Edinburgh or Glasgow, United Kingdom
Onsite
Together we are Trusted to Serve Scotland.
It’s not every job where you make a difference for the people of Scotland. But it’s what’s behind every job here.
Our work keeps Scotland’s water flowing, from reservoir to tap – and from sewer to treatment plant. Do your bit by joining our Risk & Lifecycle Planning Team (R&LP) in Scottish Water’s Wastewater Directorate as a Principal Process Engineer on a permanent basis.
The role of R&LP is to understand, predict, and manage current and future risks to service by providing assets that are safe, reliable, resilient, and capable of achieving expected performance.
Responsibilities
Key responsibilities for this role are to ensure:
Full technical support to the existing DSEAR Compliance Programme, working across assessments, remediation planning, and verification to maintain regulatory compliance and operational safety.
Work with CSD Operations to ensure that all operational assets remain within their ongoing regulatory compliance and operational safety as the DSEAR Compliance programme completes and we transition into a BAU position. This will include working with SW Capital investment teams to ensure that the delivery of all capital projects is undertaken without compromising compliance.
Work with Service Planning teams to understand, predict, and manage current and future risks to service, thus providing assets that are safe, reliable, resilient, and capable of achieving expected performance.
The R&LP Intervention Team identifies pressures on our wastewater systems from maintenance demands, population changes, or climate impacts. We conduct root cause analysis and promote solutions aligning with Scottish Water's vision and the identified need.
You will become an integral part of a dynamic and innovative team that plays a crucial role in meeting Scottish Water’s Strategic Ambitions. Empowered with the autonomy to manage your own tasks, you will collaborate with industry professionals and lead process design decisions. You will also provide technical expertise and opinion across a variety of projects.
You will be given the opportunity to influence Scottish Water’s success by driving innovation and ensuring consistency and compliance across the capital investment programme. This will include undertaking a leading role in evaluating the capability and performance of our treatment assets and developing solutions to meet identified needs across a portfolio of wastewater projects.
Data drives our decisions. By applying Root Cause Analysis principals, you will collaborate with teams to determine when our assets might fail and under which scenarios, guiding future investment decisions.
You will advocate for and facilitate the implementation of low-carbon solutions to assist Scottish Water in reaching net zero emissions by 2040. Additionally, you will enhance cooperation with Research & Innovation teams to expedite the innovation process and the adoption of low-carbon and nature-based technologies.
Scottish Water is adopting new tools and technologies, including Generative Design, to enhance investment and risk planning. You will help develop and implement these tools and assess their benefits and value.
You will work with the TSA Principal Process Engineer to manage and update Process Requirements as a Requirement Owner. Additionally, you will help define and implement asset standardization using Standard Products, Designs, and Processes.
Additional Responsibilities – DSEAR Compliance Programme Support (Key Requirements)
Lead and update Explosion Protection Documents (EPDs) and close out Equipment Verification Reports (EVRs) for compliance.
Define and scope remediation works using the Repair Matrix; validate pricing and programme alignment.
Provide ventilation assessments and mitigation specifications for hazardous areas.
Issue and manage PMIs, enabling surveys, and tracking progress against P6/3MLA plans.
Collaborate with CSPs/JV partners to resolve technical queries and unblock PO/hold conditions.
Assure designs meet DSEAR standards, including Ex-rated equipment and IS barriers.
Produce concise governance reports on site status, remediation, and verification close-out.
Support innovation and standardization while integrating low‑carbon solutions into DSEAR compliance.
What you’ll need
A degree in Chemical / Process / Mechanical Engineering or similar and will have achieved CEng status. We would expect you to support, develop, and mentor junior process engineers on their development journey.
A demonstrable experience in the evaluation of process treatment plants including high level design and asset enhancement, preferably within the waste treatment or water industries. Along with an expert knowledge of wastewater treatment technologies.
You will understand design and construction principles within the legislative requirements of Scottish Water and understand Scottish Water’s regulatory frameworks and Capital Delivery Plan.
You will be capable of understanding the wider context of decision making within the investment planning scenario and be able to provide prioritisation or alternative strategies.
You will have already established a wide network and will maintain relationships with industry and academia to identify opportunities for deploying new or innovative technologies and their potential value to Scottish Water. You may be asked to represent Scottish Water at conferences and events, speaking confidently to share our successes and bring learning back into the business.
Beyond that, we’re looking for a few ‘nice-to-haves’. You will also have strong communication, negotiation, liaison, and influencing skills to explain and understand complex technical issues. You will be a problem solver who evaluates evidence and delivers results by managing safety and risk and have a good working knowledge of MS Office Suite. You will also be comfortable in acting as an early adopter of new technologies and software programs.
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 five more if you need a little extra time. You are entitled to two paid volunteering days every year to support your community.
When it comes to major life events, we have family-friendly policies around adoption, maternity, and parental leave. And every day, 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.
The not-so-small print
This role will be in Grade 8. If you’re new to Scottish Water, you’ll join us on a starting salary of £54,776 Performance-driven pay progression would then allow you to move through the range to a maximum of £74,386.
If you’re interested in this role – or know someone else who might be – we’ll be accepting applications until midnight on the Friday 12 June 2026.
Job offers at Scottish Water are conditional, and will be confirmed on completion of our pre-employment screening, e.g. referencing, criminal record checks, driving license checks, etc. These checks are conducted on our behalf by a third party. Don’t worry - we’ll ask your permission before starting these checks.
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.
Please note, Scottish Water takes the safety, health and wellbeing of our employees, colleagues and customers very seriously and as such you may be subject to Drug & Alcohol testing in line with our policy.
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
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