Associate Director Or Principal

Hardgate Consulting; Leeds; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced pension scheme

Private medical insurance

Competitive annual leave entitlement (

Annual leave purchase scheme

Job summary

Hardgate Consulting in Leeds is seeking an Associate Director/Principal Flood Risk and Drainage Consultant to lead our Water Management team. You will oversee FRA preparation and drainage strategies for major developments in property, renewable energy, and aviation sectors.

You will mentor junior staff, manage complex projects, and engage with a range of stakeholders to embed sustainable drainage solutions and robust flood risk mitigation into masterplans.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to produce complex FRAs and drainage strategies.
• Strong planning policy knowledge including NPPF and SuDS.
• Excellent project management and communication skills.
• Ability to clearly communicate with stakeholders and design teams.
• Experience with drainage modelling software such as InfoDrainage, AutoCAD, GIS.
• Experience in bid preparation and business development.

Responsibilities

• Lead on complex strategic sites and mentor junior team members.
• Prepare Flood Risk Assessments and drainage strategies for major developments.
• Engage with stakeholders, clients, and design teams to communicate opportunities and constraints.
• Design SuDS schemes and integrate flood mitigation into masterplans.
• Work across consenting regimes including DCOs and planning.

Skills

FRA experience

Drainage strategies

Planning policy

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

InfoDrainage

AutoCAD

GIS

Bid development

Tools

InfoDrainage

AutoCAD

GIS

Job description

Flood Risk and Drainage

Associate Director or Principal Consultant

Leeds

£50-70k

Our client is a leading independent environmental consultancy, underpinned by a growing team of experts in environmental policy, strategy, design, and assessment. With a proven track record of success, they has been involved with UK Government expert groups and European Commission working groups, providing expert evidence at Public Inquiries, and helped clients gain planning consent for thousands of projects. Best described as small enough to care, big enough to matter, this is a great opportunity.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced Flood Risk and Drainage Consultant at an Associate Director / Principal level to join our growing Water Managerment team.

You will assist and oversee preparation of Flood Risk Assessments (FRA) and Drainage Strategies for large-scale and major developments within the property, renewable energy, and aviation sectors. To accompany FRAs, the work could include river restoration feasibility, Water Framework Directive, and Nutrient Neutrality.

The role will include leading on complex strategic sites, alongside providing mentoring, review, oversight, and support to junior members of the team. This is an exciting opportunity to join a forward-thinking solution focused environmental consultancy with sustainability at its heart.

Projects will include early strategy development, through to feasibility, outline design, planning submission, and discharge of conditions. You will have the opportunity to work within various consenting regimes, including Development Consent Orders and Town and Country Planning.

It is our philosophy that you should be able to ensure that environmental issues are at the heart of development design. Therefore, it is of importance that you are confident when engaging with a wide variety of stakeholder groups, clients, and design teams to clearly communicate opportunities and constraints within a scheme, and embed environmental design solutions into development proposals. You will lead in designing SuDS schemes, integrating flood mitigation strategies within masterplans, and preparing/reviewing reports

Core Skills and Experience

• Excellent knowledge of the planning system, in particular flood related policy and guidance such as the NPPF and SuDS Manual.
• Ability to recognise and communicate flood risk and drainage related constraints and opportunities at development sites.
• Extensive experience producing complex FRAs and drainage strategies.
• Excellent project management and communication skills.
• Ability to write clear and concise reports, alongside reviewing reports prepared by the team.
• The ability to work collaboratively as part of an established team.
• Good knowledge and experience of InfoDrainage (or other drainage modelling software), AutoCAD and GIS.
• Experience of bid preparation and business development activities.

What we offer

• an enhanced pension scheme
• private medical insurance
• competitive annual leave entitlement which grows with length of service,
• additional annual leave purchase scheme,
• Plus much more