Overview

Atkins, member of the SNC-Lavalin Group, is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies. We are looking for an individual with practical experience of environmental coordination, assessment and management to join our Planning and Environmental Consenting team in Warrington, Leeds or York.  You will join a national team of over 150 planning and environmental assessment and management professionals providing the environmental services that facilitate the consenting and delivery of projects from feasibility through to construction.  We work across a range of sectors including energy, rail, road and water to de-risk projects, obtain permissions and facilitate sustainable solutions for our clients.  Key clients in this region include Network Rail, Highways England, Transport for the North, Anglian Water, Environment Agency, Transport for Greater Manchester, WYCA and a number of local authorities.

This is an excellent career development opportunity for an experienced candidate looking to progress their career to the next level in a fast paced and exciting industry. You will work collaboratively with a range of technical specialists on a broad range of projects, lead and coordinate Environmental Impacts Assessments and related deliverables, work closely with clients, develop new areas of business and mentor others in the team.

The successful candidate will be educated to degree level in an environmental or related discipline and have a comprehensive understanding of all the technical specialisms required for an EIA. Ideally, you will be a Chartered Environmentalist through IEMA or other professional body or working towards this qualification. We offer ongoing career development through a portfolio of training and development activities and mentoring support designed to help you make the best of your abilities and talents.

  • Responsibilities
    • Leading on the coordination and delivery of environmental work being undertaken by multi-disciplinary teams including EIA, options appraisals and environmental management.
    • Champion high standards of environmental performance within multidisciplinary engineering projects, influencing project development and delivering optimal environmental outcomes.
    • Collate and edit information from a range of sources to provide clear, well written reports.
    • Competently undertake own work to an excellent standard, and review the work of others, on time and to budget.
    • Able to manage clients’ needs in a confident, professional manner.
    • Lead and support on bid preparation and develop new areas of business for the team.
    • Undertake Continual Professional Development in accordance with requirements of chosen professional institute.

Requirements

  • Degree or Masters in an environmental or science subject.
  • Chartered, or working towards Chartership.
  • Experience working on linear infrastructure projects (rail/road) would be beneficial
  • Comprehensive knowledge of the EIA process and environmental technical specialisms.
  • Experience of leadership within multidisciplinary teams.
  • Strong report writing, verbal and presentation skills and able to review the work of others to ensure quality.
  • Able to prioritise and work effectively under pressure.
  • Good interpersonal skills and an ability to communicate issues and ideas effectively.
  • Be flexible, adaptable and prepared to take on new challenges and work from other Atkins or client office locations.
  • Be highly self-motivated, possessing strong enthusiasm and commitment to delivering sustainable outcomes.

SNC Lavalin’s Atkins are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Ecologist to be based in our Derby office. You would be joining a team of over 90 ecologists based throughout the UK, who are at the forefront of innovation and technological advances, and will help you develop and grow in your career.

We actively encourage staff to help develop new ideas and innovative solutions, and our team and projects have won awards and commendations for biodiversity enhancements, innovation and knowledge sharing, including winning the CIEEM 2018 Large-Scale Consultancy of the Year Award

We operate across the UK and internationally, and our services include ecological surveys, impact assessment, mitigation design, biodiversity net-gain assessments, ecological clerk-of-works, licensing and much more.

What you will be doing

  • Ecological input to a varied range of projects across different sectors;
  • Leading, planning and coordinating field surveys, analysing and interpreting survey results;
  • Working with design teams and planning and coordinating ecological mitigation works;
  • Undertaking reporting of Preliminary Ecological Assessments and Ecological Impact Assessments;
  • Preparing protected species licence applications;
  • Managing work enquiries, preparing bids and building client relationships;
  • Leading on projects and managing project budgets; and
  • Collaborating with our multi-disciplinary teams within the region.

About you

Do you have the following qualifications and/or attributes: 

  • A degree in ecology or closely related field;
  • Membership of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (or similar equivalent organisation);
  • At least 3 years of experience in ecological consultancy;
  • Good working knowledge of UK and EU Wildlife Legislation, planning policies, licensing requirements and best practice survey techniques;
  • Be capable at undertaking survey and reporting for Preliminary Ecological Appraisals and Ecological Impact Assessments;
  • Experience of preparing protected species licence applications;
  • Experience in implementation of ecological mitigation on site;
  • Demonstrable specialist ecological knowledge, such as botanical survey skills and/or survey skills for one or more protected species;
  • Excellent communication skills; and
  • A full valid UK/EEC driving licence.

What we offer

Atkins is one of the world’s leading engineering, design and project management consultancies. We work on challenging and exciting projects across a range of market sectors including transportation, cities, water, energy and defense.

Atkins strives to ensure their staff maintain a work-life balance, is supportive of flexible working arrangements and utilizes a TOIL system, which allows ecologists to manage their time alongside business need.

We offer a competitive salary, a comprehensive benefits package, and an opportunity to develop and learn new skills in a supportive and friendly environment.

Core benefits include 25 days annual leave in addition to bank/public holidays, company pension scheme, life assurance, Employee Assistance Programme and paid annual professional institution membership. In addition, Atkins operates a flexible benefits programme which includes the ability to buy up to 15 days of extra holiday each year, a cycle to work scheme and private health care, amongst many other options. Please refer to our website for details of our full benefits package (https://www.yourrewardatkins.com/).

Training

Atkins is committed to developing the knowledge and skills of our ecologists, and will support individuals through a range of internal and external training and development activities designed to help make the best of your abilities and talents.

We offer a structured development and training programme to further enhance your career in both ecological and project management skills to industry recognised standards.

As well as providing a training budget, the successful candidate will benefit from tailored mentoring and support towards achieving their career goals, such as Chartership and beyond. We actively support staff in achieving corporate membership of a relevant institution, and will fund your yearly subscription.

This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary it will be discussed with you at interview. 

If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.

ATKINS, part of the SNC Lavalin Group, is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability.