Location
Central London

Hours
Full Time

Salary
Competitive, commensurate with experience

About the Role
Are you an experienced fisheries professional ready to step into a role where you can shape projects, support clients and develop others? Do you enjoy working in partnership with clients to help them navigate complex environmental challenges? We’re looking for a Principal Consultant – Freshwater Fisheries to join APEM’s nationwide team within our Water Management Division. This is a standout opportunity to take a leading role in a team delivering some of the most interesting and varied fisheries work across the UK.

Our work with water companies, regulators and infrastructure clients often goes beyond traditional consultancy; we work closely with them to explore challenges, share insight and guide the best path forward. That means you won’t just be delivering surveys or reports. You’ll be helping clients understand their options, providing clear, evidence-led advice and supporting them to make confident, informed decisions.

Alongside this, you’ll play a key role in leading and developing others. Our Senior Consultants and Scientists are a talented and growing group, and this role is central to providing the mentoring, guidance and support that helps them thrive — whether that’s technical development, project delivery or building confidence in client-facing work.

This is a role where you can make a genuine impact; on projects, on people and on the direction of the team.

What you’ll be doing
- Leading a diverse portfolio of freshwater fisheries and multidisciplinary projects
- Setting technical direction across fisheries surveys, assessments and mitigation design
- Working closely with clients to understand challenges and provide clear, practical advice
- Managing complex projects from early-stage opportunities through to delivery
- Leading and contributing to tenders, including defining scope and setting budgets
- Building and strengthening long-term client relationships
- Mentoring, supporting and line managing Senior Consultants and Scientists
- Reviewing technical outputs and ensuring high standards across the team
- Identifying opportunities for growth and supporting the expansion of APEM’s fisheries services
- Collaborating across disciplines to deliver integrated environmental solutions

Experience
- Strong experience in freshwater fisheries ecology and ecological assessment, ideally within consultancy
- Extensive experience designing and delivering fisheries surveys
- Deep knowledge of aquatic ecology and relevant UK legislation (e.g. WFD, EIA, HRA)
- Proven ability to lead complex projects and manage competing priorities
- Strong client-facing experience and the ability to provide clear, confident advice
- Experience mentoring, supporting or managing others
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills

About you
You are a confident and motivated professional who enjoys working collaboratively with clients and colleagues. You are passionate about freshwater fisheries and environmental consultancy, with a strong commitment to delivering high-quality, evidence-led advice. You thrive in a leadership role where you can support and develop others while managing complex projects.

Qualifications
- Chartered status or working towards professional accreditation is a bonus
- Experience leading tenders and winning work is advantageous
- Experience working on large, multidisciplinary or high-profile projects is desirable

Additional Information
APEM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive team. We welcome applications from candidates who may not meet every requirement but are eager to develop their skills. Flexible working arrangements and tailored development opportunities are available to support individual needs.