Taking care of ‘one of life’s essentials’ – it’s our purpose and we want you to be part of it. Supplying wholesome drinking water, treating wastewater and recycling this back to the environment responsibly is no mean feat. We serve around 8 million people across the Midlands and Wales and unlike other businesses, our delivery is non-negotiable. It’s a matter of life.   

Many of our employees are also our customers, so we truly take pride in what we do! Employing people from across our communities and beyond, Severn Trent is an exciting and inclusive place to work – a place where you can be curious, can be ‘Wonderfully You’ and where you can truly make an impact to our environment, now and for future generations.    

Let's tell you more

Our Design Engineering Summer Placement Programme offers the perfect blend of personal and professional development, exposing you to the frontline and the core of our business. Severn Trent Capital and Commercial Services design and deliver water and wastewater infrastructure, including pipelines and treatment facilities. As a Summer Placement participant, the work you undertake will be interesting and varied. 

The placement will take place in various teams across our design, delivery, and digital capability functions and will also offer opportunities to spend time working in other areas of our business. 

How do we meet the challenge of population growth? How do we navigate the extreme weather events which are becoming more frequent because of climate change? How do we deal with water shortages and longer periods of drought? How do we reduce our carbon emissions and mitigate the impact our business processes have on our planet? 

These are all critical business challenges our teams are currently working to tackle, and you could come work alongside engineers that are trialling some of the best technology and innovation in the industry, making ground-breaking changes for future generations to come. 

You’ll get a real insight into the sheer scale of engineering that goes into our water and wastewater treatment and distribution of our water supply and waste removal services. You’ll learn about different aspects of our business whilst working on a range of projects which will help address real-life challenges and drive tangible change. You may be working in a waste workstream designing sewerage systems, or waste treatment designing tanks to facilitate sewage treatment; or in a clean water design team undertaking distribution pipe design or clean water treatment plant design. 

The aim of the programme is to create a pathway and give you the necessary tools to become a proficient design engineer. 

How will the programme work?

You will be based at one of our key sites either in Coventry or Derby. You will be able to complete either an 8 week or 12 week placement depending on your preference as well as what the business area currently has on from a project perspective. 

In this exciting programme, you will have the chance to discuss your development and career ambitions in your 1-1 meetings with business leads, mentors, and the New Talent Team. 

About the placement

  • Location: Finham, Coventry, CV3 6SD 
  • Raynesway, Derby, DE21 7BE 
  • Programme Duration: 8 or 12 weeks 
  • Starting Salary: £22,011 pro rata 
  • Entry Criteria: Studying for a degree ideally in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Modelling Engineering, Process Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a related field.  

You must be currently studying at a UK university and be eligible to work in the UK without sponsorship.  

What we're looking for

We want our employees to care and to have a genuine passion for what we do as a business. We need people who want to make a difference in providing a vital service to our customers, now and for the long-term. 

We’d love you to be someone with: 

  • An interest in protecting the environment. 
  • The desire to work with industry-leading technology. 
  • Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to think analytically and strategically. 
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex engineering concepts clearly and effectively. 
  • A positive, can-do attitude – willing to get stuck in, take accountability for decisions and actions, and who takes pride in their work. 
  • Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities in a fast-paced environment. 
  • Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships and work collaboratively with diverse teams. 
  • Curiosity to learn quickly in a reactive and dynamic working environment. 
  • Drive and motivation to develop yourself and achieve your goals.  

Diversity and inclusion

At Severn Trent we are passionate about our people. We want to make sure that we continue to foster a more diverse, inclusive, and cohesive culture that represents the communities and customers we serve. We’re making sure we keep up the progress with our wonderful working groups – LGBTQ+, Women in Operations & STEM, Disability and Ethnicity, who help us with our commitments. Find out more about our commitments to Diversity and Inclusion at Severn Trent.  

Let's go

Apply now to build an amazing career and be part of a brilliant team. We can’t wait to hear from you.  

  • Roles close on 15th January 2025 
  • Check your diary – face to face assessments will run at the end of January and Early February  
  • Start Date 2nd June for a 12 week placement and 30th June for an 8 week placement