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