At Scottish Water, our graduate programmes empower you to drive change, tackle real challenges, and shape Scotland’s future. This is more than just a launchpad for your career – it's an opportunity to make a meaningful impact. As part of our team, you’ll play a key role in delivering essential services and infrastructure that help Scotland flourish every day.
You’ll be joining us at a fascinating time, as we transform into a more agile, innovative organisation that delivers outstanding service, delivers great value for money, and works in an environmentally sustainable way that goes beyond Net Zero. Start a career that’s built for you, today.
What you’ll do
Imagine shaping the future of one of the world’s most essential resources – water. As a civil engineer in the water sector, you’ll design, build, and improve the infrastructure that delivers clean, safe water to millions while protecting the environment. Your work will tackle real-world challenges like climate change, urban growth, and aging systems, placing you at the forefront of innovation and sustainability.
In this role, every project has purpose. Whether you’re creating resilient water networks, designing state-of-the-art treatment plants, or protecting communities from flooding, your expertise will directly impact lives and contribute to securing a sustainable future for our planet. If you’re passionate about making a tangible difference, civil engineering in the water sector is your chance to leave a lasting legacy.
Take a look at the team hiring
Technical Support & Assurance (TSA)
This team is the driving force behind innovation and excellence at Scottish Water, offering a multi-disciplinary hub that spans water and wastewater, including Process, Mechanical, Electrical, and Civil Engineering. As a Centre of Technical Excellence, TSA plays a vital role in ensuring the highest standards across Scottish Water’s projects, supporting the capital programme with cutting-edge technical assurance and providing essential technical support across the business.
The team takes full ownership of Scottish Water’s Standards and Specifications, driving the transition to Requirements, and managing the Scottish Water Design Library - a comprehensive collection of technical knowledge and industry-leading best practices. Join this forward-thinking team and help shape the future of Scotland’s water and wastewater services while ensuring safety, sustainability, and innovation across the industry.
Over your three years with us, you’ll receive dedicated training to become a fully qualified Senior Service Planner, building the skills and confidence needed to succeed. With role rotations every six months, you’ll gain valuable experience across various teams, preparing you for a rewarding career at the forefront of Scottish Water’s business transformation.
How does the graduate programme work?
- You’ll be employed on a permanent contract from Day One, with a starting salary of £31,000.
- As you progress through the programme and reach key milestones, you’ll be rewarded with salary increases that recognise your growth and commitment to ongoing learning. Upon completing the programme, you’ll also have the opportunity to advance into a Senior Service Planner role, starting from £41,000. For more details, please visit www.scottishwater.co.uk/graduates.
- You’ll be part of a cohort of c.30 graduates, giving you an instant and invaluable network of contacts throughout the business.
- There is plenty of support. As well as your day-to-day manager, we’ll match you up with a mentor who will support and coach you as you go through your programme.
- You’ll have access to both structured and informal training designed to equip you with the skills you need now, and in the future.
What you’ll need
You’ll have graduated within the last three years (or be on track to graduate next summer) with a degree in an Engineering discipline such as Civil, Environmental, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering. A master’s degree (MEng) in Civil or Environmental Engineering is particularly desirable, and any experience or project work in the water sector or net-zero emissions (NZE) space will make you stand out.
We support routes to incorporated and chartered membership of relevant engineering bodies and offer an accredited training scheme to help you progress towards professional qualifications.
And you’ll need a full UK-issued (DVLA) driving license – or be on track to pass your test.
You’ll need to live within commuting distance of one of our main office hubs, e.g., Edinburgh, Stepps, Dundee, Inverness.
In terms of essential requirements? That’s it.
But here’s the thing: We get thousands of applications for our Graduate roles each year. What makes the best candidates stand out?
Here are a few things we love to see
- CVs that tell us more than what grades you earned over the years. Show us what you’ve learned. What you love. What your aspirations are.
- Cover letters that tell us why you’re interested in Scottish Water (and in this role)
- People who use their application to show that they are Bold, Responsible, Inspiring and Caring.
Looking out for you
While the work we do is important, 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 five more if you need a little extra time. You can also take paid 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), as well as life assurance.
As for some nice extras? You can expect an annual company bonus. Not to mention access to SW Splash – handy rewards that can save you money on holidays, bills, and shopping.
What happens next?
- The closing date for applications is Sunday 22nd December.
- Assessment activity will kick off in January with some surprisingly fun (no, really!) online testing.
- Final face-to-face interviews will happen during February. Where you can give us a good grilling too.
- If you accept a place on the programme, you’ll go through some pre-employment screening during the Spring, including a criminal record check.
- All our new Graduates will start together in September, with a week-long induction event in Glasgow. You’ll learn more about the organisation, meet our leaders, visit some of our operational sites, start making friends, and have a lot of fun.
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.
