Role: Principal Consultant - Environmental Impact Assessment  

Location: Bristol, Harwell, London, Manchester or homebased

Salary range: £44,000 - £66,000

Role ID: 2021-1408

Our vision is to create a safe and sustainable world

Ricardo plc is a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company, listed on the London Stock Exchange. With over 100 years of engineering excellence and employing close to 3,000 employees in more than 20 countries, we provide exceptional levels of expertise in delivering leading-edge and innovative cross-sector sustainable products and solutions. Every day, we enable our customers to solve the most complex and dynamic challenges to help achieve a safe and sustainable world.

Energy & Environment, one of Ricardo plc’s five operating business units, is a leader in sustainability consultancy, solving complex environmental challenges through industry-leading analysis, advice and data. With more than 40 years of heritage in addressing air quality, environmental and sustainability issues, our customers value us for our deep understanding and breadth of services covering the entire value chain from evidence, policy & strategy to implementation.

We are currently looking for a Principal Consultant to join our Environmental Assessment team.

The Water & Environment practice of Ricardo Energy & Environment offers a comprehensive range of specialist services within the environmental consultancy sector. Nationally and internationally recognised for our expertise in planning and overseeing complex and sensitive projects, our skills have been utilised by a wide range of clients within the public and private sectors including the European Commission, government, water companies and developers.

Purpose

As a Principal Consultant you will join our environmental assessment team. This position is to play a leading role in the environmental assessment team securing work and directing, managing and working on projects. Our team provides technical expertise in all areas of environmental assessment including EIA and SEA. Ricardo Energy and Environment has established a reputation as one of the leading players in the UK covering the water sector. We are working on major strategic resource projects across the country for a variety of water companies. In addition, we undertake environmental assessment work, including EIA, for developers and local authorities in a range of sectors from waste and energy to mixed use development.

Although, this role will sit within our Evidence and Policy business unit you will provide environmental assessment work across all areas of Ricardo Energy and Environment. You will be expected to contribute as part of a wider national team, working closely with colleagues in Manchester, Bristol, Harwell and London in particular.

Key accountabilities

We are seeking an experienced consultant to help direct and manage our projects using internal and external resources. You will lead and manage projects and environmental assessment (e.g. EIA and SEA) inputs, collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams and deliver all aspects of consultancy from tendering, budget control, leading projects, generating new business and nurturing existing client relationships.

Developing new business opportunities in the field of environmental assessment is an important component of the role. The team works with other teams in Ricardo and developing links and opportunities from existing clients as well as developing new clients will be a feature of this role.  You will play an integral role in the continued growth and success of the environmental assessment team and wider business.

Day to day, you could expect this role to involve:

• Responsibility for managing and delivering a broad range of projects including bidding, client management and quality assurance.
• Technical and commercial responsibility for the projects to be delivered
• Helping grow the environmental assessment team / business.

These are just a few examples of the role responsibilities and work we are currently delivering.

Key competencies and experience

• Experienced consultant with expert knowledge and practical experience of dealing with the UK planning system and the relevant EIA Regulations.
• Experience of delivering EIAs and working with multi-disciplinary teams on infrastructure projects.
• Degree level or post graduate qualification in town planning and/or environmental assessment.
• Chartered status (i.e. RTPI, IEMA).
• Sound knowledge of the UK planning system and consenting processes such as town and country planning and/or development consent orders.
• Strong communication and report writing skills as well as experience of liaising with planning authorities and stakeholders.
• Knowledge of Strategic Environmental Assessment would be desirable.

Skills and behaviours

The sucessful candidate should be able to demonstrate the following:

• Proven professional consultancy experience.
• Experience of providing strategic advice to clients.
• A passion for delivering high quality work, identifying and securing new opportunities and bringing new ideas to the table for successfully growing the business.
• An excellent understanding of environmental impacts associated with major infrastructure developments and assessment methodologies sufficient to lead technical reviews of Environmental Statements.
• Strong project management skills with track record in leading complex proposals and projects.
• Proposal writing and winning public and private sector consultancy projects.
• Excellent organisational skills to co-ordinate multi-disciplinary environmental assessment teams, work collaboratively within large teams, and influence decision-making.

Working here

Ricardo is an exciting and rewarding place to work and you have the opportunity to make a difference. You will work with teams of talented, dedicated, and supportive individuals. Alongside having a fantastic opportunity to develop your career with us through our broad range of projects, mentoring opportunities and a personalised approach to your learning and development. We are always keen to hear from people who have driven, ambition and a flair for innovative thinking.

Wellbeing and work life balance

We offer flexible approaches to work, whether that's working from home, being in the office, or as a hybrid worker. We're happy to discuss flexible working arrangements. Wellbeing is at the core to our culture, allowing employees to flourish and to achieve their full potential. Our People are important to us, and we take pride in our wellbeing programmes and policies that support individuals including flexible working, carers policy, mental health first aiders and readily available support through our extensive Employee Assistance programme.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion statement

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person's potential, and we'll help you reach yours. We have an ambitious diversity, equality, and inclusion approach as explained here. We value diversity; recognising that a more diverse workforce creates a richer and more varied working environment. Diversity also drives innovation, by allowing us to offer our clients the best consultancy service that we can. As part of our commitment to engage positively and pro-actively with all our employees and to ensure an inclusive culture, we are a recognised as a 'disability confident' employer.

Benefits

Our core benefits include 25 days' annual leave, plus 8 flexible bank holidays, a competitive company pension scheme, life assurance and professional subscriptions reimbursement. We also offer a wide range of flexible benefits to suit your lifestyle.

Once you have submitted your application a member of our Recruitment Team will be in touch. Please be aware that the timing can vary dependent on the volume of applications that we receive for each role and in some cases, we may start to review applications prior to the closing date.