Intern Water Quality & Green Hydrogen Research Support – WSP Africa (Midrand)

Company: WSP Africa

Team / Division: Water Use & Resource Management Team

Industry: Environmental Consulting, Water Engineering, Renewable Energy & Research

Location: Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa

Position Type: Graduate Research Internship

Posted Date: 25 September 2026

Closing Date: Open / Immediate Intake

About WSP Africa & The Research Opportunity

WSP is one of Africa’s leading engineering and environmental consulting firms. WSP’s Water Use & Resource Management Team in Midrand, Gauteng is offering a specialized Graduate Research Internship supporting a national Water Research Commission (WRC) project titled:

“Scoping Study to Assess Effluent Water Quality Challenges and Issues Associated with Green Hydrogen Initiatives.”

This research initiative examines water quality requirements, treatment technologies, wastewater streams, and environmental risks linked to green hydrogen production across South Africa’s water-energy nexus.

Key Responsibilities & Research Workstreams

The Intern will support experienced technical leads across seven core operational and research areas:

1. Literature Reviews & Tech Analysis

• Green Hydrogen Research: Conduct technical literature reviews on green hydrogen production, electrolysis systems, industrial water treatment, and effluent risks.

2. Water Source Data & Mapping

• Database Building: Collect and organize water quality data across surface water, groundwater, seawater, mine-affected water, industrial effluent, and treated municipal wastewater.
• Data Registers: Assist in developing confidence ratings, data gap registers, and water quality databases.

3. Process Mapping & Lifecycle Assessment

• Lifecycle Tracking: Map the full water lifecycle—from raw sourcing and treatment through electrolysis, wastewater generation, reuse, and residual waste disposal pathways.

4. Environmental & Technical Risk Assessment

• Multi-Dimensional Risks: Contribute to project risk assessments covering environmental, technical, regulatory, operational, and social dimensions.

5. Stakeholder Engagement Support

• Coordination: Prepare stakeholder lists, record key outcomes during industry consultations, and track follow-up action items.

6. Report Writing & Documentation

• Technical Summaries: Prepare progress reports, tables, figures, and technical summaries, ensuring quality control of data citations.

7. Safety & Quality Control

• Compliance: Maintain accurate project records and contribute to WSP’s safety culture by reporting hazards and near misses.

Candidate Profile & Minimum Entry Requirements

To qualify for consideration for this research internship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Educational Qualifications:
  • Currently studying towards or recently completed an Honours or Master’s Degree in:
    • Water Resources / Hydrology / Water Quality
    • Environmental Science / Environmental Management
    • Civil Engineering / Environmental Engineering
    • Chemistry or related disciplines (Essential).
• Advantageous Criteria:
  • Eligibility to support WRC capacity-building programmes linked to MSc student participation.
  • Hands-on experience with GIS, statistical analysis tools, data visualization, or citation software.
• Technical & Software Skills:
  • Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
  • Solid technical writing, research, and data interpretation abilities.
  • Understanding of water treatment processes, effluent management, and regulatory frameworks.
• Personal Attributes:
  • Detail-oriented, curious, proactive, and capable of working independently and within multidisciplinary teams.
• Location: Based in or able to work on-site in Midrand, Gauteng.

What WSP Africa Offers

• National Impact: Direct involvement in a landmark Water Research Commission (WRC) national green hydrogen initiative.
• Top-Tier Mentorship: Work directly alongside senior water resources engineers, hydrologists, and environmental consultants.
• WRC Capacity Building: Opportunity to align academic MSc research with funded national research goals.

Career Advice for Research Applicants

1. Highlight WRC & Green Hydrogen Alignment: Emphasize any postgraduate research, thesis work, or coursework related to water treatment, hydrology, or renewable energy on page 1 of your CV.
2. Detail Technical Tool Usage: Explicitly state your level of experience with GIS, Excel, citation managers (Mendeley/EndNote), or statistical analysis tools.
3. Submit Complete Records: Ensure certified copies of your academic transcripts and degree certificates are attached.

Sample Research Internship Interview Questions

Water Quality Analysis & Research Methodologies

• Question (Data Gaps): “How do you verify the confidence rating or reliability of secondary water quality data obtained from different municipal or industrial sources?”
• Question (Process Mapping): “What are the key water quality constraints when using mine-affected water or municipal effluent for hydrogen electrolysis processes?”

How to Apply

Submit your application directly through WSP Africa’s official career portal:

• Company: WSP Africa
• Division: Water Use & Resource Management
• Position: Intern Water Quality and Green Hydrogen Research Support
• Location: Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa

Apply here