Principal HRA Specialist

Company Description

Work with Us. Change the World.

At AECOM, we’re delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

There has never been a better time to be h accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

We’re one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

Are you ready to join a team of talented ecologists and shape the future of the environment?

Join our dynamic Nature team as a Principal Ecologist (or Principal HRA specialist) in our Basingstoke, Birmingham, Croydon, Cambridge, Nottingham, Newcastle, Manchester, Belfast, Birmingham, or Bristol offices (though other locations may be considered), and benefit through our flexible hybrid working model. At AECOM, we’re at the forefront of innovation, delivering an exceptional portfolio of Ecology programs and projects through long‑term partnerships with key clients.

In particular, AECOM has a large and growing business within the field of Habitats Regulations Assessment.

• Major infrastructure projects for the water industry
• Renewable energy such as solar farms (including several of the largest solar farms to have gained consent in the UK), coastal defences, electricity transmission network reinforcement, and recreational infrastructure
• HRAs for many local authority Local Plans, Minerals and Waste Plans, and Local Transport Plans

• Support development of technically robust and pragmatic solutions to complex HRA issues;
• Lead and support delivery of high‑quality HRA consultancy and advisory services to both internal and external clients, including through our check and review processes;
• Lead and support production of HRA reports for Local Plans and Development Consent Orders, across the UK and Republic of Ireland and potentially elsewhere in Europe (note this is a predominantly desk‑based role but some travel opportunities are available);
• Lead on (or develop your knowledge with a view to leading on) interpretation of noise, water quality, and air quality data within an HRA context;
• Author or technically check project deliverables to ensure high quality outputs;
• Deliver, or assist in delivering, expert witness services on Local Plan HRAs and Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project Examinations
• Lead and support the preparation of high quality and commercially astute bids and tenders for HRA services, notably in the energy, defence, local authority strategic planning, and water sectors; and
• Oversee plan, schedule and organise all phases of HRA project work, ensuring necessary resources, budgets and controls are in place to meet both programme and budget requirements. This will include direct client contact.

If you’re passionate about innovation and turning bold ideas into reality, AECOM welcomes you. This role presents a great opportunity to utilise and enhance your HRA skills, to improve your advocacy and expert witness skills (or to develop them if you have no existing experience of expert witness) and to develop your familiarity of the intersection between HRA, ecology and other disciplines such as recreational studies, air quality assessments and noise modelling.

Although the work will be principally focussed on HRA, opportunities will exist to undertake, and develop skills in, other work areas including ecological survey and Environmental Impact Assessment.

Become part of our dynamic Nature business, which boasts around 230 professional experts including national…