Job Description

Overview

Ireland’s rivers and watercourses are under pressure from decades of physical modification, arterial drainage, development and changing land use. Restoring them- their form, their function, their ecological status- is some of the most hands-on, technically varied environmental work you can do. And the demand for it is growing.

We’re looking for a Lead Hydromorphologist or Geomorphologist to join our team in Ireland. You’ll work at the front line of river restoration, channel creation, barrier removal, natural flood management and sediment dynamics- assessing the current condition of watercourses and designing practical proposals for their recovery. The work ranges from site-level field surveys to catchment-scale restoration strategies, and the clients span water companies, government bodies, community groups and private sector organisations.

This is a lead role. You’ll take ownership of projects from problem definition through to recommendations, working closely with our wider technical specialists across hydrology, ecology, water quality and environmental science.

Hydromorphology sits at the intersection of some of the most pressing environmental challenges in Ireland- Water Framework Directive obligations, biodiversity loss, flood risk and the legacy of historic drainage programmes. The work is tangible: you’ll see the rivers you assess, design the interventions, and watch the recovery. That connection between fieldwork, analysis and real-world outcomes is what makes this specialism compelling.

You’ll be joining a team that works across the full water and environment spectrum, with access to specialists in hydrology, ecology, water quality, flood risk and environmental assessment. Ireland is a growth market for AtkinsRéalis, and this role is part of building the capability to meet increasing demand. That means you’ll have the chance to shape how the practice develops, influence which projects we pursue, and build something from a strong foundation.

The variety is real. In any given month you could be surveying a degraded upland stream, designing a barrier removal scheme, modelling sediment transport, advising on a development application, and contributing to a catchment restoration strategy. If you want breadth alongside depth, this delivers it.

Your role

Leading hydromorphological and geomorphological assessments of river channels and watercourses- from initial survey and field investigation through to analysis, interpretation and reporting.
Designing and developing restoration, maintenance and creation proposals for watercourses, tailored to the specific context and condition of each site
Working on sediment dynamics, barrier removal or mitiga.tion, natural flood management, nature restoration and channel management projects.
Leading project tasks and potentially entire projects through the full lifecycle- problem definition, data collection, fieldwork, analysis and drawing clear conclusions and recommendations.
Working across disciplines- collaborating with hydrologists, ecologists, water quality specialists, engineers and planners to deliver integrated environmental outcomes.
Contributing to business development- costing work, preparing technical and financial tenders, and building client relationships.
Developing new and innovative approaches to hydromorphological challenges, pushing the boundaries of how restoration and assessment work is done.
Producing high-quality technical reports and client-facing deliverables with clear data interpretation and visualisation.

About you

Demonstrable knowledge and practical use of one or more of the following would be an advantage:
- River Hydromorphology Assessment Technique (RHAT) survey method for river water bodies.
- The Lake Morphology and Modification Assessment System (Lake MImAS) for lakes.
- Hydromorphological Quality Index (HQI) for transitional and coastal (TraC) waters, and/or Morphological Quality Index for Ireland (Quinlan and Mockler, 2020).
You’re an experienced fluvial geomorphologist or hydromorphologist with significant field experience, who’s ready to lead projects and bring technical depth to a growing practice.
Degree in science, engineering or mathematics, ideally with a postgraduate qualification in geomorphology, fluvial geomorphology, hydromorphology or a related subject.
Ideally chartered or working towards chartership through a relevant professional body.
Significant hands-on field experience of fluvial geomorphology and hydromorphological assessment of river channels and watercourses.
Experience across sediment dynamics, barrier removal or mitigation, natural flood management, nature restoration, channel creation, maintenance and management.
Knowledge and understanding of key hydromorphological issues and their drivers in an Irish context is strongly preferred- particularly systems within the arterial drainage maintenance programme and the Irish environmental regulatory framework. Equivalent knowledge of UK or EU systems is also valuable.
Experience leading project tasks through problem definition, data collection, analysis, interpretation and recommendations.
Strong numerical, analytical and report-writing skills with an eye for detail.
An effective communicator who’s comfortable working collaboratively and building client relationships at all levels.
Ability to travel to site locations, some of which may not be accessible by public transport.

Rewards & benefits

Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive – at every stage of your life and your career. Enjoy competitive salaries and a brilliant range of health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle benefits. Make the most of a myriad of opportunities for training and professional development to grow your skills and expertise. And combine our hybrid working culture, international remote working opportunities, and flexible holiday allowances to balance a great job and fulfilling personal life.

Be rewarded. Find out more.

About AtkinsRéalis

We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.

Find out more.

Additional information

We are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they belong - a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop to be the best we can be. So, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee resource groups to support all employees. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability.

Worker Type

Employee

Job Type

Regular

At AtkinsRéalis, we seek to hire individuals with diverse characteristics, backgrounds and perspectives. We strongly believe that world-class talent makes no distinctions based on gender, ethnic or national origin, sexual identity and orientation, age, religion or disability, but enriches itself through these differences.