Employment Opportunities

Application Deadline: Monday 5th January 2026 9:00am GMT

You must have an automatic right to work within the UK. Groundwater Relief will not sponsor visas.

ABOUT GROUNDWATER RELIEF

Groundwater Relief (https://groundwater-relief.org/) is a UK registered charity (No. 1167458) that provides technical expertise and services to organisations and government agencies responsible for developing and managing groundwater resources mainly across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Groundwater Relief’s work is facilitated by a team of international groundwater professionals, comprising over 550 registered technical members. Their collective support has enabled Groundwater Relief to undertake over 130 projects in 27 different countries in the past 8 years.

Groundwater Relief has a small team of core staff who manage the technical membership, manage projects, and support the growth and development of the charity.

We are currently looking to recruit a Hydrogeologist and Project Manager to join our core staff at Groundwater Relief to help us in achieving our mission.

THE ROLE

You will report directly to GWR’s Technical Team Lead.

Hydrogeological responsibilities include:-

• Working with the Technical Team Lead, GWR’s technical team and with GWR’s global membership of experts, to deliver high quality groundwater services to the humanitarian and development sectors.
• Provide remote and in-country technical support to International and National Non-Government Organisations (INGOs/NGOs), UN agencies and Government Agencies engaged in water supply.
• Travel to project areas; it is estimated that during a calendar year you may be travelling between 3 to 6 months on assignments that may last between 1 to 3 months.
• For in-country projects you will provide field support that may involve undertaking water resource assessments, geophysical survey work, managing drilling programmes, establishing monitoring networks, rehabilitation works, developing operations and maintenance programmes, and building the capacity of partner organisations and/or water authorities.
• Work with the Technical Team Lead, Grants and Fundraising Manager and CEO to develop proposals and funding applications.
• Draft high quality, technical reports, which present findings clearly and keep recommendations practical and direct for the humanitarian sector.
• Work with GWR’s members both remotely and on project, engaging their expertise and supporting them with engaging with humanitarian partners.
• Promote GWR’s services within the humanitarian and development sectors, including presenting at conferences, presenting in coordination meetings, to donors and government departments.

Project Management responsibilities include:-

• At project creation phase, support proposal design and/or identifying funding opportunities.
• Through preparation and implementation, be responsible for project risk management, preventively and reactively following GWR internal procedures, with support from GWR colleagues.
• Be responsible for project planning, inclusive of identifying the required resources (engaging members, subcontracting, supplies, equipment etc.) with support from other GWR staff in their mobilisation.
• Lead internal and external project meetings.
• Be responsible for timely project implementation, and manage project changes.
• Manage the project budget including forecasting and tracking expenses and report these to the GWR Finance Manager.
• Support project close out including obtaining feedback from GWR partners and members and building a case study of the project.

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE

• Relevant degree with an MSc or equivalent qualification in Hydrogeology or similar.
• Experience working in the field of water supply, including water well construction.
• Experience working on groundwater projects.
• Expertise, or a good working knowledge of; water resource management, aquifer development, drilling supervision, pumping tests, water supply, water chemistry, and groundwater monitoring.
• Project management experience including experience in project planning, managing project budgets and delivering effective and timely outputs under pressure.
• Experience working with and engaging with a range of different stakeholders, ideally within the humanitarian and development sector.
• Demonstrable competency in writing high quality technical reports.
• Demonstrable experience delivering complex ideas to non-technical personnel.

YOUR PROFILE

We are looking for an individual with passion and desire to improve the way groundwater is developed, and managed, for the benefit of people across the globe, who will be committed to the goals and ethos of Groundwater Relief and its growth within the humanitarian sector.

We are looking for someone who can, and is willing to, travel internationally (up to 50% of the time) to work in demanding environments and in difficult circumstances. The candidate must have strong resilience and the ability to work under stress in remote areas with basic living conditions.

You must be a creative and practical problem solver with a willingness to take on responsibility and make decisions whilst simultaneously engaging experts to advise and direct those decisions.

You must have a fluency in English. Other language skills such as French and Arabic will be looked on highly favourably.

BENEFITS

• Salary between £32,000 and £36,000 per annum, depending on experience. Salary with effect from January 2026.
• Pension scheme (4.5% by employer, and 4% contribution by employee)
• 25 days Annual Leave per annum, not including bank holidays (pro rata)
• An additional day of annual leave for every 7 days working in-country.
• Opt-in Private Health Insurance.

LOCATION AND HOURS OF WORK

The role will commence between February and April 2026.

The normal working location will be in our offices in Totnes, Devon, UK. We also have a flexible working policy and arrangements can be discussed with the right candidate.

Will consider a full time (37.5 hours a week) or 4 day (30 hour) per week role. Working in-country will require you to work full time.

HOW TO APPLY

Groundwater Relief will not sponsor visas. All applicants must have an automatic right to work within the United Kingdom. We will require evidence of your right to work at the assessment stage.

Please send your application for the role of Hydrogeologist to hr@groundwater-relief.org by 09:00 am GMT, Monday 5^th January 2026.

Your application should consist of a covering letter, which includes a personal statement detailing why you are suitable for this position with reference to the role and essential experience (no longer than 2 pages), your CV, and the details of two referees. The referees will only be contacted if you are selected for the position.

It is envisaged that interviews will be held w/c 12^th January 2026.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact hr@groundwater-relief.org.

Application Deadline: Wednesday 7th January 2026 9:00am GMT

This role will be based in the United Kingdom and applicants must have an automatic right to work within the UK. Groundwater Relief will not sponsor visas.

ABOUT GROUNDWATER RELIEF

Groundwater Relief (https://groundwater-relief.org/) is a UK registered charity (No. 1167458) that provides hydrogeological technical expertise and services to the humanitarian and development sectors through a core team of staff and a membership of over 550 groundwater specialists.

We engage our expertise with organisations and government authorities whose remit is to provide safe, affordable and sustainable water supplies to vulnerable populations. Over the past 5 years Groundwater Relief (GWR) has doubled the size of its team from 3 to 8 staff and its membership from 300 to over 550 members.

GWR has developed global Framework Agreements with: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Solidarités International (SI), Oxfam and Medair and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). GWR has undertaken over 50 projects in the last five years. Examples of some notable projects are described below:

Bangladesh - In collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Oxfam and Dhaka University, GWR mapped and modelled the aquifers within Teknaf Upazila, Cox’s Bazar and then sited and successfully drilled 2 production boreholes. Each were able to produce over 100m³/h to provide a target 2.7 megalitres of water per day for a Teknaf Municipality water supply project.

South Sudan - Geophysical surveys have been carried out across the country to support water supply projects, working with organisations such as International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), SI, MSF and the IOM. GWR also conduced a disaster risk reduction feasibility assessment on behalf of the IOM’s Enhancing Communities Resilience Project, to support the populations of Fashoda, Pibor, Rubkona, Twic East and Duk Counties. GWR led a consortium of organisations to assess, map and model the impacts of flood and drought and develop of a list of flood and drought investment measures that were then, through a community consultation process, refined and shortlisted.

Yemen - Groundwater resource assessments have been undertaken on the west coast of Yemen with SI and in Marib with the IOM. GWR has also worked with the MoWE, hosting key officials in the UK and supported them with the development of a preliminary 5-year water resource monitoring strategy.

THE ROLE

The Membership, Public Relations and Administrative Support Manager will play a central role in supporting our network of over 550 groundwater experts worldwide and will report directly to Groundwater Relief’s CEO. This position combines membership engagement, with communications and general organisational administrative support.

The postholder will manage our membership of groundwater professionals, support them and our core staff with their various deployments on humanitarian and development projects, manage the promotion of the organisation through external communications, social media, website and events, and provide administrative support to the Project Board.

Key Responsibilities

Membership Support

• Act as the first point of contact for members, ensuring effective communication and timely responses.
• Maintain and update the membership database and records.
• Develop initiatives to strengthen member engagement and professional exchange.
• Support members, and staff, with arrangements for overseas assignments, including pre deployment coordination (including insurance, risk assessment form, medical forms, code of conduct, partner administrative requirements) and logistics (flights, accommodation), general support during their assignments and post deployment review.

Public Relations Support

• Lead on the organisation’s external communications, including managing social media content.
• Oversee and update website content including members updates and case studies.
• Draft newsletters, press releases, and other external communications to promote the organisation’s work.
• Build and maintain relationships with partners, stakeholders, and media contacts.
• Organise and coordinate events, workshops, and conferences that engage the GWR membership.

Administrative Support

• Provide direct administrative support to the CEO, Grants Manager, Finance Manager and Technical Team Lead.

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE

• Good level of education, with the skills to communicate effectively in writing and orally.
• Demonstrable experience in administration and have strong organisational skills with the ability to multi-task, and alter priorities as required.
• Ability to build working relationships with a wide range of people, especially those whose first language may not be English.
• Demonstrated ability in managing social media accounts and web content.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and comfortable with digital platforms.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a small team.
• Able to work from our offices in Dartington, Totnes

DESIRABLE

• Relevant degree or experience in administration, communications, public relations or similar.
• Experience using CRM software

YOUR PROFILE

We are looking for someone motivated by a strong commitment to support marginalised communities and the extreme poor. You will be professional but with a natural ability to build collaborative relationships and support colleagues and members working often in challenging contexts. You will bring cultural sensitivity and confidence in engaging with a diverse international network of groundwater professionals.

The ideal candidate will be an effective communicator who can foster trust with members, supporters, and partners. You will enjoy writing clear, creative, and engaging content for social media and the website, using communication to share impact and strengthen connections.

You will need to also be organised and able to coordinate activities, support members and staff with preparations for overseas assignment whilst remaining flexible to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances that are common within the humanitarian sector in which we work. You will be proactive and comfortable in communicating independently, while drawing on the expertise of others to inform your approach.

Above all, we are looking for someone who will contribute positively to a happy, supportive, and effective working environment at GWR.

BENEFITS

• Salary £30,000 (FTE) per annum. Salary with effect from January 2026.
• Pension scheme (4.5% by employer, and 4% contribution by employee)
• 25 days Annual Leave per annum, not including bank holidays (pro rata)
• An additional day of annual leave for every 7 days working in-country.
• Opt-in Private Health Insurance.

LOCATION AND HOURS OF WORK

• The role will commence between February and April 2026.
• The normal working location will be in our offices in Totnes, Devon, UK. We also have a flexible working policy and arrangements can be discussed with the right candidate.
• Part time, between 22.5 hours to 30 hours per week. Working days to be agreed.

HOW TO APPLY

Groundwater Relief will not sponsor visas. All applicants must have an automatic right to work within the United Kingdom. We will require evidence of your right to work at the assessment stage.

Please send your application for the role to hr@groundwater-relief.org by 09:00 am GMT, Wednesday 7^th January 2026.

Your application should consist of a covering letter, which includes a personal statement detailing why you are suitable for this position with reference to the role and essential experience (no longer than 2 pages), your CV, and the details of two referees. The referees will only be contacted if you are selected for the position.

It is envisaged that interviews will be held w/c 19^th January 2026.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact hr@groundwater-relief.org.

Application Deadline: Monday 22nd December 2025 9am GMT

Summary

We are seeking an experienced geotechnical engineer to deploy to two counties in South Sudan for a 4 week period between February 2026 and March 2026. The individual will be supporting the International Organisation for Migration to review the implementation of Arup design plans for flood dyke (embankment) construction.

About the Project

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), as part of the Enhancing Community Resilience and Local Governance Project (ECRP-II), is implementing flood risk reduction infrastructure in South Sudan. This includes the construction of resilient dykes to protect vulnerable communities from recurring floods, along with other infrastructure such as raised road crossings and culverts. The project aims to improve existing emergency dyke practices by introducing robust engineering approaches adapted to local constraints.

Role Purpose

The purpose of the role is to undertake a review of the implementation practices and quality of the flood dyke (embankment) construction being undertaken. In reference to the design guidance documentation and drawings, the 4-week role will allow the earthworks specialist to undertake a productive audit and review of quality control of the dyke construction in challenging environments. The role requires travel to two rural locations (either Kodoc, Rubkona, Twic East - TBC) within South Sudan together with the GWR Project Coordinator.

The role will involve working closely with Arup, a subconsultant to GWR, who have prepared the design documentation. A collaborative approach is expected with the IOM Disaster Risk Management team and site engineers who are overseeing the construction.

The site visits will be timed close to the start of construction, so that any corrective actions can be identified and applied during completion of the works.

Key Responsibilities

Design Review

The site visits are intended to allow the Earthworks Construction Specialist to review how effectively the construction team are implementing the design guidance documentation to ensure long term resilience of the dykes. Review will include, but not limited to:

• Effectiveness of staged methodology, as per the Basis of Design report.
• Management of dewatering operations and borrow pit planning.
• Site preparation, vegetation removal, benching, and fill placement.
• Are the correct side slopes (1V:4H) being achieved.
• Approach to validation of crest levels using historical flood marks and temporary benchmarks.
• Applying geotechnical principles for compaction such as control layer thickness (approx. 300 mm), moisture conditioning, and compaction passes.

Erosion control measures such as vetiver grass planting.

Quality control

The IOM construction teams are expected to carefully document their construction approach and the relevant testing to ensure conformance with the Basis of Design documents. The Earthworks Construction Specialist is expected to review this documentation and site procedures and where necessary, collaborate with and assist the local construction teams to develop effective quality control procedures such as

• Checking for embankment geometry, and slope compliance.
• Checking compaction effort such as using field checks (wheel-track observations) and adjusting methods as needed.
• Conduct earthworks trials and pilot tests where feasible.

Communication

The successful candidate is expected to be an excellent communicator. Daily check-ins will be arranged with the Arup Design Team and a daily observation report will be required. The Earthworks Construction Specialist must be able to understand the requirements of the technical reports and drawings as well as technical instructions provided by the design engineering team. There is expected to be an element of capacity building such as ‘on-the-job’ training of IOM’s site teams and contractors on best practices for compaction, moisture conditioning, and erosion prevention.

Reporting:

• Prepare daily site records.
• Communicate progress and challenges to IOM, project stakeholders and the Arup Design Team.

Complete a construction quality report for both sites at the end of the 4 week duration.

Contextual challenges for construction activities

• Remote locations: Sites are in isolated areas with limited infrastructure and access, often requiring long travel on unpaved roads, and/or via the White Nile, for transport of construction plant and materials.
• Seasonal constraints: Construction activities are usually scheduled during the dry season (January to June, depending on the location) to minimise impacts of flooding and soft ground conditions.
• Logistical limitations: Availability of heavy compaction equipment may be restricted; pragmatic solutions using available plant (e.g., excavator tracking) may be necessary.
• Material constraints: Dyke construction relies on locally available soils, predominantly Black Cotton Soils, which present challenges such as shrink-swell behaviour and cracking.
• Security and safety: Fieldwork will require adherence to IOM security protocols and health and safety standards. Local transport and accommodation. Accompanied by GWR experienced project coordinator
• Long term resilience of infrastructure: Deviations from design and quality control can significantly increase flood risk and maintenance liabilities.

Qualifications & Experience

• Degree in Geotechnical Engineering, Civil Engineering, or related discipline.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in earthworks and geotechnical construction, including:
• Dyke or levee construction in flood-prone environments.
• Working with expansive clays (Black Cotton Soils) and understanding shrink-swell behaviour.
• Compaction techniques and moisture-density relationships.
• Prior experience in South Sudan or similar environments is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with international standards (e.g., BS5930, USACE levee guidelines) and ability to adapt them pragmatically to local constraints.

Skills & Attributes

• Strong practical knowledge of earthworks and compaction equipment (rollers, excavators, bulldozers).
• Ability to develop context-appropriate solutions under logistical constraints.
• Competence in setting out works using survey equipment (dumpy level, total station).
• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills.
• Commitment to safety and resilience in design and construction.

Desirable Expertise

• This role requires hands-on expertise in earthworks, compaction, and quality assurance, with a strong understanding of Black Cotton Soils (BCS) and the ability to guide pragmatic solutions that improve current practices.
• Advantage to have experience with simple reinforced concrete works (eg culverts)

• Knowledge of soil improvement techniques (lime/murram stabilization).
• Experience with erosion control and nature-based solutions (e.g., vetiver grass).
• Understanding of adaptive design approaches.

HOW TO APPLY

Please send your application for the role of Earthworks Specialist to hr@groundwater-relief.org by 09:00 am GMT, Monday 22nd December 2025.

Your application should consist of a covering letter, which includes a personal statement detailing why you are suitable for this position with reference to the role and essential experience (no longer than 2 pages), your CV, and the details of two referees. The referees will only be contacted if you are selected for the position.

It is envisaged that interviews will be held w/c 5^th January 2026.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact hr@groundwater-relief.org.