Location
Croydon, with hybrid working options available

Hours
Full Time

Salary
Competitive, commensurate with experience

About the Role
Join AECOM’s dynamic Nature team as an Associate Director and Major Projects Ecology Lead, shaping the future of environmental consultancy on high-profile infrastructure projects. You will lead ecological services on major projects, including Development Consent Order (DCO) schemes, managing technical outputs and liaising with clients, project teams, and stakeholders through relevant planning regimes. Supported by a comprehensive ecology team, you will select and coordinate multidisciplinary teams to deliver successful project outcomes across sectors such as energy, water, renewables, defence, and transport.

Based in one of our UK and Ireland offices, you will act as the main client contact, representing AECOM at meetings, site visits, and stakeholder engagements. Your role includes mentoring ecology team members, supporting regional and national ecology teams, and contributing to project bidding, initiation, delivery, and review processes.

At AECOM, you will thrive in an inclusive, forward-thinking environment with access to career development, flexible hybrid working, technical practice networks, and a range of personalised benefits designed to support your well-being and professional growth. Join a global team of over 50,000 professionals delivering projects that create positive, tangible impacts worldwide and help build sustainable legacies for future generations.

Experience
- Demonstrable experience in planning and delivering ecological services on projects in the UK or Ireland
- Experience working on DCO schemes, including examination phases, is highly desirable
- Proven ability to lead ecology teams and manage complex projects
- Experience mentoring and supporting junior ecology team members

About you
- Confident and proactive with excellent communication and client management skills
- Strong problem-solving abilities and a collaborative approach to working across multidisciplinary teams
- Commitment to innovation, continuous professional development, and health and safety best practices
- Enthusiastic about working in a diverse and inclusive environment that values unique perspectives

Qualifications
- Membership of an appropriate professional institution (e.g., CIEEM) with evidence of working towards Chartership or equivalent
- Well-developed understanding of relevant UK and Ireland wildlife legislation and planning regimes
- Commitment to maintaining professional standards and contributing to technical excellence within the ecology discipline