Powered by Water, Driven by Purpose
South West Water keeps the South West flowing with safe, reliable drinking water and wastewater services across some of the UK’s most stunning landscapes.
We’re proud to be part of Pennon Group, a leader in the UK water sector, working towards a greener future. Our goals? As well as lowering our carbon footprint, we’re working with partners to plant 300,000 trees, restore peatlands and supporting farmers and landowners to improve water quality and wildlife.
Whether you’re starting out or seeking a new challenge, our scale and ambition create opportunities for you to shape your own career.
Ready to make a splash?Join our team today.
We’re looking for aLead Data & Reporting Scientist to join our Data & Modelling department at South West Water.
This is afull-time role, offering a salary of£48,000 - £54,000, withhybrid working. The role is mostly remote, with one day a week in our Exeter office. You’ll be joining a dedicated team, and Exeter itself is a fantastic place to live – offering great quality of life, easy access to coast and countryside, and a vibrant city centre.
About the role:
This role sits within the Water Resources Data team within the Data & Modelling department, delivering data management, analysis, visualisation and supports dynamic operational monitoring, function-critical outputs, annual regulatory reporting to Ofwat, and long-term strategic planning including Water Resources Management Plans (WRMP).
What you’ll be doing:
Owning Annual Performance Report (APR) delivery for Water Resources (currently 50% of time, with intent to automate and reduce manual effort).
Leading data science and scientific modelling work - applying statistical methods, forecasting techniques and machine learning to water resources problems. Setting team standards for analytical quality and resolving complex modelling problems others cannot (WRMP demand forecasting, supply-demand balance, water resource zone modelling).
Establishing auditable single source of truth - designing data governance, quality standards and stewardship processes for Water Resources reference data.
Designing data pipelines to move from manual APR processes to automated workflows - specifying Bronze/Silver/Gold layer architecture requirements, defining transformation logic, working with data engineers to implement solutions.
Managing stakeholder requests across the Water Resources Function.
Supervising and mentoring Data & Reporting Scientists - providing technical guidance, modelling and visualization approaches, building team capability.
What we're looking for:
Essential
Demonstrated leadership in data science, setting standards for statistical methods, forecasting and machine learning, and solving complex analytical challenges.
Proven ownership of regulatory BI delivery (e.g. Ofwat APR, ODI or similar), including forecasting, consumption methodology, and water balance outputs.
Strong scientific modelling capability across WRMP, demand forecasting, water resource modelling, and supply–demand analysis for strategic planning.
Expertise in data management and governance, including single source of truth, data quality standards, lineage, and reference data stewardship.
Data engineering experience designing automated pipelines and implementing Bronze/Silver/Gold architectures.
Skilled in data ownership, storytelling, and communicating complex technical insights to non-technical audiences.
Extensive experience in data science, analytics or scientific modelling roles with leadership of technical delivery and regulatory accountability.
Proficient in handling large structured and unstructured datasets using SQL and Python or R.
Ability to balance immediate operational delivery with long-term data infrastructure development.
Desirable
Experience in project/work management, coordinating stakeholders, scoping work, and managing deadlines.
Strong data visualisation skills (e.g. Power BI, matplotlib), translating technical insights into clear dashboards and enabling self-serve reporting.
Proven ability to document methodologies and build knowledge resources to support team independence.
Experience in the water/utilities sector, particularly water resources, leakage, consumption, or demand forecasting.
What's in it for you?
Flexible, hybrid working model.
Generous annual leave allowance, plus Bank Holidays and the option to buy or sell holiday to increase your flexibility.
Competitive company pension scheme.
Access to thousands of discounts and savings through Pennon Perks.
Cycle to Work Scheme - supporting you to access sustainable, healthy transport options.
Employee Assistance Programme with 24/7 access to support.
Comprehensive family leave.
Discretionary company bonus scheme.
Much more.
Closing Date: 5th June 2026
We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
Please note that the successful candidate will be subject to a mandatory DBS check as part of the onboarding process.
Be yourself, we like it that way. Together, we will build a culture of belonging, where inclusion is instinctive. Diversity is our strength and a reflection of our communities. We care, we value everyone, we celebrate uniqueness.
Our core values, which are essential to our success, are:
Be Rock Solid - Build trust and be trusted. Be the one we all look to and can depend on.
Be You- We want you to bring your best everyday. Be yourself and make your mark in your individual way.
Be the Future - Embrace change. Drive Progress. Own the challenge.
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