Location
London

Hours
Full Time

Salary
Competitive salary package

About the Role
Ricardo Energy & Environment, a member of WSP, is a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company with over 100 years of engineering excellence. Employing close to 3,000 people across more than 20 countries, we deliver innovative, cross-sector sustainable solutions to help 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 and impact assessments, contribute to business development and proposal writing, and apply your expertise in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA), and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). This is a fast-paced and challenging environment offering significant opportunities to make a positive impact and develop your career within Ricardo Energy & Environment.

Working here, you will be welcomed into an inclusive culture where every voice matters. We encourage flexible working arrangements including home, office, or hybrid options to support work-life balance. Wellbeing is central to our culture, enabling employees to flourish and reach their full potential.

Our benefits package includes 25 days' annual leave plus 8 flexible bank holidays, a competitive pension scheme, life assurance, professional subscription reimbursements, and a wide range of flexible benefits to suit your lifestyle.

Experience
- Degree in Ecology or equivalent experience
- Demonstrable experience as a technical lead on a range of ecology projects
- Hold at least one UK protected species licence and have held mitigation licences as lead ecologist
- Strong working knowledge of UK Habitat survey, 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 with excellent team working and communication skills. You have a strong attention to detail and a sound understanding of ecological principles. You thrive in a busy, fast-paced environment and are motivated to make a positive impact through your work.

Qualifications
No additional qualifications beyond those listed under experience are required, but professional membership such as CIEEM is highly desirable.