Description

Ready to own your future? At Scottish Water, our Summer Internship programme empowers you to gain hands-on experience, tackle real challenges, and contribute to shaping Scotland’s future. This isn’t just a summer job – it’s an opportunity to make a real impact. As part of our team, you’ll play a key role in delivering essential services and infrastructure that help Scotland flourish every day.

You’ll be joining us at a fascinating time, as we transform into a more agile, innovative organisation that delivers outstanding service, delivers great value for money, and works in an environmentally sustainable way that goes beyond Net Zero.

Graduating in 2026? Kickstart your career with a 12-week summer placement and start building your future today.

What you’ll do

Science skills within the water sector are becoming increasingly critical as the world faces the interconnected challenges of climate change, resource sustainability, pollution, and population growth.

At Scottish Water, microbiology plays a central role in addressing these challenges. From ensuring the safety of drinking water to managing wastewater compliance, microbiological expertise is vital for protecting public health, supporting sustainable economic growth, and delivering resilient, cost-effective services to our customers.

You’ll have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in our state-of-the-art microbiology laboratories, where our dedicated team of over 300 samplers, scientists, and support staff conduct rigorous testing to monitor and maintain water quality. With an average of one test performed every minute, our labs are at the forefront of water safety and environmental stewardship.

By joining our microbiology team, you’ll apply your university studies in a live operational laboratory environment, learning directly from experienced microbiologists as they tackle real-world water quality challenges.

This is a paid summer internship with an hourly rate of £12.60, aligned with the Real Living Wage. This is typically a full-time position (35 hours), but we’re open to discussing flexible working patterns where possible to suit your needs. For a 35-hour week, the equivalent annual salary would be around £23,020, pro-rated for the length of the internship.

What you’ll need  

You’ll be in the penultimate year of university, or maybe about to do a Masters. Either way, you’ll be on course for at least a 2:2 degree. And it goes without saying that you will be available for the full placement time: 12 weeks.

You will be studying towards a degree in Microbiology or another relevant scientific discipline. You will also have excellent data management skills. To get the most from the programme, you’ll be ready to engage fully in the development opportunities that are available to you.

You’ll be on course for at least a 2:2 degree. And it goes without saying that you’ll be available for the full placement time: 12 weeks. 

In terms of essential requirements? That’s it.  

But here’s the thing: We get thousands of applications for our internships each year. What makes the best candidates stand out? 

 

Here are a few things we love to see:  

  • CVs that tell us more than what grades you earned over the years. Show us what you’ve learned. What you love. What your aspirations are. 
  • Cover letters that tell us why you’re interested in Scottish Water (and our Microbiology Internship in particular). 
  • People who use their application to demonstrate that they are Bold, Responsible, Inspiring and Caring.   

What happens next?  

The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 9th of February. Please provide a Cover Letter (max. 500 words), alongside your CV – multiple attachments can be uploaded at the application stage.

If you’re shortlisted, final face-to-face interviews will happen during February. Where you can give us a good grilling too.  

If you accept a place on the programme, you’ll go through some pre-employment screening during the Spring, including a criminal record check.  

All our new Interns will start together at the beginning of June for a 12-week Summer Internship, finishing at the end of August. You’ll learn more about the organisation, meet our leaders, visit some of our operational sites, start making friends, and have a lot of fun.