Biodiversity & Conservation Manager

Thames Water Utilities Limited; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car allowance

26 days annual leave

Pension through AON

Annual medical assessments

Health and wellbeing benefits

Performance-related pay

Job summary

Thames Water seeks a Biodiversity & Conservation Manager to lead a specialist team and shape environmental strategy across its region. You will guide biodiversity improvements, manage complex programmes and collaborate with regulators to maximise nature recovery.

The role requires experience in biodiversity management, stakeholder engagement, and delivering large environmental programmes, with a degree in ecology or related field and a UK driving licence.

Qualifications

• Experience in biodiversity, ecology, conservation or environmental management.
• Experience leading, motivating and developing specialist teams.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience managing environmental compliance, risk and regulatory obligations.
• Knowledge of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements.
• Experience delivering programmes, budgets, consultants and external suppliers.
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of biodiversity, ecology and conservation specialists.
• Provide strategic oversight of biodiversity, ecological and heritage compliance.
• Shape strategies, standards and policies to embed nature recovery.
• Deliver biodiversity commitments including WINEP projects and Biodiversity Performance Commitment.
• Oversee INNS management and resilience of assets.
• Build relationships with regulators and stakeholders.
• Manage biodiversity reporting, assurance and environmental performance metrics.
• Support management of Thames Water’s land, habitats and sites.
• Manage consultants, contractors and programme budgets.
• Influence senior stakeholders and handle challenging conversations.
• Drive continuous improvement and environmental stewardship.

Skills

Biodiversity

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Regulatory compliance

BNG knowledge

Programme & budget management

Driving licence

Education

Degree in Ecology/Environmental Science/Conservation

Job description

Job title Biodiversity & Conservation Manager Ref 45747 Division Strategy & External Affairs Location Hybrid - Clearwater Court - RG1 8DB Contract type Permanent Full/Part-time Full-time Salary Competitive salary of £65,000 - £75,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience. Job grade C Closing date 10/09/2026

Make a lasting impact on the future of nature and conservation.

At Thames Water, we’re committed to protecting and enhancing the environment across thousands of hectares of land, habitats and conservation sites. We’re looking for a passionate and collaborative Biodiversity & Conservation Manager to lead our specialist team of ecologists and biodiversity professionals, helping shape environmental strategy, drive biodiversity improvements and deliver positive outcomes for nature across our region.

This is a unique opportunity to influence how one of the UK’s largest landowners manages and protects its natural assets. You’ll help guide the management of over 250 Sites of Biodiversity Interest, 12 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and 22 nature reserves, making a tangible difference for wildlife and habitats across the Thames Water region. You’ll lead a team of technical specialists, work closely with regulators including the Environment Agency and Natural England, and partner with colleagues across the business to ensure environmental risks are managed, and opportunities for nature recovery are maximised. Whether your experience comes from water, infrastructure, local government, consultancy or the wider environmental sector, we’d love to hear from you.

What you’ll be doing as a Biodiversity & Conservation Manager

• Leading, coaching and developing a team of biodiversity, ecology and conservation specialists.
• Providing strategic oversight of biodiversity, ecological and heritage compliance activities across Thames Water.
• Shaping strategies, standards and policies to embed nature recovery and environmental stewardship across the business.
• Accountable for delivering a large programme of biodiversity commitments including several Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) projects and the industry’s Biodiversity Performance Commitment
• Overseeing programmes to manage invasive non-native species (INNS) and strengthen the resilience across our assets.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with regulators including Natural England, the Environment Agency and other key stakeholders.
• Managing biodiversity-related risks and collaborating with operational, asset management and capital delivery teams to embed biodiversity considerations into business decisions.
• Overseeing biodiversity reporting, assurance activities and environmental performance measures.
• Supporting the management and enhancement of Thames Water’s extensive landholdings, habitats and conservation sites.
• Managing specialist consultants, contractors and programme budgets.
• Influencing senior internal and external stakeholders and confidently managing complex or challenging conversations.
• Driving a culture of continuous improvement and environmental stewardship across the organisation.

This is a hybrid role with an expectation to:

• Attend our Clearwater Court, Reading office and operational sites 2-3 days per week.

We’re looking for you to have:

• Experience in biodiversity, ecology, conservation or environmental management.
• Experience leading, motivating and developing specialist technical teams.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the confidence to engage effectively at all levels.
• Experience managing environmental compliance, risk and regulatory obligations within a regulated environment.
• Knowledge of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements and implementation.
• Proven experience managing programmes, budgets, consultants and external suppliers.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to build trust, influence decisions and navigate challenging conversations.
• A degree, or equivalent experience, in Ecology, Environmental Science, Conservation, Environmental Management or a related discipline.
• A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.

Additional skills, experience and knowledge that would be great to bring:

• Experience within the water, utilities, infrastructure or environmental sectors.
• Experience working with Natural England, the Environment Agency, Historic England or similar regulatory bodies.
• Experience developing environmental strategies, policies and standards.
• Understanding of habitat management, protected species and ecological assessment principles.
• Chartered Ecologist (CEcol), Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) or equivalent professional accreditation.
• Membership of a relevant professional body such as CIEEM or IEMA.
• Experience delivering biodiversity, conservation or land management programmes across large and complex organisations.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary of £65,000 - £75,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience.
• Car Allowance of £5.8k
• 26 days annual leave, increasing to 30 days with length of service, plus bank holidays.
• Generous pension scheme through AON.
• Annual personal medical assessments available to all employees.
• Access to a wide range of health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including physiotherapy, counselling, health MOTs, Cycle to Work schemes, shopping discounts and life assurance.
• Performance-related pay plan linked to company performance measures and targets.

Find out more about our benefits and perks (Please note different T&Cs apply if on secondment)

Who are we?

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job, and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else, just let us know.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.