Programme Graduate - Water Production (Environmental Specialist)

Graduate – Environmental Specialist providing environmental advice, compliance support, and project work across clean water production, regulatory management, and sustainability initiatives as part of a structured 2-year graduate programme.

Salary & Benefits 

• Starting salary: £32,000, rising to £37,000 by end of year 2 

• Extras: £2,000 signing bonus, annual bonus, 25 days holiday + bank holidays + wellness day 

• Pension: Up to 12% company contribution 

• Life assurance: 4x pensionable salary 

• Permanant substantive role offer upon completion of programme subject to performance 

Flexible Benefits Package 

Includes health cash plan, critical illness and dental insurance, life assurance flex (with partner cover), retail discounts, online GP access, cycle-to-work scheme, gym membership savings, and more. 

Why Yorkshire Water? 

Yorkshire Water delivers essential water and wastewater services to over 5.4 million people. But we’re more than taps and toilets—we protect the environment, support communities, and help shape Yorkshire’s future. 

From tackling climate change to planning for droughts and floods, we’re solving some of the biggest challenges facing our region and we need talented graduates to help us do it. 

Your Graduate Programme 

Our two-year programme offers you five placements across your allocated business area, complemented by a choice of placements to suit your personal development needs in core functions such as Finance, Health & Safety, People, and Procurement, enabling you to have a balanced understanding of the business.

You’ll gain hands-on experience, technical and leadership training, and support from mentors, managers, graduate alumni, and our Early in Careers team to support you from the day you make the decision to join us. 

By the end of the scheme, you’ll be ready to step into a permanent role and make a lasting impact. 

Your Team 

The Environment & Compliance team are a key part of how we plan to meet the changing expectations of customers and regulators. Our team works on environmental matters relating to clean water production assets as we strive for 100% compliance. 

We work collaboratively with the operational teams and the Environment Agency on specific issues related to abstraction, reservoir compensation, discharges to the environment, pollution and clean water sludges, to drive improvements and ensure that any adverse impacts are managed effectively and mitigated.    

Where you’ll fit in 

As a  Graduate – Environmental Specialist, you will:

• Provide expert environmental advice to our raw water and water production teams. 

• Develop and support delivery of environmental training and initiatives to improve environmental performance. 

• Attend environmental forums, to improve awareness, promote site specific improvements and develop/update existing IMS policies and procedures. 

• Provide environmental technical support in the management of incidents and ‘near misses’ relating to clean water assets. 

• Work with the YW Permitting team to secure appropriate environmental permits for clean water activities, to minimise risk to the business and the environment.

• Work with key stakeholders, both internal & external, maintaining effective communication, positive relationships, and manage expectations. 

What you need to be successful 

• 2:1 – Environmental degree (e.g. Environmental Science or Geography) 

• Knowledge of relevant environmental issues and associated regulation 

• Self-motivated, enthusiastic team player with excellent organisational skills 

• Full driving licence (no more than 6 points) 

• Access to a vehicle  

Key Dates 

Closing date: 16th April 2026