Location
Liverpool (other locations considered: Newcastle, Manchester, Cambridge, Basingstoke, Croydon, Leeds, Nottingham, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh)

Hours
Flexible hybrid working model

Salary
Negotiable

About the Role
Join AECOM’s dynamic Nature team as a Principal Ecologist and help shape the future of the environment. You will lead and support the delivery of high-quality ecological consultancy and advisory services to internal and external clients. Your role will include planning, scheduling, and organising all phases of ecological projects, ensuring resources, budgets, and controls meet programme requirements. You will develop technically robust and pragmatic solutions to complex ecological issues, lead the production of ecology chapters for environmental statements and protected species licence applications, and author or technically review project deliverables to ensure high quality outputs. You will also support the continued development of our technical capabilities.

At AECOM, you will be part of a Nature business comprising around 230 experts in arboriculture, forestry, groundwater, surface water, and ecology, including national and global leaders. The team works across sectors such as power and renewables, infrastructure, environment, and transport, collaborating with disciplines like landscape, GIS, engineering, sustainability, and drainage. Recent projects include some of the largest UK solar farms, energy transition initiatives, habitats regulations assessments, and masterplanning for new residential developments.

Enjoy a forward-thinking, inclusive environment where your contributions are valued. Benefit from career development opportunities, technical practice networks, AECOM University, volunteering days, and a flexible hybrid working model designed to support your work-life balance.

Experience
Proven experience leading and managing ecological surveys, licensing, and impact assessments. Demonstrated ability in work-winning, project management, budget oversight, and leading stakeholder discussions. Experience reviewing technical work and supporting team members.

About you
Committed to delivering high-quality ecological consultancy with strong leadership skills. Able to develop pragmatic solutions to complex ecological challenges. Enthusiastic about working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team and contributing to technical capability development. Embraces diversity and inclusion and values different perspectives.

Qualifications
Degree or equivalent in ecology or a related subject. Membership of a relevant professional institution, working towards or holding Chartered Ecologist or Chartered Environmentalist status. Holder of protected species survey and/or mitigation licences.