Principal Marine Ecologist

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Start here. Grow here.

Are you passionate about Marine Ecology?

Join our dynamic Nature team as Principal Marine Ecologist in one of our offices across the UK and Ireland including Basingstoke, Manchester, Glasgow, Bristol, Leeds, Birmingham, Cambridge and Dublin, as well as taking advantage of our flexible hybrid working model. You will have the opportunity to apply your skills, knowledge and expertise on both national and international projects. We work across a diverse range of sectors, including high-profile power and infrastructure schemes (including floating offshore wind), national and international interconnectors, habitat restoration studies, flood defence schemes, and coastal developments (marinas, jetties, slipways, wharf and port developments etc.).

In this role you will work with our team of marine and aquatic ecologists, and our marine EIA specialists, to support the growth and development of the marine ecology team and grow our portfolio of high-profile marine projects.  You will be client-facing and will take responsibility for technical project delivery and business development, reporting to the Marine Ecology Lead.

What your new role will entail;

• Be a Subject Matter Expert:  you will provide technical marine ecological and marine consenting advice, internally and externally. You will direct inputs to a wide range of workstreams and deliverables across a broad range of projects including involvement in the full EIA or DCO development cycle of major projects. You will be delivering marine ecology impact assessments including ES chapters and associated assessments (HRA, MCZ and WFD) and information to support the full range of licence and permitting applications needed for marine based projects.
• Ensure Quality:  your role requires a critical eye for detail to ensure that our deliverables are produced to the highest quality standards and compliance with our rigorous quality management procedures. You will have excellent writing and communication skill, able to tailor complex scientific information for different audiences.
• Collaborate: you will work as part of a multidisciplinary team to improve the environmental outcomes of our projects – this will include specialists in underwater acoustics, coastal processes, water scientists and marine archaeologists, as well as EIA colleagues.
• Growth and business development: you will contribute to our work winning for the marine ecology team.  This will include developing technical and fee proposals, as well as more general marketing and business development.  You will have the confidence to present to internal and external audiences and contribute to client liaison.
• Project Management: you will be an effective project manager, appropriately managing resources and budgets, and reporting on progress internally and to clients. (Including Project Management training to become an AECOM accredited PM). You will be required to procure and manage specialist subcontractors when needed.
• Mentoring: your role will require you to help develop and train the marine ecology team members, creating a supportive environment for individuals to thrive.

Come grow with us

And let's not forget about the perks at AECOM. You'll enjoy a range of core and personalised benefits designed to support your future and well-being, customised to fit your lifestyle. Take advantage of career development opportunities, our flexible hybrid working model to ensure a work-life balance that suits your lifestyle, technical practice networks, AECOM University, and volunteering days

Ready to push the limits of what's possible?

Here's what we will need from you;

• Comprehensive marine ecological expertise with demonstrable experience in the preparation and review of specialist technical chapters and all associated impact assessments, including but not limited to EIA, HRA, MCZ and WFD;
• A detailed understanding of the marine consenting and licencing regimes across the UK with experience liaising with, and submitting licence applications, to the key regulatory bodies including the MMO, NRW, Scottish MD and The Crown Estate;
• Ability to provide technical advice and application of advanced scientific practices, theories and technologies for a diverse range of marine projects;
• Team coordination experience, including line management and mentorship of junior team members. 
• Business development experience, including preparing tenders, client presentations.

We celebrate diversity, including neurodiversity, and believe it enriches our team. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and abilities. If you are an applicant with a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to complete the application process, please contact us at [email protected]. At AECOM, we value everyone's unique contributions and perspectives. 

If you meet some of the requirements above or have transferable skills you believe would benefit us, we would be delighted to hear from you 

Interested in the role or curious about life at AECOM? Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to explore our AECOM voices, employee stories, latest projects, and much more 

For further information about the role, reach out to the recruiter on LinkedIn (Melissa Moody). 

About AECOM

AECOM is the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $14.4 billion in fiscal year 2023. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity 

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you're working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation, benefits and well-being programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We're the world's trusted global infrastructure firm, and we're in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you'll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person's potential, and we'll help you reach yours.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to applicants who have a disability or long-term condition, who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role. Please let us know using this email address [email protected]  if you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.