For more information on our Water & Wastewater Solutions services, get in touch with

Samuel Frisby

Business Manager

Hundreds of 'Excellent' reviews

Water & Wastewater Solutions Executive Search

Helping Water & Wastewater Solutions companies unlock their next stage of growth

Specialisms We Cover

Capital Equipment Chemical Water Treatment Instrumentation Mobile Water Services Paper Chemistry PFAS Remediation/ Destruction Smart Water

The global water and wastewater market is valued at over USD 300 billion and continues to expand, driven by infrastructure renewal, regulatory pressure, climate resilience, and increasing investment in water reuse and digital water technologies.

Water and wastewater infrastructure underpins public health, industrial productivity, and environmental sustainability worldwide. As populations grow, urbanisation accelerates, and climate volatility places increasing strain on water resources, the sector faces mounting pressure to modernise ageing networks, improve efficiency, and deliver resilient, sustainable systems. Innovation across treatment technologies, smart water solutions, and resource recovery is reshaping how water is managed across the value chain.

Our commitment to the water and wastewater market sets us apart from traditional executive search firms. We continuously refine our approach, combining sector expertise, market insight, and technology-led processes to deliver fast, thorough, and effective search solutions. By aligning high-calibre technical and commercial talent with strategic objectives, we help our clients build the capability required to modernise infrastructure, scale sustainably, and secure long-term water resilience.

Water systems support communities, industry, and growth.

Organizations in this sector design, operate, and maintain infrastructure that must perform continuously under regulatory, environmental, and operational pressure. Long asset lifecycles, compliance requirements, and sustainability targets place strong emphasis on engineering judgement and operational discipline.

Our consultants specialise by geographic region and therefore have tailored, in-depth networks within their area of focus. This niche approach results in our clients being delivered the strongest results for each specific search we work on and is the reason for our impeccable track record within the industry.

Download the Water & Wastewater Solutions Brochure

Download our brochure

Learn more about our services, approach and the sectors we operate in.

Did you know?

Hiring the wrong candidate costs more than just time—it can waste salary, training resources, and opportunities. The Department of Labour estimates a bad hire can cost up to 30% of the role’s first-year earnings.

We hire right

Organisations are often reluctant to use external recruiters due the percieved cost. Think about it like this - what financial benefit could a top candidate bring to your business unit? You could make a 100x return on your investment.

97% Placement Rate 1
1.78:1 CVs Sent to Interviews 2
Avg. 32 Day Engagement to Placement 3

1. Based on all roles engaged on by a client on an exclusive basis from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

2. All CVs Sent from Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

3. From Jan 4 2025 - Dec 31 2025.

Stats

387 active opportunities

1,908 placements made across 25 sectors

262,736 companies in our CRM

"At Irving Knight, we don't just fill positions; we build lasting partnerships. Our commitment to understanding your unique needs ensures that we deliver leaders who drive success and embody your company's values. When it comes to identifying the high-performers of tomorrow, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Our bespoke approach ensures every search is personal, diverse, and tailored from the ground up — delivering an individual, unrivalled experience for both clients and candidates. "

- Joe Davey, Group CEO of Irving Knight Group

Lucas Quadflieg

Sales Manager, Netherlands

Good vibes on finding a new opportunity... I was contacted by Aidan Kerr for a position of Sales Manager Benelux. Af...

Aidan Kerr

Chemicals

Rania Metwall

Head of Sales, France

Would highly recommend working with Luca Dowdell. He helped me find the perfect job. Very professional, friendly and ...

Luca Dowdell

Lubricants, Oil & Gas

Anja Florbach

Digital & Commercial Excellence Manager

Thank you so much Joseph! You have given me a great support. It was really nice to be in contact with you and I thin...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Nika Kuchaidze

Senior Continuous Improvement Chemist, US

It was a pleasure working with Joseph on transitioning to a position with a new company. Communication was prompt,...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Michel Cas

Sales Manager, France

Incredibly human oriented executive search, candidates handled with great care and respect, precise and concise infor...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Dipen Shah

Account Manager, Canada

I was assisted by Aiden Kerr on getting a new job in the chemical industry. He was fantastic in terms of timing, comm...

Aidan Kerr

Chemicals

Kyle Corrigan

Technical Account Manager

It was a pleasure working with Joseph when searching for the next chapter in my career. Proactive, energetic and prof...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Brian Carpenter

VP Continous Improvement, US

Stewart was instrumental in helping me through this process and alleviating my concerns as I’ve been out of the workf...

Stewart Boyd

Construction Materials & Mining

Ashley Maclean

Systems Sales Engineer, South Carolina

Jack Purnell with Irving Knight was the best recruiter I’ve worked with - by far. He communicated clearly, was respec...

Jack Purnell

Material Handling & Automation

Vincent Dehousse

Head of Sales & Marketing, Netherlands

Great experience working with Cian from Irving Knight—professional, responsive, and genuinely supportive. Highly reco...

Cian ODonnell

CDMO & CRO

Kaitlin Lammers

Account Manager

Oliver made the hiring process smooth from start to finish. He was consistently responsive, understanding, and suppor...

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances

Daniel Villanueva

Key Account Manager

Joseph is a dedicated professional and a stand up person to work with. His patience and his understanding certainly s...

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Rishi Sarkar

Environmental Process Engineer, US

Irving Knight helped place me with a company that I could have a positive impact on that aligned with my career goals...

Cian ODonnell

CDMO & CRO

Kerry Maye

Regional Sales Manager

Working with Joseph was a wonderfully positive experience from our first contact, through acceptance of my job offer....

Joseph Davey

Group CEO

Jon Steele

CFO, US

Grace taught an old dog some new tricks! I had been in my previous position for 30 years. I loved my job for most of...

Grace Smith

Electronic Components & Products

Sandeep Kulshrestha

Formulation Director, US

Oliver is very good in matching skills of the candidates with the company’s requirements. I personally got benefits o...

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances

Andrew Coutts

Director Global Strategy, US

First Class Service Emma shared details of a relevant opportunity and did a great job helping to manage lengthy nego...

Emma Conlin

Eduardo Valle

Development Mgr, US

This opportunity fell on my lap at the perfect time and the overall process with Christopher was great. It was a very...

Christopher Clay

Real Estate & Homebuilding

Guillermo Leal

Global Director of Pricing, US

I've worked with a few recruiters in the past but Oliver surprised me not only for his professionalism, excellent com...

Oliver Kiddy

Flavors & Fragrances

Todd McBroom

District Sales Mgr, US

Great Experience!! This was my first time dealing with a recuiter and could not have been a better experience. Jack ...

Jack Purnell

Material Handling & Automation