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 diverse global industries, delivering impactful projects that define the future and benefit communities worldwide. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. We offer countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, surrounded by global specialists who champion your development. As a proudly employee-owned business, we foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels empowered and valued.

Environmental and social considerations are central to our purpose and offerings. Our environment and social business provides essential services and innovative solutions anticipating client needs across all sectors.

We are leading the way in Nature Services and seek a Principal Ecologist to join our Ecology Team, helping integrate nature into developments to build a better future. Our Croydon team of 8 and Reading team of 4 cover a wide range of projects including flood defence schemes, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) strategies and implementation, specialist species surveys, and landscape-scale planning. Projects include work for the Lower Thames Crossing, NHS hospitals, water companies, Environment Agency schemes, and more.

As Regional Deputy Team Lead, you will support staff wellbeing, mentoring, career development, and line management for the Croydon and Reading Ecology Teams. You will collaborate with senior leadership to manage utilisation, recruitment, training, and team communications. Your work will span all project stages from design conception to implementation, influencing scheme design and promoting best practice.

This role suits a dynamic, proactive team player eager to grow within a fast-moving, client-focused, commercial environment. While primarily office-based, some site work may be involved, especially in your technical specialism.

Agile Working
We offer a hybrid working policy that supports well-being, flexibility, and trust, allowing you and your manager to choose the most effective working style.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, promoting fair employment practices and an inclusive environment where everyone can contribute.

Accessibility
If you require support during the recruitment process, we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.

Benefits
We offer private medical insurance, health cash plans, wellbeing support including menopause experts, pension contribution matching, life assurance, income protection, flexible benefits, generous holiday entitlement (33-35 days plus public holidays), enhanced family and carers leave, professional development opportunities, employee networks supporting diverse communities, and annual bonus schemes.

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 with strong communication skills
- Ability to effectively communicate with multi-disciplinary teams, clients, and regulators
- Strong report writing skills with experience acting as a checker/reviewer for ecological deliverables
- Committed to supporting staff wellbeing, mentoring, and career development
- Technical specialism such as protected species mitigation licences or advanced botanical skills

Qualifications
- Degree in Ecology or directly related subject (higher degree advantageous)
- Full Member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management or equivalent
- Chartered Environmentalist, Chartered Ecologist, or Chartered Biologist status (or able to achieve within 6 months)
- Level 1 and 2 Bat Licence is desirable