Principal Freshwater Ecologist

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We are looking to appoint an Associate Director or Associate to join our Aquatic Ecology team. The postholder will be an experienced freshwater ecologist, ideally with a specialism in freshwater fish ecology. They should have a thorough understanding of the licensing and consenting process for development projects in the freshwater environment. They will have a proven track record of preparing and managing aquatic ecology impact assessments for Environmental Statements and supporting other types of consent applications.

The post holder will have experience of project managing medium and large aquatic ecology projects, including monitoring budgets and coordinating staff resources.

They will line manage staff and ideally small teams, with responsibility for overseeing the technical development of staff as well as conducting appraisals and managing workload.

• Guiding and overseeing the design of the aquatic ecology baseline survey programmes to support Environmental Impact Assessments and other regulatory documents.
• Authoring Environmental Impact Assessment chapters and other written outputs which contribute to planning submissions for development schemes in the UK and internationally.
• Line managing staff in the aquatic team including monitoring and planning workload and supporting their professional development.
• Preparing tender outputs for medium and large-scale freshwater ecology projects including fee estimates.
• Actively contributing to the management of the aquatic team in areas such as health and safety, technical training and project resourcing.
• Building and maintaining a strong internal and external profile as a technical expert, for example, through our Practice Area Networks and externally.

We work on a wide range of projects in the freshwater and marine environments, including river restoration schemes, design of ecological monitoring programmes, biodiversity net gain assessments, and ecological impact assessments. The team collaborates widely with in‑house teams including WSP’s Biodiversity Net Gain specialist group and fluvial geomorphology experts to meet and exceed client and regulatory body requirements. Our projects are primarily UK based although we also work on a wide range of international projects including development schemes and R&D projects.

• Extensive, relevant experience gained within a professional consultancy, regulatory or industrial role.
• Advanced technical knowledge and competency in freshwater ecology, including protected species.
• The ability to produce high quality, technically and scientifically robust reports and other deliverables including Water Framework Directive Assessments and Environmental Statements.
• A comprehensive knowledge of relevant ecology and water legislation, and its application in relation to the planning process.
• Experience in managing staff, including supporting with workload management and technical development.
• Previous experience of managing projects and preparing tender outputs including budget estimates.
• An enthusiastic, confident and positive approach with excellent communication and people management skills.

WSP offers a hybrid working policy, flexible working arrangements, health & wellbeing support, career development and an inclusive culture that celebrates integrity and treats people with respect.

As a Disability Confident leader, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria, please let us know if you require any workplace adjustments in support of your application.