Biodiversity Internship

Who are United Utilities?

United Utilities is responsible for water and wastewater services in the North West of England. From we will undertake the largest investment in water and wastewater services in the North West in 100 years - that's more than £13 billion worth of investments. Now, more than ever, we need inspiring future talent to help make the North West stronger, greener, and healthier.

Whatever area of our business your interests lie in, our internship will give you first-class training and support, together with an in-depth understanding of your chosen business area - so that you can develop the skills you need to progress your career as you make a real contribution to the communities we serve. You might enter our organisation as an intern, but one thing's for sure, if you perform well, you may well be leaving with a graduate offer before you have even returned to university.

Working in the North West means there's a lot of ground to cover. You could have the opportunity to work in the heart of the Lake District, or you could sample a taste of city life. As well as our main office in Warrington we also recruit for a variety of roles based across the North West; we have 575 wastewater treatment works and 96 water treatment works in areas from Crewe in Cheshire to Carlisle in Cumbria.

Whichever internship you join, you'll be at the heart of bringing innovation and positive change to the water industry. Ready to flow into your future with us?

The role

Are you passionate about protecting the environment and making a real impact? Join United Utilities as a Biodiversity Intern in our Integrated Water Management team and get involved in driving forward our biodiversity strategy. This scheme will allow you to immerse yourself in a variety of nature recovery related projects and activities, where you'll gain hands-on experience working on projects relating to protected sites and species, invasive non-native species, biodiversity net gain, nature based solutions, Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) investigations, and ensuring compliance with key regulatory targets. Your expertise will support in delivering positive outcomes for our company, customers, and our beautiful North West countryside.

You'll be a crucial ambassador for our "Stronger, Greener, Healthier" North West objective, supporting in engaging with stakeholders, environmental partners and local authorities to identify opportunities to work together and to highlight the proactive steps United Utilities is taking to protect, conserve and enhance the environment of the North West. Start living your future today!

What will I be doing?

• Supporting the Biodiversity Team with the rollout of the biodiversity strategy, leading on specific actions where appropriate;
• Track our performance against governmental and company specific nature related targets, ensuring performance is on track;
• Produce reports for our regulators on our progress against statutory duties;
• Supporting on the delivery of our action plans for the management, treatment and prevention of Invasive non-native species;
• Work with a variety of stakeholders to support the development of action plans for our protected landscapes;
• Support the wider team on initiatives relating to nature based solutions and wider land/catchment activities;
• Supporting senior managers on other, more complex projects;
• Develop engagement materials for a variety of stakeholders to continue to promote the importance of nature recovery.

What do I need to be successful?

We require our interns to be expecting a minimum 2:1 degree in an Environmental related degree. You must be in your penultimate year of university study.

You will also need:

• Strong planning and organisational skills to keep projects on track.
• Excellent communication skills to work well with different stakeholders - both written and spoken.
• Able to demonstrate a practical application of your knowledge
• A proactive attitude with the ambition and drive to excel in a fast-paced environment.
• Flexible to work throughout the North West region
• Great team-working skills to thrive in an interdisciplinary setting.
• A full UK driving licence (upon application) and access to a vehicle for business use.

Additional Information

Our recruitment process requires you to complete:

• An Online application form
• An in-person interview and presentation

Please note that you must be available to attend an in-person recruitment stage during the period 17th November - 19th December

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse environment. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or age. If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout your recruitment journey, please let us know. If you are offered a job with us, a number of pre-employment checks need to be carried out before your appointment can be confirmed. Any offer of employment with United Utilities will be subject to a satisfactory checking report from Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland.

Application deadline: 13th October 2025 - please apply early as deadlines are subject to change

Based on current immigration guidelines this role is not eligible for visa sponsorship

Due to the length of the programme being 3 months maximum you will be engaged via our resourcing partner Reed Talent Solutions and paid via a weekly timesheet.