Summer Internship Programme 2025 - Data Science

Together we are Trusted to Serve Scotland.

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 

As a Data Science Intern, you’ll immerse yourself in real-world challenges where data is at the core of decision-making. You’ll analyse trends, identify opportunities, and contribute to projects that have a direct impact on how we deliver essential services to millions across Scotland. 

You’ll have the chance to work on projects involving in-depth statistical and mathematical analysis, manipulating structured and unstructured data from multiple sources. This includes data preparation, merging, and creating analytical solutions to tackle significant business challenges. By evolving existing analytical products and developing new ones, you’ll enhance Scottish Water’s understanding of complex issues and deliver actionable insights. 

Collaboration will be key, as you work closely with experienced professionals and colleagues to co-create tailored solutions that meet specific data and business needs. You’ll also learn to translate complex conclusions and outputs into clear, accessible insights that drive improvements in areas like asset management and water quality. 

Our Business Analytics team leverages techniques such as machine learning, data mining, and data visualisation, using cutting-edge digital technology and cloud services to deliver valuable outcomes. This inclusive and collaborative environment provides excellent learning opportunities, helping you build the technical skills, confidence, and problem-solving abilities to set the foundation for a rewarding career where your ideas truly make a difference. 

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’ll be studying towards a degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related field that provides strong analytical and problem-solving skills.  

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 Data Science 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 successful, 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. 

A few final things worth knowing…

Research shows that some people avoid applying for jobs unless they can meet every single criteria. If you’re interested in this job, but don’t tick all the boxes, apply anyway! We hardly ever hire people who can do every part of a job from Day One. Everyone has a learning curve. So don’t rule yourself out!

Let us know if there are any changes we can make to our recruitment process to help you perform at your best. Lots of our people have disabilities or neurodiverse conditions (including some of our recruiters!). We're also aware that some people might be experiencing temporary challenges because of life events, like menopause. We’re very used to making adjustments, so please don’t be afraid to ask.

As part of our commitment to developing a flourishing Scotland, it’s important that all our employees are Scottish taxpayers. If you join us, your home address will need to be in Scotland. If you don’t already live here, you'll need to commit to moving here within your first three months.

Finally (finally!), candidates who haven’t submitted an application in the last 12 months will have their records removed from our recruitment database. You won’t need to do anything. Your data will be automatically deleted. 

We’re here to help. Ask us anything at SWRecruitment@ScottishWater.co.uk