Sampling Officer

Together we are Trusted to Serve Scotland.

How’s this for job satisfaction: at Scottish Water we look after Scotland's most precious natural resource. From source to tap, we’re guarding Scotland’s reputation for refreshingly pure water, and caring for our environment at the same time.

Sound good? We’re looking for a Sampling Officers to join our Field Response team in:

Glasgow and surrounding areas

Edinburgh/Lothian and surrounding areas

Fife and surrounding areas

Stirlingshire

Ayrshire

This is a Fixed Term opportunity for 12 months.

What you’ll do:

Whenever a customer has an issue with their water, our Field Response teams are first on the scene to investigate the issue and determine what action is required. Often this will involve a sample being taken to check the water quality – this is where you come in

When there’s a water sample to be taken, you’ll be the one to collect, process, and deliver them. Your primary focus will be lead and post-repair sampling. That means visiting everywhere, from customer properties to locations impacted by repairs – every day is different.

Many of our procedures are accredited by UKAS, so you’ll need a keen eye for detail. On your watch, you’ll make sure accurate measurements are taken and all procedures are followed diligently and to the highest standards. And yes, you’ll often be working alone – but your efforts will be critical in supporting the team’s success.

Every day, you’ll be out and about collecting samples, representing Scottish Water – your friendly, professional manner is part of the uniform.

What you’ll bring:

You’ll spend a lot of time in one of our branded vans, so you’ll need a full, clean driving licence. (You’ll be able to take the van home, so you can skip the morning commute – but you would need to leave it at the depot over holidays.)

Most days you’ll work to a schedule, but you’ll flex for the occasional logistical challenge or reactive job, such as urgent resampling. You should be goals-focused too, always with one eye on helping the team meet daily and weekly targets.

Ultimately, you’ll be the face of Scottish Water when you’re dealing with customers – high standards, an openness to learn, and a ‘sure, we can do that’ attitude go a long way.

Sometimes a sample needs to be taken at the weekend – you’ll be part of a rota to cover these jobs.

Looking out for you

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 is a full time role (37 hours per week), with some weekend working required. 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

In November 2024, we are moving to a 35-hour week to support the wellbeing and work/life balance of our employees.

This role will be a Grade 2. If you’re new to Scottish Water, you’ll join us on a starting salary of £24,430. Performance-driven pay progression would then allow you to move through the range to a maximum of £27,210.

This is a Fixed Term opportunity for 12 months.

If you’re interested in this role – or know someone else who might be - we’ll be accepting applications until midnight on Sunday 20 October 2024. We'll be interviewing the week beginning Monday 28 October.

Job offers at Scottish Water are conditional, and will be confirmed on completion of our pre-employment screening, e.g. referencing, criminal record checks, license checks, etc. These checks are conducted on our behalf by a third party. Don’t worry - we’ll ask your permission before starting these checks.

A few final things worth knowing…

Research shows that some people avoid applying for jobs unless they can meet every single criteria. If you’re interested in this job, but don’t tick all the boxes, apply anyway We hardly ever hire people who can do every part of a job from Day One. Everyone has a learning curve. So don’t rule yourself out

Let us know if there are any changes we can make to our recruitment process to help you perform at your best. Lots of our people have disabilities or neurodiverse conditions (including some of our recruiters). We're also aware that some people might be experiencing temporary challenges because of life events, like menopause. We’re very used to making adjustments, so please don’t be afraid to ask.

As part of our commitment to developing a flourishing Scotland, it’s important that all our employees are Scottish taxpayers. If you join us, your home address will need to be in Scotland. If you don’t already live here, you'll need to commit to moving here within your first three months.

Finally (finally), candidates who haven’t submitted an application in the last 12 months will have their records removed from our recruitment database. You won’t need to do anything. Your data will be automatically deleted.