Level 6 Laboratory Scientist Apprentice

United Utilities

Lingley Mere (UU), Lingley Green Avenue, Great Sankey, Warrington (WA5 3LP)

Closes in 20 days (Monday 23 February 2026)

Posted on 30 January 2026

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Summary

Are you ready to live your future? Do you want to be part of building a greener, healthier, and stronger North West? Come and join us! We’ll provide you with industry-leading skills and the experience you need to succeed in your chosen field.

• Wage:

  £21,000 a year

  Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  Reward and benefits – There are lots of perks, including a starting salary of £21,000, which will increase each year based on performance

• Training course: Scientist (level 6)
• Hours: Monday to Friday, working hours TBC

  37 hours a week

• Start date:

  Wednesday 2 September 2026

• Duration:

  5 years

• Positions available:

  3

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

As an Apprentice Laboratory Scientist, you’ll learn:

• Key scientific skills and how to ensure that the water that comes out of the tap is of the highest quality. Therefore, ensuring our water is of the quality our customers have learnt to expect
• How to work as part of a dedicated team focussed on ensuring our water quality stays at the highest level
• How to work with a wide range of equipment and systems, as well as follow the company’s rigorous health and safety standards 

Where you'll work

Lingley Mere (UU), Lingley Green Avenue, Great Sankey, Warrington
WA5 3LP

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY

Training course

Scientist (level 6)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Identify and apply scientific approaches to solve problems, support investigations and recommend any follow-up experiments.
• Evaluate scientific experiments using an appropriate level of qualitative and quantitative numerical analysis.
• Critically analyse data, relevant literature and input from colleagues to inform investigations.
• Analyse, interpret and evaluate scientific data and present the results in written and oral form.
• Manage record keeping to ensure data integrity, traceability, confidentiality and adherence with appropriate regulatory requirements.
• Promote, enact, document, and monitor the application of quality standards, safe working practices and compliance with risk management systems relevant to the role.
• Identify opportunities to challenge assumptions and apply influencing skills to make improvements, make new proposals and build on existing ideas.
• Manage work plan, prioritise tasks and evaluate progress against objectives.
• Contribute to the development of technical projects across multi-skilled teams and share best practice across the wider business.
• Conduct complex (chemical, or physical, or biological) scientific investigations in accordance with defined company procedures and legislative requirements.
• Identify and implement continuous performance improvement using appropriate techniques.
• Ensure work meets environmental, risk management and sustainability requirements and regulations of the business sector.
• Evaluate own performance and knowledge, and set personal development goals.
• Troubleshoot equipment selection and implement sustainable solutions.
• Identify and collaborate with key stakeholders and provide technical support and advice where required.
• Identify how other roles in the organisation can contribute to achieving sustainability goals.
• Select and apply equipment, techniques, and methods to ensure reliable and accurate results.
• Undertake practical analyses and measurement and communicate the outcomes using appropriate terminology and mathematical and graphical notation.
• Use appropriate digital solutions for the collection and analysis of data, and the retrieval of appropriate information.
• Use communication methods suited to objective and audience.
• Use theoretical models, often involving approximations, to make quantitative predictions.
• Apply chemical concepts and theories to investigations.
• Design, develop and carry out chemical science investigations.
• Recommend synthetic pathways to target-compounds and design experimental activities to test predictions.
• Design and deploy purification, isolation and characterisation strategies, taking account of physicochemical properties of elements and compounds.
• Design, develop and carry out qualitative and quantitative sample preparation, chemical measurement, and analysis.
• Critically compare the results of theoretical or computational modelling with those from experiment and observation.
• Apply physics theories to solve problems that cross scientific discipline boundaries.
• Apply computational techniques to analysis and model physical behaviour.
• Apply physics concepts and theories to investigations.
• Design, develop and carry out physics based investigations.
• Use mathematical techniques and theories to solve physics problems.
• Use computer programming software to solve physics based problems.
• Critically analyse current and emerging developments in the biosciences and the contribution of Biosciences to the wider industry.
• Apply Biological concepts and theories to investigations.
• Design, develop and carry out biological investigations
• Perform tasks related to sample preparation and culturing techniques.
• Use of laboratory automation systems.
• Perform sampling with consideration for sample variation.
• Identify and apply scientific approaches to solve problems, support investigations and recommend any follow-up experiments.
• Evaluate scientific experiments using an appropriate level of qualitative and quantitative numerical analysis.
• Critically analyse data, relevant literature and input from colleagues to inform investigations.
• Analyse, interpret and evaluate scientific data and present the results in written and oral form.
• Manage record keeping to ensure data integrity, traceability, confidentiality and adherence with appropriate regulatory requirements.
• Promote, enact, document, and monitor the application of quality standards, safe working practices and compliance with risk management systems relevant to the role.
• Identify opportunities to challenge assumptions and apply influencing skills to make improvements, make new proposals and build on existing ideas.
• Manage work plan, prioritise tasks and evaluate progress against objectives.
• Contribute to the development of technical projects across multi-skilled teams and share best practice across the wider business.
• Conduct complex (chemical, or physical, or biological) scientific investigations in accordance with defined company procedures and legislative requirements.
• Identify and implement continuous performance improvement using appropriate techniques.
• Ensure work meets environmental, risk management and sustainability requirements and regulations of the business sector.
• Evaluate own performance and knowledge, and set personal development goals.
• Troubleshoot equipment selection and implement sustainable solutions.
• Identify and collaborate with key stakeholders and provide technical support and advice where required.
• Identify how other roles in the organisation can contribute to achieving sustainability goals.
• Select and apply equipment, techniques, and methods to ensure reliable and accurate results.
• Undertake practical analyses and measurement and communicate the outcomes using appropriate terminology and mathematical and graphical notation.
• Use appropriate digital solutions for the collection and analysis of data, and the retrieval of appropriate information.
• Use communication methods suited to objective and audience.
• Use theoretical models, often involving approximations, to make quantitative predictions.

Training schedule

Scientist Level 6.

Your training will be at your workplace and block release at Manchester Metropolitan University.  

More training information

As part of your induction, you will attend a five-day residential trip to the Lake District. This is a fantastic opportunity to develop your skills in a beautiful setting with your fellow apprentices. Accommodation and boarding will be provided. 

During your apprenticeship, you may need to travel to your place of study. If you’re not local to your place of study, accommodation will either be provided or reimbursed by United Utilities during this period (excluding weekends). Please consider travel requirements and staying away from home if applicable.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• 5 GCSE's minimum or equivalent (grade A-C or 9-4)
• Maths, English and a Science or Technology subject (grade A-C or 9-4)

A Level in:

• or BTEC totalling 104 UCAS Points (grade A-C or equivalent)
• or equivalent - in either Chemistry or Biology (grade A-C or equivalent)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• Problem solving skills
• Team working

Other requirements

This role will also require you to pass a colour vision assessment. 

About this employer

United Utilities is responsible for water and wastewater services in the North West of England. From 2025-2030 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 projects. Now, more than ever, we need inspiring future talent to help make the North West stronger, greener, and healthier. 

https://www.unitedutilities.com/corporate/careers/apprenticeships/ (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

26 days of leave (excluding bank holidays), a £500 contribution towards learning to drive, and many more benefits. 

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

Every apprentice is guaranteed a permanent position at the end of their scheme. (As long as you meet all necessary standards and behaviour criteria throughout the programme).

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000011710.

Apply now

Closes in 20 days (Monday 23 February 2026)

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.