Lead Scientist

There's No Us Without U. Care with Us, for Today and Tomorrow

There's no life without water, and at Urban Utilities, we live and breathe that knowledge every single day. It's why our people are so passionate about what they do and how they do it. And it's why we need people like YOU . Come shape our future with us and make a real and lasting impact across our teams.

Your Opportunity

We are excited to be recruiting for a Lead Scientist for our SAS Labs, that forms part of our Customer & Innovation group.

The Customer and Innovation group leads and champions the way Urban Utilities connects with its customers. Our approach is focused on remaining contemporary, by understanding the current and future needs of our customers and appropriately shaping our services.

The Lead Scientist will lead a multidisciplinary team of subject matter experts (Chemistry and Microbiology) to ensure enablement, performance, resilience, innovation, method development, quality analytical services and favourable financial outcomes.

Some of your accountabilities will include:

• You can communicate the strategic plan and explain how this relates to the function's strategy and action plan and the broader organization's mission and vision, and motivate people to achieve goals at the Lab.
• Complies and meets all prescribed QMS requirements of NATA certification, specifically, ISO17025 and 14001.Consistently meet SLA requirements in full including but not limited to TAT, Accuracy and Service delivery across all service provisions.
• Develop, Verify and Validate new methods, tools and programs for quality assurance. Lead developmental initiatives or programs within an area of expertise.
• Lead by example with Health, Safety, and Wellbeing, by following policies and procedures, as well as proactively identifying and mitigating environmental risks and risks to wellbeing.
• Promote a culture of innovation by creating solutions that boost creativity, innovation, and collaboration.

About You:

We are seeking candidates who are passionate about shaping our future, and ideally have the following qualifications, skills and experiences:

• You are a technical expert and have a demonstrated history working with NATA accredited laboratories within the water and wastewater industry.
• You have led small-medium sized terms and do so by fostering an inclusive and high-performing culture to safely deliver exceptional results.
• You have a customer focussed mindset and naturally build meaningful customer relationships with both internal and external groups. You excel at collaboration, aligning objectives, and achieving desired outcomes.
• The role requires close contact with raw wastewater. Immunisation (e.g. Hepatitis A and B, Tetanus) may be required in accordance with Urban Utilities' immunisation policy.
• This role is based at our SAS Lab in Darra, and you are expected to work their full time. There is free staff parking or street parking available.

At UU, we celebrate diversity. We genuinely believe that bringing together diversity of thoughts, perspectives and expressions is key and crucial to our success as a business. You might find you meet some, but not all, of the job requirements for this role. We'd still encourage you to apply as we we're looking for the right human being for this role - it's about so much more than ticking all the boxes

Why Urban Utilities?

At Urban Utilities, the work we do is about so much more than the bottom line. We're a leading provider of world-class drinking water and wastewater services to the vibrant communities of Brisbane, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Somerset, and Scenic Rim. As we continue to grow, we're committed to planning ahead and shaping a sustainable future around water for generations to come.

At the core of our work lies genuine care: for our team, our customers, communities, and the environment. From the flush of a toilet to major infrastructure projects and residential developments, we're dedicated to being there every step of the way.

Our HQ is in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, but you'll find us all over SEQ - working in cool places like the SAS Laboratory in Darra, field-based depots in Eagle Farm, Acacia Ridge, Bundamba, and wastewater treatment plants dotted across the region.

We know the chance to thrive, and progress comes hand in hand with the support to balance work with life. So, you'll access an increasingly diverse range of benefits and initiatives that'll help you bring the best you. Speaking of which, here's just a sample of the benefits we offer our team:

• Generous Salary Packaging options, including novated leases
• Corporate discounts across Health insurance, technology and more
• 18 weeks of paid parental leave, 15 days personal leave including two proactive wellbeing days, and an additional day of leave each year to connect with friends and family
• Flexibility at UU depends on the type of work you do but could include options such as, 9-day fortnights and flexible days. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you
• Urban Utilities is an endorsed employer for all women.

Visit our website to learn more about us at

Find out more about our Lab here -

How to apply

Please note: applicants will be required to undergo a Pre-employment medical, which may include Drug and Alcohol testing, as well as other background checks as part of the recruitment process for this role.

For further information please contact our Talent team