the water we return to the environment doesn’t harm our beautiful rivers.

What you’ll be doing

As a Senior Scientist, you’ll support key initiatives for the Business Improvement and Assurance team. This includes the setup and maintenance of the Environmental Sensor Network (ESNET).

These sensors are set up at wastewater treatment sites across Scotland, giving our operations and process science teams real time insights into how each site is performing and meeting compliance standards. You’ll play a critical role in supporting ESNET nationally, providing technical support and troubleshooting for the equipment, both on-site and remotely.

You’ll stay on top of the latest in field monitoring, testing out new equipment, both in a laboratory setting and helping plan and deliver field trials. Such as Scottish Water’s onsite monitoring of Nitrous Oxide (a greenhouse gas 300 times stronger than Carbon Dioxide), or rapid response microbiology analysis. You’ll support quality assurance initiatives – like setting up on-site chlorine and turbidity monitoring at water treatment works across Scotland. You’ll connect with internal and external stakeholders, like SEPA and DWQR, sharing technical updates with manufacturers, providing training, and giving presentations on these initiatives. You’ll be the go-to expert our teams and stakeholders rely on, offering clear, practical advice and insights when they need it.

Your commitment to safety is paramount. You’ll follow Scottish Water’s Health and Safety policies consistently, in full compliance with all relevant legislations, regulations and Scottish Water policies to protect yourself, your colleagues, and our customers.

Together, we’ll tackle environmental challenges head-on, driving toward our Beyond Net Zero ambition.

What you’ll need

You should have a good understanding of analytical science, ideally backed with an HND or Degree level qualification in Biology, Chemistry, Applied Chemical Sciences, or another relevant scientific field.

Preferably have good knowledge of field-based analytical practices in relation to water and waste water testing. And, although it probably goes without saying, maintaining a safe and healthy workplace is your thing.

Ideally, you’ll have some experience working in an ISO 17025 or GLP-accredited analytical laboratory – or at least have a good handle on the standard.

You’ll be travelling throughout Scotland, often to treatment works off the beaten track, so being a confident driver with a full, clean driving licence is non-negotiable.

What you’ll get

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.

This is a full time (35 hours per week) role with 38 days of holiday every year (including public holidays). And you can even buy five more if you need a little extra time. SW also offers discretionary days 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 is a Grade 6. If you’re new to Scottish Water, you’ll join us on a starting salary of £33,560. Performance-driven pay progression would then allow you to move through the range to a maximum of £44,140.

If you’re interested in this role – or know someone else who might be - we’ll be accepting applications until midnight on 21th May 2025.

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 [email protected]