Senior Consultant - Nature and Environment

The Senior Consultant - Nature and Environment will support the delivery and growth of ICF's portfolio of work for Defra and its arm's-length bodies, with a particular focus on natural environment policy. The role is designed for someone who can combine strong project management with relevant technical, research and policy expertise. The postholder will manage multiple projects, contribute directly to technical delivery, and support the mobilisation of new work across biodiversity, nature recovery, protected sites and related environmental policy areas.

Key responsibilities

Technical delivery - nature and environment

• Contribute technical expertise to monitoring, evaluation, research and learning projects in the natural environment field.
• Support the design of evaluation questions, theories of change, monitoring frameworks, research methods and evidence synthesis approaches.
• Undertake and oversee qualitative and quantitative research, analysis and reporting, ensuring outputs are robust, practical and accessible to policy audiences.
• Apply knowledge of UK environmental policy and delivery contexts to interpret evidence and develop useful conclusions and recommendations.
• Provide technical review and quality assurance for the work of junior colleagues and delivery partners.

Project and delivery management

• Manage a portfolio of small and medium-sized nature- and environment-related projects, taking responsibility for delivery planning, resourcing, budgets, risks, quality and client reporting.
• Mobilise new projects quickly, establishing proportionate governance, clear roles, realistic workplans and effective project controls.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary ICF teams and delivery partners, ensuring inputs are integrated and deadlines are met.
• Monitor progress, dependencies, risks and financial performance, taking timely corrective action where required.
• Maintain clear and constructive client relationships, provide concise progress updates and manage changes to scope or delivery expectations

Business development and portfolio support

• Contribute to project plans and bids, including shaping methods, workplans, resourcing and budgets.
• Work flexibly across ICF's environment portfolio, supporting priority projects and emerging client needs.
• Help identify opportunities to retain and grow nature and environment work within ICF.
• Support the development of reusable methods, tools, guidance and learning across the team.
• Coach junior staff, supporting their technical and project delivery development.

Qualifications and experience

• Degree or equivalent professional experience in environmental policy, ecology, environmental science, social research, evaluation, economics or a related discipline.
• Relevant consulting, research, policy or programme delivery experience, with demonstrable responsibility for managing projects or substantial workstreams.
• Knowledge of UK natural environment policy and delivery, such as biodiversity, nature recovery, protected sites, land management or environmental monitoring.
• Experience of monitoring, evaluation, applied research or evidence-based policy work.
• Strong project management skills, including planning, resourcing, risk management, budget oversight and quality assurance.
• Ability to contribute technically while maintaining oversight of delivery, commercial performance and client requirements.
• Strong analytical, written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce clear client-ready outputs.
• Experience working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and external partners.

Desirable experience

• Experience delivering work for Defra, its arm's-length bodies or other UK public-sector clients.
• Experience of theory-based, process, impact or value-for-money evaluation.
• Knowledge of biodiversity targets, nature recovery, protected sites or place-based environmental delivery.
• Experience managing supplier or partner inputs within a consultancy delivery model.
• Experience contributing to competitive proposals and developing costed workplans.

Personal qualities

• Delivery-focused, organised and able to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced consulting environment.
• Collaborative and pragmatic, with the judgement to know when to resolve issues directly and when to escape.
• Confident working with multidisciplinary teams, clients and delivery partners.
• Committed to quality, inclusion, learning and continuous improvement.

Additional points

• The role is expected to combine project management with substantive technical contribution; it is not a dedicated non-technical PM position.
• The postholder may work across several thematic areas and projects, depending on demand and subject-matter fit.
• The role will support both secured delivery and the development and mobilisation of new work.

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