User Researcher jobs in United Kingdom

Environmental Data Scientist / Hydrologist

Location: Wallingford, Oxfordshire
Level: Consultant / Senior Consultant
Salary: £35,000 – £42,000
Hours: Full-time (part-time considered)
Application Deadline: 9 January 2026

About the Organisation

Our client is a specialist UK consultancy operating at the intersection of hydrology, environmental science, and software development. Established in the early 2000s, the business is nationally recognised for developing industry-standard hydrological and flood estimation tools used widely by regulators, consultants, and practitioners across the UK.

The company combines scientific research with commercial software development to deliver cost-effective, sustainable solutions for water resources, flooding, and climate change. As an employee-owned organisation, it offers a supportive, dynamic working environment with a strong focus on professional development, collaboration, and shared success.

The successful candidate will join the organisation’s software development and science team, playing a key role in the development and ongoing management of national hydrological modelling tools and methods.

You will work on software that underpins UK national design standards, addressing real‑world challenges including river seasonality, flood mitigation, and climate resilience. The initial focus of the role will be on a national water resources modelling platform, with opportunities to contribute across a broader flood modelling software suite.

A key element of the role will involve applying machine learning techniques alongside established hydrological models to enhance performance, insight, and innovation.

• Develop and manage hydrological methods within a national water resource modelling platform.
• Contribute to the development and enhancement of UK flood estimation and modelling tools.
• Identify and implement machine learning approaches to support and extend existing hydrological models.
• Translate scientific research into robust, user-focused commercial software solutions.
• Support software testing, validation, and user interface development.
• Engage with regulators and end users to ensure compliance, credibility, and usability of tools.

• A good first degree (2:1 or above) in a numerate discipline such as Hydrology, Environmental Science, Civil Engineering, or similar.
• A postgraduate qualification is desirable but not essential.
• Strong programming skills in Python and/or R.
• Practical experience developing and applying machine learning models to environmental or hydrological data.
• Ability to work with complex spatial and temporal datasets (e.g. NetCDF, ASCII formats).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrable experience in hydrology or water‑related environmental science.

During your first 12 months, you can expect to:

• Build a strong understanding of the organisation’s hydrological and flood modelling software tools.
• Develop Python modules and apply machine learning techniques to real‑world hydrological challenges.
• Gain exposure to the UK regulatory framework for water and environmental management.
• Collaborate with regulators and leading UK research bodies.
• Produce high‑quality technical reports and documentation.
• Progress towards professional chartership (e.g. CIWEM).

Beyond the first year, you will have opportunities to:

• Contribute to the scientific and commercial strategy of the organisation’s software products.
• Identify opportunities to expand technical capability and diversify services.
• Act as Project Manager on research and development initiatives.
• Support client proposals and business development activities.
• Contribute to strategic marketing and product positioning.

The organisation offers a highly competitive benefits package, including:

• Employee ownership benefits, including tax‑free profit‑share bonuses and performance‑related bonuses.
• Structured pay scales with clear promotion pathways.
• Generous annual leave allowance (40+ days, with buy/sell options).
• Employer‑matched pension contributions.
• Health and wellbeing support, including a healthcare cashback scheme and virtual GP access.
• Dedicated annual allowance for training, CPD, and professional memberships.
• Flexible working hours and strong IT infrastructure.
• Regular staff social events and team‑building activities.
• A unique office location in a tranquil riverside business park with excellent on‑site facilities and transport links.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.