Innovation Technical Specialist

Location: Rothersthorpe

Company description:
Water Utility Company based in Yorkshire region of England.

Job description:

Innovation Technical Specialist Are you ready to make a real impact and shape the future? Join our dynamic Innovation Team at Yorkshire Water and help us provide the best possible service to our customers while protecting the environment. We're looking for curious minds who are passionate about innovation and eager to make a difference. Why you'll love working with us:
Competitive Salary: 4a, £50,718 - £63,398 based on experience and development Development in Role:
Role specific progression plan to support and enable personal development. Annual Bonus:
Up to £1,000 based on company performance. Fantastic Benefits:
Enjoy a generous pension scheme with up to 12% employer contribution, 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays, two wellness days off work, life assurance cover, and optional benefits like health cash plans, dental insurance, and gym membership discounts. Flexible Work Arrangements:
Our hybrid working model allows you to balance office and home working, giving you the flexibility you need. Our office is based in Bradford (although we are moving location to Leeds in late 2026), and we try to get there a couple of days of week to collaborate. Career Growth:
Take advantage of our training and development opportunities to advance your career. What You'll Be Doing:
As our Wastewater Treatment and Environment Innovation Technical Specialist, you will be at the forefront of driving change - shaping how Yorkshire Water tackles some of its biggest environmental challenges and unlocks new opportunities. You will:
Get under the skin of the business - understanding strategic and operational needs, translating complex risks and challenges into clear opportunities, and identifying the gaps where innovation can deliver real impact. Spot and champion game-changing ideas - scanning the horizon for cutting-edge solutions, rigorously evaluating their effectiveness and value, and enabling the selection of innovations that will make the biggest difference, both now and in the future.

Lead innovation from concept to reality - prioritising and driving a dynamic programme of projects that test new ideas, prove concepts, and enable accelerated adoption - while building strong sponsorship and momentum across the business. Be the technical authority and connector - bringing the right expertise to the table, whether from within YW or beyond, and unlocking additional funding to amplify impact through routes such as Ofwats Water Innovation Fund, UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR), or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Turn innovation into business-as-usual - ensuring successful ideas dont stop at trials but are embedded into operations through compelling business cases and clear, actionable insights that colleagues can deliver against. Be a visible advocate for innovation - actively promoting its value across Yorkshire Water and the wider sector, influencing strategy, shaping industry thinking, and representing YW on national and international stages.

This is your opportunity to lead from the front - transforming bold ideas into real-world environmental impact and helping shape the future of wastewater innovation t we're looking for:
Demonstrable technical experience in the area of Wastewater treatment and associated environmental impacts. A science or engineering degree and/or significant (5 years) experience in the relevant technical area. Excellent written and oral communication skills, with a particular talent for communicating complex, technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences. A drive for continuous learning and development in your technical specialist area, with a curiosity and passion to keep at the forefront of emerging knowledge and technologies.

Ability to analyse and challenge perceived norms and new ideas, and to be creative with solutions and ways of working to solve problems. Ability to develop and maintain effective internal and external relationships with experience of collaborative working and ability to influence for real change. Technical appreciation of the operations…