KTP Associate - Environmental Engineer

University of the West of Scotland – School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences

University of the West of Scotland in Partnership with Loch Lomond Distillers Ltd

Location: Alexandria

Full time: 37.5 hours per week

Fixed term: 30 months

The post - Process Digitalization

This project aims to address a long-standing whisky/spirits industry challenge, specifically effluent management, and establish Loch Lomond Distillers (LLD) as a sector leader in environmental sustainability. With both batch and continuous grain and malt operations, the business produces varying effluent streams with fluctuating pH, Biological and Chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD/COD). AD plant being explored as a potential part of the solution, however, will not resolve spikes in all beforementioned compositions. The company would also like to explore cleaning of water streams as a separate process (cleaning of spent lees instead of feeding to AD; CIP streams, etc.). Current effluent management and off-site processing by Scottish Water presents a risk and cost to the business and the environment.

The project aligns with LLD's 2023 Sustainability Strategy and Net Zero 2045 target by applying real-time monitoring, process simulation, and data analytics, informed by AI, to characterise, treat, reduce and reuse the materials and energy contained within effluent streams: enhancing operational efficiency, releasing capacity, improving environmental sustainability and ensuring regulatory compliance. Adoption of new knowledge, technologies, systems and processes within LLD, will position the business as a leader in their sector and enable commercial exploitation of project outputs both internally and externally via consultancy.

This post is a practical, hands-on role, initially funded as part of a 30-month Knowledge Transfer Partnership linking staff in the Schools of Computing Engineering and Physical Sciences at UWS with Loch Lomond Distillers Limited.

The Associate will be tasked with enhancing operational efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and improve environmental sustainability through improved waste management – unlocking cost savings, releasing capacity and ensuring alignment with current and future regulatory requirements.

What you’ll be doing:

Develop full system understanding of wastewater production across multiple distillery operations to characterise and identify indicators, benchmark wastewater processing operations and enable hybrid artificial intelligence (AI) model development.

Derive links from process operations to effluent production, composition and treatment options in forecasting, diagnosing process disruptions and scoping options for resource recovery. Specifically, to: evaluate current complex process flows; determine potential of new technology to improve process connectivity and efficiency and identify resource recovery gains; improve, innovate and standardise data collection and analysis with real-time monitoring and feed process operations from materials and information flow.

Specification and procurement of process-wide infrastructure, monitoring and improvements to process footprint (e.g. carbon, water), delivery to multiple sites driving company strategy to environmental sustainability.

Engaging and managing multiple stakeholders (internal and external, including regulatory bodies and compliance schemes).

Delivering change and embedding operational improvements to address sustainability goals.

Building expertise within a business with good technical support (process engineering, laboratory technicians) to go beyond compliance to understand and improve process influence on effluents and opportunities for resource recovery.

Development of business cases for process improvements and investments in monitoring, plant and infrastructure to maximise productivity on site and within group operations.

What we’re looking for:

Essential:

• Minimum MSc in Chemical/ Environmental Engineering, and/or environmental management or process industry related (science/engineering) subject.
• Experience of chemical analysis, fluid modelling, application of AI.

Desirable:

• Chartered Membership of appropriate professional body (IChemE, IMechE, CIWEM etc).

• Ideally experience of working in cross-disciplinary teams of varying expertise and experience.
• Process operation optimization, energy improvement and waste reduction, materials and process optimisation, Data management / processing ensuring integrity.

What you’ll get:

• £4667 personal training budget + access to national KTP leadership training.
• Dedicated support from both academic experts and senior company leaders.
• The chance to publish academic work and attend conferences (if that interests you).

About the company

The business has a history that goes back to 1772, with the founding of the Littlemill Distillery in Bowling, West Dunbartonshire. Today the business is involved in the manufacture, bottling and sale of single malts & blended whiskies and other spirits across the UK and international markets. In 1814, the original site of the Loch Lomond Distillery was established near Tarbet towards the northwest end of Loch Lomond. The site has since re-located to Alexandria in 1964, where it stands now. In 1832, the Glen Scotia Distillery was founded in Campbeltown and is one of only three distilleries remaining in Campbeltown from that era. Loch Lomond Distillery was named the most awarded distillery of the year in 2023, and their Glen Scotia whiskies were recognised at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, with Glen Scotia 25-year-old awarded 'Best in Show', the overall winner of the competition, and therefore, the best whisky in the world.

About KTP:

This position forms part of the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) funded by Innovate UK. It’s essential you understand how KTP works with business and the University, and the vital role you will play if you successfully secure a KTP Associate position. Please visit: www.uws.ac.uk/business/knowledge-expertise/knowledge-transfer-partnerships/ or contact Stuart McKay (stuart.mckay@uws.ac.uk)

Why UWS?

We support you – We are the only Scottish University to have a dedicated KTP centre, meaning you are fully supported throughout your time with the company by UWS staff.

We are growing – In 2019, UWS were the top performing University in the UK by value of secured KTP projects.

KTP is a strategic priority at UWS. The only Scottish University with a dedicated KTP Centre dedicated to supporting your KTP and professional development journey.

Interview date: week commencing Monday 1^st December

The University reserves the right to shorten/extend the closing date of any position where a high/low volume of suitable applications are received. Therefore, if you are interested in this role, an early application would be encouraged.

You can find out more about how the University uses your personal data as part of the recruitment process by looking at the UWS HR Applicant Privacy Notice at www.uws.ac.uk

UWS is committed to equality and diversity and welcomes applications from underrepresented groups. 

UWS is a “Disability Confident” employer.

University of the West of Scotland is a registered Scottish charity, no. SC002520.