Associate Director Ecologist (Belfast)

Jacobs; Belfast City District; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Pension contributions

Life assurance

Professional development

Volunteer programs

Employee networks

Job summary

Jacobs is seeking an experienced Associate Director to shape our Irish ecology team, a pivotal role within our European ecology business. You will steer strategic direction, lead high-value client relationships, and mentor a growing team across the UK and Ireland.

You will oversee EIA and biodiversity strategies, design monitoring programmes, and collaborate across disciplines to deliver innovative solutions while bidding for new work.

Qualifications

• Strong background in terrestrial ecology with significant industry experience.
• Chartered status (or ready to achieve it).
• Strategic mindset with the ability to contribute to senior leadership decisions.
• Strong client-facing skills and confidence engaging with stakeholders and regulators.
• Willingness to travel across the UK and Ireland as needed.

Responsibilities

• Steer the strategic direction of the ecology team, contributing to wider UK ecology leadership.
• Act as a trusted advisor—the go-to expert for clients, stakeholders and regulators.
• Lead high-value client relationships and represent Jacobs externally.
• Mentor and develop team growth, resilience and performance.
• Oversee EIA, Appropriate Assessment and biodiversity strategies.
• Design and lead ecological monitoring programmes and survey strategies.
• Collaborate across disciplines to deliver integrated, innovative project solutions.
• Identify, bid for and win new work.
• Champion the team within the broader business.

Skills

Terrestrial ecology

Strategic leadership

Client-facing

Travel UK & Ireland

Mentoring/people leadership

Education

Chartered ecologist (or ready to achieve)

Job description

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

This is your chance to lead from the front and shape the future of ecology in one of Ireland’s most dynamic regions.

In the team, you’ll play a key role within the office’s leadership team – providing direction and helping guide how major programmes are delivered.

You’ll take help support the development of a high-performing team, while influencing national-scale development, championing biodiversity, and helping deliver resilient infrastructure for generations to come.

This isn’t just leadership – this is visible, meaningful impact at scale.

What’s In It For Me

At Jacobs, this isn’t just a leadership role – it’s a career-defining move.

• Lead on a global stage– connect with 600+ ecologists worldwide and influence beyond the UK
• Shape your career path– structured progression through our Global Career Framework & Chartership Academy
• Build and help lead a high-performing team– develop talent, mentor future leaders, and create a lasting legacy
• Collaborate across disciplines– work with experts across water, energy and environment on complex challenges
• Win and deliver exciting work– play a key role in bidding, winning and shaping major projects
• Be recognised as a leader– represent Jacobs through client relationships, industry events and thought leadership

You're given the autonomy, support and platform to lead with confidence and make a tangible difference.

About The Opportunity

We’re looking for an experienced and driven Associate Director to help shape our Irish ecology team – a pivotal role within our European ecology business.

In this role, you will

• Help steer the strategic direction of the team, contributing to wider UK ecology leadership
• Act as a trusted advisor-the go-to expert for clients, stakeholders and regulators
• Lead high-value client relationships and represent Jacobs externally
• Although you won’t have any defined line management responsibilities, you’ll drive team growth, resilience and performance through mentoring and empathetic leadership
• Oversee and guide EIA, Appropriate Assessment and biodiversity strategies
• Design and lead ecological monitoring programmes and survey strategies
• Work across disciplines to deliver integrated, innovative project solutions
• Play a key role in identifying, bidding and winning new work
• Champion your team internally, raising its profile across the wider business

This is a rare opportunity to step into a role where you can combine technical excellence, strategic thinking and people leadership – all while working on projects that truly matter.

Here’s what you'll need

You’re an experienced ecology leader who brings both credibility and vision.

• A strong background in terrestrial ecology with significant industry experience
• Chartered status (or ready to achieve it)
• A strategic mindset, with the ability to contribute to senior leadership decisions
• Strong client-facing skills and confidence engaging with stakeholders and regulators
• A flexible approach, with willingness to travel across the UK and Ireland when needed
• A proactive, hands-on leadership style with strong self-awareness
• The ability to adapt and thrive across diverse, complex projects

We’d be especially excited if you bring experience in

• Innovative scoping of ecological inputs
• Protected species licensing and biodiversity enhancements
• Project consenting and construction environments
• Stakeholder and regulator engagement
• Planning inquiries and examinations

But beyond experience, what really matters is your ability to think differently, challenge the status quo, and spot opportunities to improve how we deliver for our clients.

Why Join Now?

Because this is more than a leadership role – it’s your chance to define the future of ecology within a global organisation while working on projects that shape the world around us.

If you’re ready to lead, influence and grow at scale, we’d love to hear from you.

People are Jacobs’ greatest asset, and we offer a competitive package to retain and attract the best talent. In addition to the benefits you’d expect, Irish employees also receive

• up to 8% company contribution into their pension;
• life assurance and income protection scheme
• reimbursement towards relevant professional development and memberships;
• support to their local communities through our Collectively program which incorporates matched-funding, paid volunteering time and charitable donations; and,
• opportunity to buy/sell annual leave.

Wellbeing support and resources are available to UK employees comprising the following

• Free employee medical cover and digital GP service
• Mindfulness Platform
• Dedicated Workplace Support 11 Counselling Consultations
• Confidential information & counselling service provided by Optum. Emotional Wellbeing Solutions is a free confidential information and counselling service available 24/7 via phone or online. Experienced consultants are available to discuss finance, legal, family matters and counselling can be provided for personal support
• Personalised financial planning and support provided by Origin, with 11 access to dedicated certified financial planners

Fertility and family benefits and support are available to Irish employees comprising the following

• Enhanced parental leave pay
• Fertility healthcare and family-forming benefit provided by Carrot. With Carrot, you can virtually chat with experts, explore educational resources, find a vetted provider, and use employer-sponsored funds to pay for care. Get support with understanding fertility health, preservation (egg, sperm, embryo),assisted reproduction (e.g., in vitro fertilisation), adoption, gestational surrogacy, donor assistance, pregnancy, menopause, and low testosterone.
• A free parental success solution and neurodiversity training benefit provided by RethinkCareFamily. The family solution gives you and your family 24/7 access to behavioural health support tools and resources to help parents or caregivers of children raise happy, healthy and resilient children.
• Bridge the Gap is our parental transition programme which aims to make Jacobs employer of choice for working parents, supporting them before, during and after the life-changing milestone of becoming a parent. Bridge the Gap supports our efforts to create an environment where we can bring our authentic selves to work and achieve our full potential
• Work-life balance and flexibility is a key focus area for Jacobs. We’re happy to discuss the different working patterns we offer
• hybrid working;
• part-time roles;
• flexible working hours including compressed hours (working full-time hours over fewer days); and,
• annualised hours contract (working a defined number of hours over a year with an estimated average weekly hour pattern)
• We also offer the ability for employees to take time off in lieu to ensure staff have time to rest and recuperate between busy periods.

Joining Jacobs not only connects you locally but globally. Our values stand on a foundation of safety, integrity, inclusion and belonging. We put people at the heart of our business, and we truly believe that by supporting one another through our culture of caring, we all succeed. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees.

With safety and flexibility always top of mind, we’ve gone beyond traditional ways of working so you have the support, means and space to maximize your potential. You’ll uncover flexible working arrangements, benefits, and opportunities, from well‑being benefits to our global giving and volunteering program, to exploring new and inventive ways to help our clients make the world a better place. No matter what drives you, you’ll discover how you can cultivate, nurture, and achieve your goals – all at a single global company. Find out more about life at Jacobs.

We aim to embed inclusion and belonging in everything we do. We know that if we are inclusive, we’re more connected and creative. We accept people for who they are, and we champion the richness of different perspectives, lived experiences and backgrounds in the workplace, as a source of learning and innovation. We are committed to building vibrant communities within Jacobs, including through our Jacobs Employee Networks, Communities of Practice and our Find Your Community initiatives, allowing every employee to find connection, purpose, and belonging.Find out more about ourJacobs Employee Networks here.

Jacobs partners with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain talent from a wide range of backgrounds. For greater online accessibility please visit https://www.vercida.com/uk/employers/jacobs to view and access our roles.

As a disability confident employer, we will interview disabled candidates who best meet the criteria. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.