River Restoration Lead

Benefits

• We offer a competitive salary, depending on experience (£42,973 - £53,717)
• A company car
• Annual incentive related bonus (£1000 maximum bonus opportunity for the performance year)
• Attractive pension scheme (up to 12% company contribution)
• Development opportunities in line with the River Restoration Lead progression plan
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays – plus an extra 2 wellness days!
• Life assurance cover of 4 times pensionable salary
• A great benefits package – choose from health cash plan scheme, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, life assurance flex and partner cover.
• Retail savings scheme
• Online GP service, cycle to work scheme, gym membership discounts and many more!

Location:
West Yorkshire / Hybrid Working (1-2 days in the office a week). This role will initially be based in Bradford but we’re moving our office to Leeds Valley Park in summer 2026, so you’ll be based there in the future.

Work type:
Permanent. 37 hours per week, Monday – Friday.

We have an exciting opportunity for a River Restoration Lead to join the River Resilience Team at Yorkshire Water, part of the Company’s wider Environment Team. Could this be you?

Everyone has an idea of what a water company does. Here in Yorkshire, we make sure that over 5.4 million people living in the region and the millions of people who visit our region each year, can rely on our services, and have clean and safe drinking water on tap and that their wastewater is taken away. But for us, it’s so much more than this.

We look after communities, protect the environment, and plan to look after Yorkshire’s water, today, tomorrow 24/7, 365 days a year. We provide essential water and wastewater services to every corner of the Yorkshire region, and play a key role in the region’s health, wellbeing, and prosperity.

New environmental legislation, unprecedented levels of investment and changing expectations from customers means that this is an exciting time to discover opportunities within the water industry. The River Resilience Team is a key part of how we plan to meet the changing expectations of customers and regulators. We’re looking for an experienced River Restoration Lead to provide strategic and technical leadership across Yorkshire Water’s river restoration programme.

As a relatively new area of focus for the business, this role will shape and influence the Company’s strategy and ambition on restoration activity across multiple catchments and ultimately the region, working with regulators, partners and the wider business.

You’ll sit at the heart of our River Resilience Team, leading the technical vision for river restoration and helping translate long term environmental strategy into delivery on the ground through working with specialist contractors, rivers trusts and other eNGOs. Through strong partnership working and evidence based decision making, you’ll help secure meaningful, lasting improvements to river health, biodiversity and climate resilience.

• Lead the technical vision for river restoration across Yorkshire, shaping innovative approaches, standards, and long-term priorities
• Take ownership of complex restoration projects, guiding their design, delivery, and monitoring to ensure outstanding, nature-led outcomes
• Influence and collaborate with partners, regulators, and stakeholders to drive meaningful, shared environmental benefits
• Spot and develop new restoration opportunities, helping to secure investment and bring ambitious projects to life
• Champion innovation and continuous improvement, embedding best practice and building capability across the team
• Act as the trusted technical authority, working closely with consultants, contractors, and environmental partners to deliver high-quality results
• Drive the quality and effectiveness of the WINEP river restoration programme
• Shape how partnership-led delivery is designed, governed, and scaled
• Contribute to long-term river resilience, biodiversity gain, and climate adaptation across the region

• A degree in Environmental Science, River Restoration, Geomorphology, Hydrology, Ecology, or a related discipline
• Proven experience leading the…