Location
Croydon or London, UK

Hours
Full Time

About the Role
Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices. We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual. Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you're surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About the Division
Environmental and social considerations are central to Mott MacDonald's Purpose and its offerings across all sectors and territories. Our environment and social business provides essential services and innovative solutions which anticipate our clients' needs across all sectors.

Role Overview
Mott MacDonald is leading the way in Nature Services and we are looking for people to join our Ecology Team to integrate nature into all developments so that together with our clients we can build a better future. We pride ourselves on setting and maintaining high standards and are at the forefront of providing ecological advice. Our team has written guidance and delivered training on Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and contributed to CIEEM's raising standards documents. We have developed innovative tools to more robustly and efficiently collect and manage ecological data, enabling our team to focus on making a real difference.

Our projects include providing detailed biodiversity advice to improve NHS hospitals for people and the planet, delivering nature-based solutions for water treatment and flood management, and overseeing the production of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy. The Croydon team consists of 8 members and the Reading team has 4 members ranging from Graduate to Senior Associate level. We work closely with the wider Ecology Team, which has a wide range of skills and licences.

The Croydon office is conveniently located near East Croydon train station. The team handles diverse projects including flood defence schemes, BNG strategies and implementation, specialist species surveys, Lower Thames Crossing, key infrastructure projects, water companies, and Environment Agency schemes. We are also involved in landscape scale planning to deliver nature recovery for various clients.

As Principal Ecologist and deputy to the Regional Lead, you will primarily be office-based but may participate in some site work, especially in your technical specialism. You will have responsibility for staff wellbeing, mentoring, and career development for the Croydon and Reading Ecology Teams and will line manage some team members. You will collaborate with the Regional Lead, Area Leader, and UK Ecology Team Leader to manage utilisation, recruitment, training, and appointments. Regular operational team briefings and meetings will support effective team management and communication.

Your projects will span all stages of a project's lifecycle, from design conception to implementation, offering opportunities to positively influence scheme design, enhancements, and promote best practice. Although based in Croydon, you will be connected to a larger team of ecologists with excellent opportunities for career progression and key roles within the ecology team.

This role suits a dynamic, proactive team player eager to work in a growth area of the business and support the delivery of ecology services in a fast-moving, client-focused, commercial environment.

Experience
- Over seven years' experience in Ecological Consultancy or equivalent with transferable skills
- Proven project management skills
- Experience of people management is desirable
- Experience preparing costs and text for bids is desirable
- Willingness to travel throughout the UK

About You
- Dynamic, proactive team player
- Ability to communicate effectively with multi-disciplinary teams, clients, and regulators
- Strong report writing skills with a track record as a checker/reviewer for ecological deliverables
- Committed to staff wellbeing, mentoring, and career development

Qualifications
- Degree in Ecology or a directly related subject (higher degree advantageous)
- Full Member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) or equivalent
- Chartered Environmentalist, Chartered Ecologist, or Chartered Biologist (or able to achieve within 6 months)
- Technical specialism such as holding protected species mitigation licences or advanced botanical skills
- Level 1 and 2 Bat Licence is desirable