Research Data Scientist/Engineer

Job title Research Data Scientist/Engineer Ref 41978 Division Asset Operations & Capital Delivery Location Hybrid - Reading (STW) - RG2 0RP Contract type Permanent Full/Part-time Full-time Salary Competitive salary from £41,000 to £51,000 per annum depending on experience Job grade B Closing date 08/08/2025

In this exciting role, you will be supporting the development, briefing and providing technical input to ensure we have the correct engineering and data solutions, outline designs and technical requirements within the projects. You will also be part of a cohesive, sustainable engineering structure that leads Thames Water's engineering requirements into AMP8 and beyond.

What you'll be doing as a Research Data Scientist/Engineer

• Working within the Networks Innovation team but supporting across the whole team, managing process projects and the wider business.
• Leading research project activities and making significant technical contributions to others. Organising, implementing and monitoring research activities to ensure their smooth operation and successful completion.
• Support data-driven decision-making by analysing and interpreting data from various sources related to research activities. The analysis should help to identify trends, measure performance and provide actionable insights to improve service delivery, regulatory compliance and environmental outcomes in the water industry.
• Evaluating data and information to produce sound results, conclusions and recommendations to inform business strategy. Produce high-quality technical output documents relating to the research for Innovation internal use, business managers and external communication.
• Participating and presenting research outputs in internal and external meetings with customers and stakeholders for building awareness of Innovation activities and outputs.
• Provide support & mentoring to junior technical staff. Support management of research budget, give accurate and reliable reports, deliver budget to profile.

Working hours: 36 hours per week

What you should bring to the role

• Graduate in science, engineering or equivalent in a relevant discipline.
• Experience analysing data in a utility, infrastructure or engineering context.
• Strong skills in Excel, SQL and Power BI (or similar visualisation tools).
• Exposure to Python or R for data manipulation or basic modelling.
• Understanding of performance frameworks in the sector (e.g. Ofwat, Environment Agency).
• Knowledge or experience with cloud-based tools (e.g., Azure Data Lake, Databricks, etc).
• Comfortable working with large datasets and identifying patterns and anomalies.
• Ability to present findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Typically, at least 2 years of relevant technical experience (e.g. in the water industry) is desirable.

What's in it for you?

• Competitive salary from £41,000 to £51,000 per annum, depending on experience.
• 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (plus bank holidays)
• Car Allowance (delete as applicable for your role)
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON.
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of yourself and your family's health and wellbeing, and your finances - from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

We're the UK's largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It's a big job and we've got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you'll enjoy fast-tracked career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

Whether you're interested in a role in one of our call centres or science labs, we're looking for people like you with real passion and a burning desire to make things better.

So, if you're looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people's lives while helping to protect the world's water for future generations, we'll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

Our overarching aim is to ensure that Thames Water is a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process . We aim to remove any real or perceived barriers to success, so if you need assistance, we're here to help and support .

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you'll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It's also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.