Principal Environmental and Sustainability Consultant - Water Resources Planning

Job Description

Location/s: UK-wide, South East England preferred
Recruiter contact: Laura Easdon

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices.

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual.

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About the division
Environmental and social considerations are central to Mott MacDonald’s Purpose and its offerings across all sectors and territories. Our environment and social business provides essential services and innovative solutions which anticipate our clients' needs across all sectors.

Overview of the role

We have an exciting opportunity for a Principal Environment and Sustainability Consultant. This role focuses on supporting our well-established water resources planning environmental assessment business. You will lead the environmental workstream for predominantly water sector planning projects, taking responsibility for technical delivery and overseeing project progress. In this role, you will lead multidisciplinary teams, coordinating with technical experts to ensure seamless project delivery and consistently high-quality outcomes for our key clients.

We are preparing for a dynamic AMP8 period with a wealth of forthcoming opportunities and active projects building on our success in AMP7. To support our AMP8 delivery we seek a highly motivated individual to provide technical delivery and technical excellence in environmental assessments across our portfolio of water resource projects. The role can be based at any of our UK offices, with a preference for locations in the South (Cambridge, London, Croydon, Reading, Southampton). The successful candidate will join our Environmental & Sustainability Services (ESS) team, comprising a growing network of environmental and sustainability professionals across 18 offices nationwide.

As industry leaders in water resource planning and development within the water sector, we deliver innovative, tailored solutions to address our clients’ most complex challenges. Furthermore, we are recognised for developing best practice and pragmatic methods in environmental assessment delivery, with extensive expertise in Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA), Natural Capital Assessment, and Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment. This role will play a pivotal part in the successful delivery of these services.

Key responisbilities and duties include:

• Technical lead and delivery of environmental workstreams for water planning projects, ensuring high quality deliverables
• Providing technical leadership to environmental and sustainability project teams
• Driving technical excellence, innovation and sustainable outcomes
• Technical checker/approver roles
• Client engagement with a diverse range of clients and stakeholders from both the public and private sector
• Developing fee estimates

Candidate specification

Essential:

• Experience of leading environmental assessments for the water sector or other sectors
• Experience of strategic water planning such as Water Resource Managements Plans, Regional Water Resource Plans, Drought Plans and Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans
• Qualified in a related technical subject (Minimum of a Bachelor's degree essential)
• Experience working in diverse multi-disciplined teams and leading teams to produce environmental and sustainability deliverables to a high standard
• Experience of working in a client-facing environment and ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders to deliver positive outcomes
• Well organised with strong planning and management skills, with ability to produce high quality deliverables and manage budgets and projects
• Ability to problem solve, think creatively, and seek continual improvement

Desirable:

• Significant experience in one or more of the following: Strategic Environment Assessment, Habitats Regulations Assessment, Natural Capital Assessment
• Qualified to Master's degree level in a relevant subject
• Chartered with a professional institution (e.g., CIWEM, ISEP (previously IEMA)) or equivalent level

If you meet 80% or more of what we're looking for, please still apply. We understand not everyone will meet all the requirements, but you might have skills we didn't know we need.

We are actively recruiting a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve. We recognise that differences in ability, skills and experience are a strength and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Agile working

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.