Principal Hydrologist; Flood Risk Consultant

The UK's flood risk landscape is changing. Climate pressures are intensifying, regulatory expectations are rising, and the communities that depend on resilient, well‑managed water environments deserve solutions that are built to last. The professionals who can lead that work with both technical authority and genuine human understanding are exactly who we are looking for.

At Stantec, our Hydrology and Flood Risk team is growing because the demand for what we do is growing. We are looking for a Principal Hydrologist with a strong flood risk consulting background to join us, someone ready to take a leading role in delivering complex work and helping shape a team with real ambition.

You will join a friendly, collaborative group of over 100 Hydrologists, Hydrogeologists, Water Resources Planners and Water Quality Scientists, with flexibility to be based from our Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol or Cardiff offices.

Your project portfolio will span the full breadth of flood risk and drainage consultancy, including enhancing the resilience of public water supply, reducing the environmental impact of wastewater infrastructure and working with Lead Local Flood Authorities. You will deliver sustainable, climate‑resilient solutions across flood risk appraisal, hydraulic modelling, hydrology, SuDS design and development planning support.

At the Principal level, your contribution will extend well beyond technical delivery. You will mentor junior colleagues, lead quality assurance processes, support business development and play an active part in shaping the future direction of our flood risk and water environment capability.

Your experience will span some or all of the following: preparation of Flood Risk Assessments in line with national planning policy; hydraulic modelling using Flood Modeller, TUFLOW or Info Works ICM; hydrological methods including FEH, ReFH2 and WINFAP; surface water drainage strategies and SuDS design; LLFA studies including SWMPs, Local Flood Risk Management Plans and Flood Protection Schemes; river restoration and natural flood management;

EIA preparation; GIS analysis using ArcGIS Pro or QGIS; and liaison with the Environment Agency, SEPA, LLFAs and water companies.

The projects you lead will protect communities from flooding, support the long‑term security of public water supply and contribute to the restoration of natural systems under pressure across the UK. That is work with real consequences, and your technical leadership will sit at its heart.

Beyond the projects, the people you develop will carry the expertise and standards you help instil throughout their careers. At the principal level, that kind of lasting influence is one of the most rewarding parts of the role, and it is something our team takes real pride in.

You hold a degree in Civil Engineering, Geography, Environmental Science, or a related discipline, and you are Chartered with CIWEM, ICE, or a similar professional body, or actively working towards it. You bring significant experience managing and delivering water environment projects, combining deep technical knowledge with the leadership and communication skills that build trusted, long‑term client relationships.

You are confident managing multiple complex projects simultaneously, contributing to business development conversations and helping steer the strategic direction of a growing discipline. You produce high‑quality technical reports for both technical and non‑technical audiences, and you bring the rigour and attention to detail that work of this consequence demands.

Most importantly, you are looking for a role where your expertise and leadership matter equally. A place where you can do excellent work, develop excellent people and be part of a team that is genuinely going somewhere.

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