Location
London

Hours
Full Time

Salary
Competitive salary package

About the Role
Ricardo Energy & Environment is a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company with over 100 years of engineering excellence. We employ close to 3,000 people across more than 20 countries, delivering innovative and sustainable solutions to complex environmental challenges. Our vision is to create a safe and sustainable world.

We are seeking a Principal Consultant in Ecology to join our team. In this role, you will provide technical leadership and support across a variety of ecology projects for clients in the water, developer, infrastructure, and public sectors. You will lead ecology surveys, impact assessments, and contribute to business development and proposal writing. Your expertise will support projects involving Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA), and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).

Experience
- Degree in Ecology or equivalent experience
- Proven experience as a technical lead on diverse ecology projects
- Hold at least one UK protected species licence and mitigation licences as lead ecologist
- Strong knowledge and experience of UK habitat surveys, habitat condition assessments, Defra Biodiversity Metric, and Biodiversity Net Gain plans
- Full UK driving licence
- GIS skills
- Experience managing team resourcing

Desirable Experience
- CIEEM full member or working towards membership (or equivalent)
- Building and maintaining client relationships
- Collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams
- Understanding of EIA, HRA, and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

About You
You are a self-starter able to thrive in a fast-paced, challenging environment. Excellent team working and communication skills are essential, along with strong attention to detail. You will be part of a small, busy team and will receive support from the wider business to develop your career and explore future opportunities within Ricardo Energy & Environment.

Qualifications
- Relevant ecology degree or equivalent experience
- Protected species licences as required for the role
- CIEEM membership is desirable but not essential