Hydrologist/Senior Environmental Data Scientist

Senior Environmental Data Scientist / Hydrologist

Location: Oxfordshire (hybrid / remote options available)
Salary: £38,000 – £42,000 + Excellent Benefits

We are partnering with a growing environmental and data-led consultancy that is expanding its technical team and seeking an experienced Environmental Data Scientist / Hydrologist. This role sits within a collaborative science and software environment and offers the opportunity to work on nationally significant modelling tools that influence water management and flood-risk decision making across the UK.

The position is well suited to someone with a strong analytical mindset who enjoys combining environmental science, data analysis and software development to deliver real-world impact.

The Opportunity

You will become part of a multidisciplinary team responsible for developing, enhancing and maintaining large-scale hydrological modelling systems. These platforms are used by regulators, practitioners and researchers to better understand river systems, flood behaviour and long-term water availability.

A key element of the role will involve improving an established water-resources modelling framework, alongside contributing to the ongoing evolution of national flood-risk estimation tools. There is also scope to explore and embed machine learning techniques within traditional hydrological methods to extend capability and performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, test and improve hydrological models used at national scale
  
  
• Contribute to the advancement of flood-risk and water-resource assessment tools
  
  
• Support software testing, validation and usability improvements
  
  
• Collaborate with regulators, researchers and end users to ensure outputs remain accurate and compliant
  
  
• Contribute to applied research and convert findings into practical tools and methodologies
  
  About You
  
  
• Degree-qualified (2:1 or above) in a numerate or environmental discipline such as hydrology, earth sciences, environmental science or civil engineering
  
  
• Strong programming experience in Python and/or R
  
  
• Practical experience applying machine learning techniques to environmental, spatial or time-series data
  
  In your initial 12 months, you can expect to:
  
  
• Develop a strong understanding of the organisation’s modelling tools and software platforms
  
  
• Build and deploy Python-based modules addressing real hydrological challenges
  
  
• Collaborate with academic partners and national stakeholders
  
  
• Produce high-quality technical documentation and reports
  
  
• Begin working towards professional accreditation (e.g. CIWEM or equivalent)
  
  As the role develops, you’ll have opportunities to:
  
  
• Influence long-term technical and product strategy
  
  
• Identify new modelling approaches, tools or service offerings
  
  
• Lead components of research and development initiatives
  
  
• Support proposal development and client-facing work
  
  Benefits & Working Environment
  
  
• Employee-owned business model with tax-efficient profit-share bonuses
  
  
• Additional performance-related bonus opportunities
  
  
• Transparent salary bands and clear progression routes
  
  
• Share-option opportunities at senior levels (subject to tenure)
  
  
• Generous annual leave allowance (40+ days including buy/sell options)
  
  
• Pension scheme with employer contributions starting at 5% and increasing with service
  
  
• Health cash plan including virtual GP access and wellbeing support
  
  
• Cycle-to-work scheme
  
  
• Paid volunteering day focused on environmental or community initiatives
  
  
• Structured performance reviews and personalised development plans
  
  
• Dedicated annual training allowance and funded professional memberships
  
  
• Regular team events, social activities and knowledge-sharing sessions
  
  Interested in learning more?
  For a confidential discussion about this opportunity, apply now