Location
Farnborough, Hampshire

Hours
Full Time

Salary
Up to £40,000 per annum

About the Role
As a Restoring Sustainable Abstraction (RSA) Advisor, you will play a pivotal role in delivering the Restoring Sustainable Abstraction element of our Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP). You will guide and oversee the work of external consultants, using your specialist technical expertise in hydrogeology, hydrology, geomorphology, or aquatic ecology to critically review and constructively challenge their outputs. Working alongside catchment scientists, you will help design and implement robust data collection strategies across catchments to ensure RSA schemes are evidence-based and withstand scrutiny. You will also represent South East Water in regulatory discussions, serving as a technical subject matter expert contributing confidently to high-level meetings and complex environmental debates.

This is a 12-month fixed term contract.

Main Responsibilities
- Support delivery of RSA WINEP investigations and options appraisal conducted by consultants
- Collaborate with consultants to develop catchment monitoring strategies for sustainable abstraction
- Support catchment scientists and sub-contractors in delivering monitoring strategies
- Negotiate land access for surveys
- Contribute to regulatory meetings, providing technical challenge to ensure sustainable abstraction outcomes
- Critically review and challenge technical reports prepared by consultants using your specialist knowledge

Benefits Package
Excellent stakeholder pension scheme with up to 10% employer contribution, 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays (increasing to 6 weeks with length of service), flexible annual leave policy to buy or sell holiday leave, paid volunteering days, cycle to work scheme, health cash plan, life assurance, and wellbeing-related benefits.

Experience
- Technically qualified environmentalist with a degree, HND, or equivalent work-related experience
- Minimum 5 years relevant work experience
- Experience working in water resources, water industry, or environmental regulation
- Proven ability to interpret data to inform and influence stakeholders
- Proficient in GIS and spatial data analysis tools
- Full, clean driving licence with ability to travel across company regions as required

About You
- Strong communication skills with the ability to collaborate across multiple departments and regulators
- Sound decision-making skills based on evidence and understanding of collected and modelled data
- Flexible and prepared to perform duties within your capabilities in a dynamic business environment

Qualifications
- Degree ideally in a scientific discipline or relevant area such as hydrogeology, hydrology, geomorphology, or aquatic ecology
- Membership of a professional chartership or working towards it is desirable
- Knowledge of Water Industry Water Resource Guidance is advantageous
- Specialism in hydrogeology, hydrology, hydro-ecology, or water industry water resource planning is a bonus
- Experience designing catchment monitoring to address abstraction impacts and sustainable abstraction questions