Location
Southampton, UK

Hours
Full Time

Salary
Negotiable

About the Role
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 Business 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.

Role Overview
Mott MacDonald is leading the way in Nature Services and we are looking for people to join our Ecology Team to play their part in integrating nature into all developments so that together with our clients we can build a better future. We pride ourselves on setting and maintaining high standards and are at the forefront of providing ecological advice. Our team has written guidance and delivered training on Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and contributed to CIEEM’s raising standards documents. We have developed innovative tools to more robustly and efficiently collect and manage ecological data, enabling our team to focus on making a real difference.

Our projects include providing detailed biodiversity advice to improve NHS hospitals for people and the planet, delivering Nature-based solutions for water treatment and flood management, and overseeing the production of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy. We have a large portfolio of projects and a healthy forward-order book, bringing fantastic opportunities for Ecologists at all levels.

The Southampton Office is well situated close to the train station and consists of 11 members from Graduate to Senior Associate level. We work closely with the wider Ecology Team, which has a wide range of skills and licences. Joining at Principal/Associate Ecologist level, you will likely spend the majority of your time office-based but may also be involved in some site work, especially in your area of technical expertise.

Although you will be a member of the Southampton ecology team, you will also be connected to a much larger team of ecologists. There are excellent opportunities to progress your career through promotion and to develop a key role within our ecology team.

This role suits a dynamic, proactive team-player who wants to work in a growth area of the business and help support the delivery of ecology services in a fast-moving, client-focused, commercial environment. You will have responsibility for staff wellbeing, mentoring, and career development for the Southampton Ecology Team and will line manage some team members. You will work with the Regional Lead, Area Leader, and UK Ecology Team Leader to manage utilisation, appointment of people for specific roles, training, and recruitment needs. You will hold regular operational team briefings and meetings for effective team management and communications.

The projects you will work on can span all stages of a project’s life cycle, from design conception to implementation, giving opportunities to positively influence scheme design, enhancements, and promote best practice.

Experience
- Experience in Ecological Consultancy or equivalent with transferable skills
- Proven project management skills (desirable)
- Experience of people management (desirable)
- Experience of preparing costs and text for bids (desirable)
- Willingness to travel throughout the UK

About You
- A dynamic, proactive team player who can work in a fast-moving, client-focused, commercial environment
- Ability to communicate effectively with multi-disciplinary teams, clients, and regulators
- Responsible for staff wellbeing, mentoring, and career development
- Able to manage utilisation, recruitment, and training needs within the team

Qualifications
- Degree in Ecology or a directly related subject
- Additional higher degree is an advantage
- Full Member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) or equivalent
- Chartered Environmentalist, Chartered Ecologist, or Chartered Biologist status (or able to achieve within 6 months)
- Proficiency in report writing with a track record as a checker/reviewer for ecological deliverables
- Technical specialism such as holding protected species mitigation licences or advanced botanical skills