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- Tasks: Lead a dynamic team in aquatic ecology projects and drive innovative environmental solutions.
- Company: Join Ricardo plc, a global leader in sustainable engineering and consulting.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, 25 days annual leave, and a supportive wellbeing culture.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on sustainability while developing your career in a diverse environment.
- Qualifications: Degree in ecology or biological sciences with consultancy experience preferred.
- Other info: Be part of a culture that values every voice and promotes inclusion.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Overview
Role: Associate Director – Environmental and Ecological Assessment
Location: Bristol, UK – Hybrid
Role ID: 2025-3068
Our vision is to create a safe and sustainable world.
Ricardo, member of WSP, is a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company. With over 100 years of engineering excellence and employing close to 3,000 employees in more than 20 countries, we provide exceptional levels of expertise in delivering leading‑edge and innovative cross‑sector sustainable products and solutions. Every day, we enable our customers to solve the most complex and dynamic challenges to help achieve a safe and sustainable world.
The Role
The Associate Director role within Aquatic Ecology is an opportunity to develop and shape a dedicated technical team, and build upon the existing extensive project portfolio, both in the UK and internationally.
Experience in engagement with clients, customers and environmental regulators is essential. Many of our projects are complex in nature and you will be required to work with other disciplines to create effective solutions. As well as driving delivery of our current portfolio you will contribute to the identification of opportunities and bidding for work.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide technical leadership across the Ecology team to deliver expertise in aquatic ecology investigations across all project stages, from bidding/feasibility/optioneering, extensive field survey programming, detailed design and assessment.
- Act as technical lead for the production of consent related technical assessments such as Habitats Regulations Assessments (HRA) and Water Framework Directive (WFD) assessments.
- Maintaining quality of service provision.
- Business development, client liaison and establishing new clients.
- Growing, leading, and developing teams and supporting and training junior staff.
Key Competencies and Experience
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Desirable Competencies and Experience
- Full Membership of a recognised professional body such as CIEEM or ISEP.
- Advising and managing consenting applications such as planning, Development Consent Orders, HRA, WFD and Environmental Permits.
- Experience in Project Direction and technical reviews.
Working here
You will be warmly welcomed into our workplace where every voice matters. We are diverse thinkers and doers, coming together to create a culture of inclusion. We will support you to find your place.
We will encourage you to use your passion and expertise to make a positive impact through the projects you work on. Your knowledge and desire to bring about change will be invaluable in helping deliver innovative solutions that support communities across the globe in becoming safer and more sustainable.
Work life balance
We offer flexible approaches to work, whether that is working from home, being in the office, or as a hybrid worker. We\’re happy to discuss flexible working arrangements. Wellbeing is at the core to our culture, allowing employees to flourish and to achieve their full potential.
Benefits
We want you to know how much you are valued. Your remuneration and benefits package will reflect that. You will receive a range of benefits which include support for your physical and mental health.
Our core benefits include 25 days\’ annual leave, plus 8 flexible bank holidays, a competitive company pension scheme, life assurance and professional subscriptions reimbursement. We also offer a wide range of flexible benefits to suit your lifestyle.
Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion statement
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person\’s potential, and we\’ll help you reach yours. We have an ambitious diversity, equality, and inclusion approach as explained here. We value diversity; recognising that a more diverse workforce creates a richer and more varied working environment. Diversity also drives innovation, by allowing us to offer our clients the best consultancy service that we can. As part of our commitment to engage positively and pro‑actively with all our employees and to ensure an inclusive culture, we are a recognised as a \’disability confident\’ employer.
Next steps
Once you have submitted your application a member of our Recruitment Team will be in touch. Please be aware that the timing can vary dependent on the volume of applications that we receive for each role and in some cases, we may start to review applications prior to the closing date.
Ricardo is a Disability confident employer please advise the recruitment team via recruit@ricardo.com if you require any adjustments to support you throughout the recruitment process.
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Associate Director – Environmental and Ecological Assessment employer: Ricardo
Contact Detail:
Ricardo Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Associate Director – Environmental and Ecological Assessment
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the environmental sector, attend industry events, and engage with professionals on platforms like LinkedIn. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can help you land that dream job.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its projects. Understand their values and how they align with your own passion for sustainability. We want you to showcase your knowledge about aquatic ecology and demonstrate how you can contribute to their mission of creating a safe and sustainable world.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain your experience and how it relates to the role of Associate Director. We suggest rehearsing answers to common interview questions and preparing examples of your past work that highlight your leadership and technical skills.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after your interview! A simple thank-you email can go a long way in showing your enthusiasm for the position. We believe that this small gesture can keep you top of mind as they make their decision.
We think you need these skills to ace Associate Director – Environmental and Ecological Assessment
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the Associate Director role. Highlight your expertise in aquatic ecology and any relevant projects you've worked on. We want to see how you can contribute to our vision!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about environmental consultancy and how your background makes you a perfect fit for our team. Be sure to mention your experience with client engagement and project leadership.
Showcase Your Technical Skills: Since this role involves technical assessments like HRA and WFD, make sure to detail your experience in these areas. We love seeing candidates who can demonstrate their knowledge of UK and EU wildlife legislation and best practices.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, it shows us you’re keen on joining our team at Ricardo!
How to prepare for a job interview at Ricardo
✨Know Your Ecology Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of UK and EU Wildlife Legislation, as well as best practice survey techniques. Be ready to discuss specific projects you've worked on that demonstrate your expertise in aquatic ecology.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Since this role involves leading a technical team, be prepared to share examples of how you've successfully managed teams or mentored junior staff in the past. Highlight your strategic mindset and how you've contributed to team leadership.
✨Engage with Real-World Scenarios
Think about complex environmental projects you've been involved in and be ready to discuss how you approached challenges. This will show your problem-solving skills and ability to work across disciplines.
✨Demonstrate Business Acumen
Ricardo values business development, so come prepared with ideas on how you could help grow their client base. Discuss any experience you have in client liaison and how you've successfully identified new opportunities in previous roles.
