Environmental Engineering Graduate Programme

Are you looking for a unique engineering opportunity to gain direct access to world-leading experts through the sheer scale of its major projects? Our Environmental Engineering graduate programme offers you the chance to learn and develop to achieve your Chartership and potentially go on to be leaders in our business.
Your varied journey with us as a graduate will see you working on above and below ground water and wastewater infrastructure. This means at times you could be required to travel anywhere across our Thames Valley region; from Reading to Swindon to East London and anywhere in-between.

We aim to set you up for success both now and in your future career as an engineer, with this in mind, we will look at your strengths and qualifications during the selection process and place you into the area we believe does this. Your graduate programme will provide the opportunity to rotate through various engineering departments across the Thames Water geography. We support the professional development of our engineers, and these rotations will provide the opportunity to gain the skills, experience and competencies needed to prepare you to off-board into a role in Thames Water and work towards Chartered Engineering status.

What could you be doing as an Environmental Engineering Graduate Programme

Our engineering placements vary from working in teams undertaking project design and sustainability, through to working on site undertaking construction supervision and project management roles. Areas that we tackle range widely from energy, carbon, sustainability, water & wastewater quality. As part of your charter ship journey you’ll be involved in various activities from: 

• Designing training.
• Attending industry events.
• Data analysis.
• Project management.
• Solution design.
• Asset inspection and condition assessment.
• Working with suppliers and sub-contractors.
• Health & Safety auditing.
• Environmental management.
• Risk assessment.
• Funding processes.
• Stakeholder management.

You will also have time with your chartership mentor to work through your evidence and reports and the opportunity to attend forums with others going through the same process to share best practices. 

What can you expect from the Engineering Graduate Programme? 

All our graduates complete a two-year core graduate development programme. Throughout, you’ll have support from the managers and mentors in your business area. The programme has been designed around you to make sure you have the opportunity to maximise your potential. It has several elements that support you to start confidently in our business and develop your knowledge, skills and experience to succeed. You’ll be joining a network of graduates already in our business and will have all the support you need from day one. We review our programme each year, but the core elements include:

• Business and personal development modules.
• Health and safety training.
• A charity business challenge.
• Time to Give volunteering days.
• Coaching.
• Mentoring and buddying opportunities.

There are also opportunities to become STEM ambassadors at Thames Water to mentor and inspire the next generation of engineers.

There are also a wide variety of engineering opportunities for when you leave the graduate scheme, and Thames is very supportive of our employees’ career aspirations. Our engineering graduates can choose to move into individual contributor positions or leadership roles heading up teams within their specialism.

What kind of graduate are we looking for? 

We are a diverse business and are looking for self-driven graduates who are confident stepping into new environments, adding value and whose values reflect ours: 

• Reach higher, be better.
• Take care.
• Passionate about everything we do.
• Be respectful and value everyone.
• Be proud, be blue.

We’re looking for self-motivated, resilient and proactive engineers. Our graduates enjoy influencing colleagues and sharing ideas and creativity. They thrive on working with others, respecting their views and valuing the diversity around them. They are humble and decent and treat others the way they’d like to be treated. They also hold great passion for the industry we work in and our future aspirations.

Specifically for the Environmental Engineering Graduate Programme, we are looking for people who are working towards (or have achieved) an Environmental Engineering / Environmental Science (or similar) bachelor’s degree (or higher). You will be working in a fast-paced and rapidly evolving area of engineering. You will be part of a team that ensures Thames Water considers a range of environmental factors, ranging from carbon impacts to biodiversity. 

Who are we? 

At Thames Water, our purpose is crystal clear - to deliver life’s essential service so our customers, communities and planet can thrive. 
 
Water is life’s great leveller. Every living thing needs it, every single day. From people to plants, birds to bees, farms to factories, we all need it to thrive, and we’re committed to taking care of it for us all. 
 
But keeping water flowing is becoming harder. From scorching summers to wetter winters, extreme weather affects everything from our pipes to our local rivers. We must keep millions more kettles boiling, public services operating, washing machines spinning, showers running and more, so every drop is more precious than ever. Are you ready to play your part?

Working at Thames Water 

At Thames Water, we recognise that people are at the heart of our business. To help us succeed in providing life's essential service, we need a range of skills and capabilities, representative of society throughout our business. 

We seek to attract and retain a cultural mix of people who can offer different but complementary attitudes, values, talents, and knowledge. We understand the importance of appreciating and harnessing the unique skills, experiences, backgrounds, and differences that each individual brings. 

Our over-arching diversity and inclusion aim is to ensure Thames Water is a diverse and inclusive great place to work. We encourage applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process. 

Find out more about working at Thames Water. 

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, meet colleagues and earn some extra money along the way. 

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

Application process: 
To find out more about the application process, visit the Graduates section on our Careers website.