Graduate Development Programme – Operational

Location: West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent and Hampshire (travel across regions required)

Contract: 2 year FTC

Hours: 37 hours, Monday–Friday

Salary: £32,913 per year

Find your purpose. Shape your future. Build a career that matters.

Have you completed a degree and are exploring your next steps? Are you looking for an opportunity to understand what motivates you and build practical experience in a supportive environment? Do you enjoy solving problems, supporting others, and contributing to meaningful outcomes?

If so, you’ll feel right at home on our Graduate Development Programme.

Make a meaningful impact from day one

We’re excited to launch our refreshed programme for graduates who want to be part of our frontline operational environment across Water and Wastewater. You’ll contribute to service delivery, performance improvement, customer experience and asset management - all while helping protect the environment and the communities we serve.

This isn’t just a stepping stone. It’s a platform to build your future career.

What to expect

Across the two-year programme, you’ll take part in a variety of placements that give you a broad understanding of our operations. You’ll grow your confidence, take responsibility for meaningful work, and gain exposure that many people wait years to access.

You’ll receive:

• Meaningful responsibility from day one, supported by experienced mentors and placement managers
• Coaching and guidance from operational colleagues and leaders
• Opportunities to contribute to projects early in the programme
• Access to industry recognised development, professional memberships, and development days
• A strong graduate cohort community and a supportive network across the business
• Opportunities to take part in community projects and regional events

You will be placed into one of the operational graduate pathways for the full programme, rotating across teams, sites and projects to build your capability.

Possible role pathways include:

• Graduate Operational Management Trainee – Water
• Graduate Operational Management Trainee – Wastewater
• Asset Manager Graduate – Water
• Asset Manager Graduate – Wastewater

All pathways place you at the heart of our operations, working with industry experts and contributing to improvements that benefit the environment and the communities we serve.

Travel requirements & how we support you

Our placements involve travel across regions, so you’ll need a full UK driving licence. To support this, we reimburse business mileage for any travel beyond your normal home to base commute, in line with our Travel & Expenses Policy (e.g., mileage is claimable after deducting home to base allowance).

You’ll receive guidance on claiming expenses, a Permit to Drive where required, and practical support to help you travel confidently and safely between sites.

What’s in it for you

• Relocation support available, so distance doesn’t have to be a barrier to starting your career with us.
• Health and wellbeing support, including access to a health cash plan and employee assistance programme.
• Flexible working options, supporting a healthy balance between work and life.
• 25 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays.
• Two paid volunteering days each year, giving you the opportunity to make a positive impact in your local community.
• Employee discounts and benefits platform, helping your money go further.

Who we’re looking for

We welcome graduates from all degree disciplines. What matters most is your curiosity, your willingness to learn, and your commitment to making a positive impact.

You’ll need:

• A predicted or achieved 2:2 (or equivalent)
• If not already a driver, you’ll need to be willing to learn how to drive and have access to a car, as travel will be required. Where appropriate, we can support you with driving lessons and your driving test as part of your development.
• Flexibility to travel across Hampshire, Sussex, Kent and the Isle of Wight
• You must have the right to work in the UK

Where this programme can take you

Our Graduate Development Programme is designed to prepare you for a long-term career within our operational teams. Many graduates progress into roles such as:

• Field Performance Manager (FPM)
• Assistant Operational Manager or Operational Manager
• Asset Manager (Water or Wastewater)
• Assistant Project Manager / Project Delivery roles
• Environment & Innovation early career roles

Your development is supported through coaching, a senior mentor, a People Development coach, structured check ins, and a tailored end of programme transition process.

What our graduates say

“You get out what you put in - it’s a great place to grow.”

“It’s a career in a stable, essential industry.”

“You’re working with people who genuinely want to make a positive difference.”

“There’s a strong sense of community, trust and empowerment.”

Ready to get started?

If you’re collaborative, people focused, environmentally motivated, and excited by variety - we’d love to hear from you.

Help us build a better future for the South East.

Apply now to join our Graduate Development Programme and take your first steps into a purpose-led career with real impact.

Everybody Welcome

We value diversity and are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments to facilitate your participation in the recruitment process, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Need flexibility in your work?

Does this opportunity excite you but you’re not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that ‘normal’ office hours aren’t possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’ll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role?