Location
London, Manchester, Madrid, Italy, Belgium (Brussels) - Hybrid

Hours
Full Time - Flexible working arrangements available including remote, office-based, or hybrid

Salary
Competitive remuneration package reflecting experience and expertise

About the Role
Ricardo Energy & Environment is a leading sustainability consultancy working at the forefront of energy transition and climate change policy. We partner with governments, industry, and multilateral institutions to develop and deliver ambitious decarbonisation policies across complex sectors including heavy industry, power, transport, and buildings. As a Principal Consultant, you will play a key role in expanding our Policy, Strategy and Economics team by providing technical leadership, managing large complex projects, and driving business development activities. Your expertise will support the design and evaluation of energy regulation, power sector decarbonisation, and industrial decarbonisation pathways. You will manage client relationships, lead competitive bidding, and mentor junior staff while collaborating across multidisciplinary teams. This role offers the opportunity to influence policy for clients such as the UK Government, European Commission, and international development agencies, contributing to a sustainable future through innovative consultancy solutions.

Experience
- Educated to Master’s level in economics, energy policy, engineering, physics, environmental studies, or related discipline
- Proven experience in energy consulting, regulatory analysis, or public sector advisory roles
- Demonstrated success in business development and competitive bid writing within consultancy environments
- Experience managing or contributing to projects for clients such as the European Commission, World Bank, GIZ, EBRD, Asian Development Bank, and UK Government
- Expertise in one or more of the following: gas or electricity market design, regulatory frameworks for hydrogen or CCS, carbon pricing or energy taxation, energy subsidies, infrastructure decommissioning or transition planning, evaluation of public support schemes or industrial roadmaps
- Strong understanding of technologies, economics, and policy frameworks driving the energy transition across diverse power sector structures
- Knowledge of EU energy and climate legislation and funding mechanisms

About you
- Commercially aware and enthusiastic about growing the business in your technical area
- Skilled in project management, client engagement, and technical leadership
- Ability to guide and develop junior staff and contribute to internal knowledge sharing
- Excellent communication skills with experience representing organisations in external meetings, workshops, and events
- Flexible and collaborative team player comfortable working across multiple disciplines

Qualifications
- Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field
- Additional language skills (French, German, or Eastern European languages) are desirable
- Experience in stakeholder engagement including interviews, workshops, and public consultations is advantageous
- Familiarity with Better Regulation guidelines or policy impact assessment tools is a plus
- Specialist knowledge in areas such as energy technology cost structures, fossil fuel subsidy reforms, power purchase agreements, low or zero carbon incentive mechanisms, and electrification of downstream sectors will be highly valued