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The role
This role is for a Graduate Process Engineer to join the Asset Optimisation Team which is an agile technical team of process engineers working on the front line with operational teams to develop innovative practical and digital process solutions for municipal wastewater treatment clients across the UK.
Our team delivers optimisation studies at feasibility, concept, optioneering and preliminary design stages to mitigate risk, return sites to compliance, or enable low or no build solutions to be provided for new permit drivers.
The successful candidate will join the Graduate Development Program which is accredited by the Institute of Chemical Engineers and is designed to equip graduates with the skills and experience required to take them forward in their career with the company. As a Graduate Process Engineer you will be assigned a mentor to provide support in your professional development and to guide you towards chartership. The training program provides “On the Job” technical development with graduates working on real work assignments under supervision and rapidly taking on responsibility for design work across the full project lifecycle within multi-disciplinary project teams.
Costain offers a range of exciting development opportunities to accelerate your career and enable you to achieve your potential both during and after the Graduate Development Scheme.
About the project
Costain is a leading provider of consultancy, engineering, project delivery and asset support services. Population growth, regulatory changes, energy costs and climate change are having a dramatic impact on water usage. The national approach to managing water supply is changing to meet these challenges. The Government and industry regulator are tasked with cutting wastage and preserving an increasingly valuable resource, while protecting consumers from higher water bills.
This requires a new operating approach, with an emphasis on whole life costing, ‘no build’ solutions and optimising field force and maintenance activities; a greater focus on energy efficiency, resilience issues around climate change and regulation, regulation change and increased competition driven by OFWAT and DEFRA driven by rising demands around customer satisfaction. Since privatisation, investment in water has been in ageing assets; going forward, the water industry will be about combining infrastructure investments with maintenance, repair and operations.
The role offers flexible and dynamic working between home and office and will require regular travel to wastewater treatment sites.
While the majority of current work is in the South East England, we undertake work for clients across the whole of England with current active work in the Midlands, Yorkshire and Lancashire.
Key responsibilities
The design work undertaken by Graduate Process Engineers is varied and assignments can include design and commissioning roles:
- Process engineering including process modelling, mass balance, data analysis and design calculations
- Site commissioning support across capital construction planning and delivery
- Developing detailed solutions for asset improvement and/or operational improvements on individual sites on a cost effective (potentially cost saving) basis
- Applying systems thinking – understanding how the whole system integrates, not just the process elements
- Site visits for data acquisition, on site reviews and meeting site operators
- Contribution to technical review including presenting your own work for review
- Developing material for stakeholder workshops to develop solutions and designs
- Technical liaison with supply chain
- Production of presentations, briefing notes and control philosophies
- Participating in regular team meetings and reviews and helping develop our capability
- Presentation of findings to internal and external stakeholders
- Developing site specific process compliance plans to ensure quality is met during upgrades to processes
- Root cause failure analysis, FMECA, other risk analysis and mitigation proposals
- Supporting principal or senior process engineers in undertaking outline or detailed process engineering design, calculations and proposals
-Attend and contribute to team meetings and wider initiatives.
Short business rotations into other business functions may form part of the graduates development plan which can include: Business Development; Marketing, Project Engineering and Proposals.
Costain’s Graduate Development Programme
The programme will focus on helping you to grow your personal and leadership skills, alongside business and of course, the technical skills you will learn day-to-day on the job.
The programme is delivered in a variety of formats throughout the 2 years and will allow you to establish a network of contacts that will help and support you through your first 2 years and beyond. We expect some of our graduates to rotate after a period of 8-12 months, to another project/sector of the business to fully understand the depth and breadth of the services offered by the company.
Our line managers are fully supportive of the Graduate Development Programme and will be involved in helping you along the way.
In addition to the programme, we offer mentoring and support in every area of work, as well as a structured training programme to enable graduates to work towards achieving Chartership.
Graduates may have the opportunity to work on a number of exciting and progressive projects around the UK during the 2-year period, in sectors including nuclear, highways, rail, water, airports and tunnels.
About you
- A degree or equivalent qualification in a process engineering related discipline is essential - *successful candidates who will possess an IChemE accredited degree will be registered on onto the IChemE accredited scheme
- To enable us to fully assess your application, please ensure your application includes details of your educational qualifications at both degree and A Level; university course modules and projects undertaken
- Strong wastewater specialism within their degree and/or relevant wastewater treatment work experience
- While the role will be predominantly home based, it will require regular travel to wastewater treatment sites and mobility to work on secondment to any of our offices or project sites
- Must be delivery driven with a mind-set to work to targets and meet team objectives
- Have passion for Costain's Carbon Net Zero targets
- IT proficient
- Able to work accurately and appreciate its importance to the team
- An ability to communicate technical concepts clearly and concisely
- A willingness to learn with appropriate instruction
- Excel at building and maintaining positive relationships
- The ability to thrive in pressured situations
- The ability to empathise and communicate with all people, regardless of their background or circumstances
- Excellent organisation, communication, and time management skills
- Mobility to work on various projects over the 2-year programme throughout the UK