Our ethos
At Lithos we recognise that our most valuable assets are our staff. We offer a competitive salary with additional benefits, including flexible working, generous pension scheme and a bonus payable twice a year. Development, coaching, mentoring and personal growth underpin everything we do. We offer a formal, progressive training programme from Graduate Engineer to Associate Director, guaranteeing a route to Chartership on the way. You can find our company Vision, Mission and Values here along side our Illustrative Training Programme.
Our rural location just off the Al, means we are an easy commute with free parking, where you can also experience the benefits the countryside can offer. Most of our work is based in Yorkshire or the North of England and so our engineers do not have to spend long periods of time working away from home – our work involves a healthy split between office and site work.
As an SME we can be responsive, flexible and take an individual approach towards our employees. You will not be lost in the crowd but you will be accountable. You will work with and learn from experienced technical experts on projects from beginning to end, but you will also have the opportunity to develop broader business skills; skills that are essential in running a successful and profitable business like Lithos.
The nature of our work, our strong culture and ethos means teamwork, collaboration, communication, mentoring and personal development are fundamental. We’re sociable and supportive and believe this is best achieved by working together. If you prefer to work from home, remotely, then Lithos may not be for you.
Despite being a relatively small business, we invest a lot of time and money in your future development; in return we want you to stick around for at least 2 years. If you see Lithos as a stepping stone or a temporary commitment, then again, Lithos is not for you.
During our recruitment process we take your privacy seriously. We will not pass your details on to any other party or retain your information any longer than we need to progress your application, or to fulfil our legal and regulatory requirements. Further details of our GDPR and privacy policy can be found on this website.
We are a Mindful Employer and this means we’re committed to empowering our employees to achieve better mental health at work.
Lithos – a road to success…
Current vacancies
We are looking to recruit a graduate engineer from October 2024, although the start date can be flexible. This position would be best suited to those who have completed an Earth Sciences, Geology or Geography degree, but we may consider applicants from similar disciplines. A full UK driver's licence is essential. However, if you don't yet have a driving licence, this shouldn't put you off applying - we can support you in getting your licence if necessary. A copy of the job description can be found here - GeoEnv Graduate
This is a great opportunity to work for an inclusive, growing consultancy based in the North of England. Our work is varied, interesting and challenging. Most sites are commutable from our base in Wetherby - this is fantastic if you want the right work-life balance and don't want to spend long periods of time staying away from home. Read our case studies on our website to get a flavour of the diverse projects we work on.
We will invest heavily in your training, personal and career development and provide a guaranteed 'route to Chartership'. You can find our company Vision, Mission and Values on our website alongside our Illustrative Training Programme & Career Path. As a progressive employer we take an individual approach, therefore we can be responsive, supportive and flexible towards all our employees - you will not be lost in the crowd. Don't take our word for it; read some of our employee testimonials on our website or look at our LinkedIn profile.
Another huge benefit is that you will work with and learn from experienced technical experts on projects from beginning to end. You will also have the opportunity to develop broader business skills that are essential in running a successful and profitable business like Lithos.
We offer a competitive salary which in the first 3 years will be reviewed twice a year. Other benefits include:
- Bonus twice a year
- 24 days annual holiday plus statutory bank holidays
- Van, mobile phone, laptop
- £400 of PPE & workwear
- 7% pension scheme
- Bike to work scheme
- Location close to motorways but within walking distance to town
- Free car parking
Our modern, purpose built offices are in an idyllic location for cycling, walking and running which many of our employees do in their free time.
The nature of our work, our strong culture and ethos means teamwork, collaboration, communication, mentoring and personal development are core to everything we do. Working for Lithos you'll benefit from an open, friendly, stimulating and supportive office environment where you will develop and grow.
For the application, we require a CV and covering letter OR covering email. Our first round of interviews will be held early December, so the application deadline for this first round is 30th November 2023. If you are interested, please email your application to info@lithos.co.uk.
Each year we take on a student engineer for a period of 12 months. We have a great relationship and track record with local universities and for the last 12 years have supported at least one student engineer and given them a fantastic start to their working career. Our student engineers often return to us as one of our Graduate Engineers.
This position would be best suited to those who are looking to complete a year’s industrial placement as part of an Earth Science/Geology or Geography degree, but we may consider applicants from similar disciplines. We would be looking to start the successful candidate in August/September 2024. A copy of the job description can be found here.
The successful candidate will be based at our Wetherby office and have use of a company van for commuting to/from the office and for site work. They will also receive a laptop and mobile phone as well as all standard PPE. Please note a full driver’s licence is essential. Testimonials from previous students can be found on our website. Alternatively, take a look at our LinkedIn profile to get a feel of life at Lithos.
For our first wave of interviews, the deadline for applications is 30th November 2023 with interviews taking place early December. For the application, we require a CV and covering letter OR covering email. If you are interested in applying, please email info@lithos.co.uk.
Careers for graduates
Each year we recruit at least one Graduate with a relevant degree. We commit to providing all our graduates with a ‘route to chartership’. This means we provide the training, experience, support and guidance so that our graduates achieve Chartership status with their chosen technical body (typically Geology Society) within approx 5-6 years. Beyond this, our Chartered Engineers are encouraged and supported in developing a higher technical specialism eg: SiLC, RoGEP.
Those who show leadership potential are invited on to our Associate Director Development Programme, which leads to a level 7 Certificate in Leadership and Management.
James Brown - senior engineer
Senior engineer
I joined Lithos in 2018 having worked for a site investigation contractor after graduating. This meant I came to Lithos with some great fieldwork experience and made settling into that part of my new job relatively straightforward. Within 3.5 years at Lithos, I have worked my way up from Graduate Engineer to Senior Engineer.
Lithos gives all its engineers great opportunities to develop, learning new skills such as interpretive report writing and designing & managing site investigations. I have been able to build on my existing site-based skills, whilst also gaining an appreciation of the ‘why’ and the ‘need’ for site investigation. The work at Lithos is extremely diverse and no two sites are ever the same, so you are always kept on your toes and interested.
The work/life balance also attracted me to Lithos. Previously, I would be working and staying away all over the country. The majority of sites I have worked on for Lithos are based within Yorkshire, and I am always given an appropriate amount of time to prepare for site work and also type up my findings on completion.
I am currently in the process of preparing my chartership application for the Geological Society. The training, experience, and support from Lithos have been vital in helping me write the application and provide evidence to support my competencies.
Charlotte Copley - Senior engineer
Senior engineer
Charlotte’s journey with Lithos
I joined Lithos as a Graduate Engineer in the summer of 2018 after completing my Geology BSc. Lithos has provided a great training programme that allows me to experience a range of site-work based activities that are supported with writing various reports such as desk studies, site investigation reports and remediation strategies. Even though graduate training typically lasts around 2 years, Lithos continues to support engineers in getting to Chartership.
In 2020 I was encouraged to apply for the Geological Societies National Early Career Award, which I subsequently went on to win. This allowed me to network with other people in the field, and I am now on the Yorkshire Geological Societies Committee, helping to arrange events within the region.
Lithos are also supporting me whilst I undertake a part-time MSc course in Environmental Consultancy which allows me to further my knowledge in my chosen field. Whilst undertaking my studies, I am on secondment to the remediation team which ties in nicely with what I am learning at university. I have recently supervised a drilling and grouting job, undertaken gas protection validations and soil cover validations on site, and written hydrogeological risk assessments, construction and environmental management reports and slope stability assessments.
The support and encouragement given by Lithos helps their engineers develop the right skills and knowledge required to excel in their careers, evidenced by their team of well-respected engineers.
Chris Ryan - Senior engineer
Chris Ryan - Senior engineer
Chris’ journey with Lithos
I joined Lithos as an Engineer in 2019 after working for a drilling contractor since graduating in 2016. Lithos offered the perfect opportunity for a better balance between sitework and office work because, at Lithos, an engineer will often see a project through from writing the desk study to doing the fieldwork and then to writing the final report. Previously, as a site-based engineer, I would be supervising drilling rigs and logging soils/rock and producing the odd factual report; however the work at Lithos is a lot more diverse and challenging with different problems to solve for every site. Working for Lithos has also allowed me to have a better work/life balance with more time spent at home in the evenings rather than working and staying away every week.
Lithos also encourages SI engineers to work with the remediation team for 6 months to gain experience in the many different techniques and methods used to remediate sites. I have recently had the opportunity to do this and have benefitted greatly from the experience. I have supervised and validated the removal of contaminated material on site, undertaken soil cover validations, and produced remediation strategies and validation reports. This has helped my understanding when completing sitework and writing reports as I have experienced the techniques that maybe recommended to remediate or prepare a site for its proposed end use.
The training and experiences with both the SI and remediation teams have helped me develop and grow as an Engineer and have taken me closer to achieving my aim of chartership in the near future.
George Morton
Principal Engineer
George’s journey with Lithos
I graduated in 2013 with a honours degree majoring in geology and joined Lithos as a Graduate Engineer. In my eight years at Lithos I have gained practical experience in both site-based ground investigations and remediation, plus office-based report writing, contaminated land assessment and geotechnical design. I particularly enjoy the challenges and problem solving required to deliver bespoke and specialist investigations at the quoting, fieldwork and reporting stages of our investigations.
I have been given the training to work in accordance with geotechnical and contaminated land guidance in a safe and effective manner, notably being CSCS accredited to work on construction sites, IOSH accredited to supervise geotechnical investigations and PTS accredited to work on rail projects.
After almost 6 years at Lithos, and thanks to the training and opportunities made available to me, I achieved chartership status in June 2020 and was promoted to Principal Engineer in January 2022.
Going forward I will be developing my commercial and management skills to reflect the change in my responsibilities towards managing a team of engineers over several sites and projects.
Cameron Daniel
Student engineer - geography undergraduate
I am a geography undergraduate and spent a year with Lithos on a student placement from Leeds University.
Main roles and responsibilities
- Gas and groundwater monitoring – this was my primary responsibility.
- Site investigation assistance – often responsible for soakaways and also involved in trial pitting and borehole drilling.
- Construction support – soil cover validation, stockpile sampling, surface water
Placement suitability
- Interest in the environment – specifically: geology, soils, groundwater, environmental processes and management.
- Interest in construction – the planning phase and environmental regulations.
- Enjoys working outdoors – majority of your time will be spent on site in all weathers.
- Comfortable with lone working – being able to use your own initiative and self-motivate is crucial.
- Willing to learn – you may not have learnt much about Geoenvironmental Engineering in your degree so will be taking on lots of new information throughout the year.
- Full UK Driving license required at the start of the year.
Skills developed
- Organisation – planning and managing my own workload, with jobs across the North of England. Also learning to be flexible to rearrange work around high priority jobs.
- Communication – developed my skills in communicating clearly with colleagues, clients, contractors and members of the public.
- Practical skills – with no prior experience in the industry. I learnt many industry specific skills including gas and groundwater monitoring, soil classification, rock core logging and soil and water monitoring.
- Report writing – assisted in writing gas risk assessments.
- Excel – Inputting and organising large amounts of data within Microsoft Excel.
Future career trajectory
Having known very little about Geoenvironmental consultancy before beginning my placement, I found that I really enjoy it. Lithos are often recruiting graduates and I will be returning after my final year of university.
Mawgan Naylor
Student Engineer - 1 year industrial placement
What did you enjoy about your year with Lithos?
I loved working with the friendly, professional team at Lithos. They supported me in my learning, but also gave me the confidence to work independently on important tasks. There were plenty of training opportunities to be involved in and I gained many skills that I have used in my career to date.
What did you learn?
The techniques used to monitor and sample boreholes for gas and water, and the importance of accurate and reliable data. My experience taught me how to analyse data to assess risk and then incorporate this into a methodical and clear report for the client. It also showed me the importance of risk assessments for health and safety e.g. lone working, machinery etc. Lithos are very supportive and make sure you have the right tools to do the job: company van, equipment, work uniform, PPE.
Working for Lithos gave me an insight into different areas of the industry and the different career pathways available.
How has the experience helped you?
It gave me the confidence to continue my career in the construction industry and showed me how diverse and supportive the industry can be, particularly as a woman.
Would you recommend us?
Yes I would definitely recommend Lithos.
What have you since gone on to do?
I now work for Hanson UK on the graduate scheme. Hanson is a supplier of building materials to the construction industry. I have recently been given the role of Assistant Unit Manager (Graduate Trainee) for Shap Beck Quarry, Low Gelt Quarry, Wigan and Tuebrook Depot.
Rhianne Hughes
Student Engineer - 1 year industrial placement
My experiences with Lithos were both memorable and valuable and I am very proud of what I achieved throughout the year. I learned a great deal about myself, and working in the professional world. Furthermore, Lithos were very sensitive to my needs – I will always be most grateful for their support.
The placement year enabled me to successfully apply geological skills learned during my undergraduate degree in a business environment. I was exposed to different types of geological jobs in the three departments: site investigation, remediation and contaminated land, and I particularly enjoyed the wide variety of work this provided.
My main tasks were to monitor gas and water boreholes, conduct water sampling and soakaway tests, and assist the engineers when needed. I also observed engineers perform soil cover validations, CBR testing, trial pitting, drilling and rock coring. I helped organise equipment calibration and ordering of new supplies. My administrative tasks included handling large data sets in Excel and writing front ends to gas reports and water letters. In addition, I learned how to put work plans together and execute them effectively. Furthermore, the job responsibilities allowed me to develop life skills such as independence, time management, organisation and accuracy, and the importance of seeking appropriate advice when needed. I also had to problem solve in real life situations and learn how to effectively communicate with people.
Lithos were really supportive and made sure I was fully confident and understood my job. Above all, they ensured I received all the right support to get through the year. Prior to my placement, I knew little about a geologist’s role in the construction industry, but I am now aware of the wide range of geological jobs available. I would highly recommend a placement year or career working for Lithos to any geology students.