At Urban Utilities, our purpose is simple yet powerful – Enrich Quality of Life. With a $7 billion asset base and services spanning 1.5 million residents and more than 31,000 commercial customers across South East Queensland, we are committed to enhancing the liveability of our communities every day.

Your opportunity:

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

Accountabilities

- Act as the laboratory's principal scientific authority and technical decision-maker for analytical methods, scientific interpretation, and quality outcomes.
- Provide technical leadership and mentorship to senior scientists and technical specialists, fostering scientific excellence and professional development.
- Communicating the strategic plan and clearly articulating how it aligns with the function’s strategy, action plans, and the broader organisational mission and vision.
- Ensuring compliance with all Quality Management System (QMS) requirements and maintaining NATA accreditation standards, including ISO 17025 and ISO 14001.
- Consistently meeting Service Level Agreement (SLA) requirements, including turnaround times (TAT), accuracy, and service delivery across all service offerings.
- Developing, verifying, and validating recent methods, equipment, tools, and programs to enhance quality assurance outcomes, while leading initiatives within areas of technical expertise.
- Specifying, procuring, upgrading, and installing scientific equipment and instrumentation to support the current and future needs of a sophisticated NATA-accredited laboratory.




- Demonstrating leadership in Health, Safety, and Wellbeing by adhering to policies and procedures and proactively identifying, managing, and mitigating environmental and wellbeing risks.
- Provide expert scientific advice to internal stakeholders, regulators, industry bodies, and customers.
- Monitor emerging scientific trends, technologies, and regulatory developments to ensure future readiness of laboratory services.

About you:

- You are a technical expert with demonstrated experience working in NATA-accredited laboratories, ideally within the water and wastewater industry.
- You have successfully led small to medium-sized teams, fostering an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performing culture that prioritises safety and delivers exceptional results.
- You are customer-focused and naturally build strong, meaningful relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.
- You excel at collaboration, aligning objectives, and achieving positive outcomes.

This role requires regular exposure to raw wastewater. Immunisations such as Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Tetanus may be required in accordance with Urban Utilities' Immunisation Policy.





This position is based full-time at our SAS Laboratory in Darra. Free on-site and street parking are available for staff.

Benefits

- 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 varies by role. Let’s discuss what flexibility looks like for you.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences, including First Nations peoples, people with disability, members of the LGBTIQ+ community, veterans, emergency responders and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Urban Utilities is an endorsed employer for all women.

Why Urban Utilities

Urban Utilities delivers essential water and wastewater services to more than 1.5 million people across Southeast Queensland. Every day, our teams work to support thriving communities and a sustainable future.

Come shape the future with us.

Urban Utilities delivers 140,000 megalitres each year of our planet’s most precious, natural resource to communities scattered across South East Queensland and effortlessly removes it too. We’re constantly challenging the status quo, searching for opportunities, pushing people to their potential, encouraging creativity and diversity, and fostering collaboration within and beyond our teams to be the best we can for our communities.

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📌 Lead Scientist (Brisbane)
🏢 Urban Utilities
📍 Brisbane