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Together we are Trusted to Serve Scotland.

Most people don’t think too much about how clean water reaches their taps. Or what happens to their waste water.

But Scottish Water does. In fact, it’s all we think about.

Want to help? As a Scientist based in our busy Microbiology Wing in Edinburgh, you’ll be on the front lines of making sure Scotland’s water is totally, dependably pure.

What you’ll do

Clean water doesn’t just happen. Our team of 300 samplers, scientists and support staff analyse their way through an average of one test every minute.

With so many tests going through the lab, you’ll prioritise work within your team. And you’ll manage routine maintenance of instrumentation to help avoid unplanned downtime.

Day-to-day, you’ll be using membrane filtration for E.coli enumeration and Cryptosporidium isolation and speciation. Then you’ll help us translate the results for customers. Getting it right is important, so you’ll work to ISO 17025 (if you know, you know).

Naturally, we’ve got a big focus on health and safety. The standard? 100% compliance with the strictest standards – many of them set out in law.

There will be a requirement to be trained in all areas within the Microbiology wing. Together, you’ll make sure we sail far beyond the compliance and regulatory requirements – all in the name of great water quality.

And the big tick for job satisfaction? Safeguarding public health and the environment.

What you’ll bring

First of all, you love science. You know chemical testing and analysis inside-out, ideally backed up by an HND or degree-level qualification in a related scientific discipline.

You should have good knowledge of analytical science. And, although it probably goes without saying, maintaining a safe and healthy workplace is your thing.

Ideally, you’ll have some experience working in an ISO 17025 or GLP-accredited analytical laboratory – or at least have a good handle on the standard.

Beyond that, we hope that delivering great customer service is what gets you out of bed in the morning. And you’re committed to always improving processes.

What you’ll get

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.

This role has some weekend working and standby requirements. But 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 can also take time off to volunteer in your community.

When it comes to major life events we have family-friendly policies around adoption, maternity, and parental leave. And for the everyday? We embrace flexible working. For your future, there’s our pension (the ‘know-what-you’ll-get-when-you-retire’ kind), and 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

The salary band for this role is £23,572 - £35,566.

Salary is based on experience, however most new graduates will be placed on our Scientist Progression Plan, which starts from £23,572 and reaches £28,372 over a 2-year period. Progression is 6 monthly and tied to completion of specific training milestones in your development plan, which will help you to perfect your professional testing and analytics skills.

This is a full-time role (37 hours per week). The Microbiology Laboratory provides analytical services from 08.00 am to 10.00 pm. Shift patterns are 08.00 am to 5.00 pm, or midday to 9.00 pm, up to 10.00 pm, if required. You will also be expected to participate in standby and weekend working.

All new Scottish Water employees are required to complete pre-employment security checks before they can start work.

If you’re interested in this role – or know someone else who might be - we’ll be accepting applications until midnight on Tuesday 5 September 2023. We’ll be interviewing the week beginning 18 September.

Do you have any support needs?

Please let us know if there are any changes we can make to our application and selection process to make it easier and more comfortable for you. Email us with the vacancy reference number in the subject line so we can work with you to support you throughout your application.

Working at Scottish Water

Scottish Water is one of the UK's leading water companies, the quality of drinking water and satisfaction with the service we provide our customers has never been higher - but we want to be even better – and you could help play an important part!

We take employee engagement very seriously and have an inclusive and collaborative work environment where we respect people’s differences. We are committed to creating an engaging environment and a positive experience for our employees.

We were recently recognised as a Top 10 Flexible Employer in Scotland at the Flexibility Works Awards 2021 and by The Times as a Top 50 Employer for Women in 2019.

In 2019 we also won the Age Inclusive Award at The Herald and GenAnalytics Diversity Awards and were winners of the Best Public Sector Employer at the Family Friendly Working Scotland Awards 2020.
We have Carers Positive Exemplary Status and were Silver Award 2019 & Gold Award winners 2020 of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (DERS).

We aim for work to be an energising and fulfilling experience and everyone plays their part to ensure that Scottish Water is trusted to serve our customers and communities.

We are passionate about creating opportunities for young people and are proud to have achieved the Gold standard in the Investors in Young People accreditation, demonstrating our commitment to creating rewarding opportunities for young people.

You will have access to a host of benefits which include 38 days holiday a year, a defined benefit pension scheme, a discounted medical cash plan and cycle to work, plus a variety of agile working arrangements and family-friendly policies designed to support your wellbeing.

Next Steps

Any offer of employment with Scottish Water will be subject to the successful completion of a mandatory pre-employment screening process, including Disclosure Scotland and eligibility to work in the UK. Details can be found on our website.

For more information about this role or if you require any additional support throughout the application process please contact the recruitment team:

As part of our commitment to developing a flourishing Scotland, it is important that Scottish Water employees are resident in Scotland and contribute to the Scottish economy by paying Scottish income tax on their earnings. As a result we ask all potential employees to confirm that they are resident in Scotland, or to confirm their intentions to move to Scotland within 3 months of their start date.

Please note that candidates who have not submitted an application in the last 12 months will be automatically removed from our system records.