Associate Director Geo-Environmental

A permanent, senior position with a competitive salary and excellent benefits package. MEC is a multi-disciplinary engineering and environmental consultancy, delivering services for private and public sector projects across residential, commercial, industrial, retail, leisure, education, and healthcare. Operating nationally from offices in Leicestershire, Birmingham, Brighton and Nottingham, we provide expert guidance for a wide range of clients. We are hiring for an experienced Associate Director to join our Geo-Environmental team. The location of this role is flexible, and can be based from either our Birmingham, Leicester or Nottingham office!

In this role, you’ll play a key role in a variety of projects across the residential, commercial, and public sectors. You will deliver high quality and technically accurate calculations and reports, keeping within agreed timeframes. You will be responsible for leading, building and developing a team across multiple offices and enabling collaboration between disciplines to meet clients' needs.

About the role

The Associate Director will take strategic responsibility for the Geo-Environmental discipline, leading its technical, commercial and operational performance across MEC. The role combines senior leadership, project oversight and business development, with accountability for team growth, service quality and long-term discipline development.

• Responsible for building and leading a team.
• Assist the Directors with business operations to meet the productivity and growth aspirations of the company.
• Working nationally across the UK, including additional hours if necessary, to supervise site works and attend meetings and events to enable the delivery of all responsibilities.
• Actively participate in high-level decision-making processes that affect the overall direction of the company.
• Contributing to Senior Management Team/Board Meetings, driving continuous improvement in business processes to enhance productivity, quality, and efficiency across the company.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for building and leading a team over multiple offices, acting as the ‘discipline lead.’
• Enable effective collaboration across offices to ensure consistency and high-quality delivery.
• Attend meetings with clients, development teams, other disciplines and relevant third-parties.
• Deliver high service levels to clients and secure repeat business/future opportunities for the company.
• Ensure the delivery of high quality and technically accurate calculations, technical documents, reports and correspondence to clients within agreed timeframes and budgets.
• Adherence to 2-stage checking procedures, in accordance with company procedures.
• Regular communication both internally and externally, obtaining feedback on performance from clients, agreeing fee proposals and timescales.
• Compliance with Designer’s responsibilities under the Construction (Design).

Project Management Responsibilities

• Management of projects across a range of sectors and, where instructed by a Director, across multiple disciplines.
• Effective management to company standards including administration, client liaison, quality, fee proposals, budgeting, resource management, team briefing and invoicing.
• Management of clients and projects, including regular communication, attendance at meetings, obtaining feedback on performance, agreeing fee proposals and timescales.
• Monthly invoicing and Work in Progress (WIP) management.
• Managing applicable project finances, ensuring projects operate within agreed budgets.

Team Responsibilities

• Completion of environmental risk assessments (desk studies), intrusive ground investigations, remediation strategies, remediation verification reports, geotechnical design reports, earthworks strategies and soil infiltration rate calculations.
• Liaise fully with clients, other staff members and statutory bodies including Planning Authorities, Highway Authorities, Environment Agency, NHBC, etc to ensure efficient progress with commissions and discharge of planning conditions or other requirements.
• Site visits for walkovers, inspections or investigation work.
• Delivery of outputs, including reports, design models, drawings, calculations and correspondence, within agreed deadlines and budgets.
• Submission of reports, designs and calculations for third party approvals requiring pro-active communication with clients, authorities and other agencies to ensure effective development progression.

Key skills, experience and attributes required

• Degree (or equivalent) in Geo-Environmental Engineering, Geology, or a related field.
• Extensive experience in geo-environmental site investigation, risk assessment, and technical reporting.
• Professional membership (or working towards) with The Geological Society, CIWEM, or a similar body.
• Robust understanding of soil geotechnical properties, ground investigation techniques, and contamination analysis and interpretation.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, NHBC Standards, NPPF, and best practice within the geo-environmental and geotechnical sectors.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with confidence in client liaison and team presentations.
• Strong organisational and analytical abilities, with a methodical approach to problem-solving.
• Demonstrated capability in leadership, mentoring, and performance management of technical teams.
• Commercial awareness and a proactive approach to business development.
• Commitment to upholding the highest standards of health, safety, and environmental compliance.
• Full, clean UK driving licence and access to a vehicle insured for business use.