Biodiversity & Conservation Manager

Pertemps Thames Water; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 72,000 - 88,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary up to £80,000

Car allowance £5,800 per year

Pension scheme

Annual medical assessments

Health and wellbeing benefits

Performance-related pay

Job summary

Thames Water is seeking a Biodiversity & Conservation Manager to lead a team of ecologists and biodiversity professionals. You will shape environmental strategy, drive improvements, and deliver nature recovery across the region.

The role combines strategic oversight with hands-on leadership across regulatory compliance, budgeting and partnerships with regulators and contractors. Hybrid work with office visits 2–3 days a week.

Qualifications

• A degree, or equivalent experience, in Ecology, Environmental Science, Conservation, Environmental Management or a related discipline.
• Experience delivering regulatory or compliance outcomes.
• Experience leading, motivating and developing specialist technical teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coaching and developing a team of biodiversity, ecology and conservation specialists.
• Provide strategic oversight of biodiversity, ecological and heritage compliance activities across Thames Water.
• Shape strategies, standards and policies to embed nature recovery and environmental stewardship across the business.
• Accountable for delivering a large programme of biodiversity commitments including WINEP projects and the Biodiversity Performance Commitment.
• Overseeing programmes to manage invasive non-native species and strengthen resilience across assets.
• Build and maintain relationships with regulators including Natural England and the Environment Agency.
• Manage biodiversity-related risks and integrate biodiversity considerations into business decisions.
• Oversee biodiversity reporting, assurance activities and environmental performance measures.
• Support management and enhancement of Thames Water's landholdings, habitats and conservation sites.
• Manage specialist consultants, contractors and programme budgets.
• Influence senior internal and external stakeholders and manage complex conversations.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement and environmental stewardship.

Skills

People leadership

Strategic planning

Regulatory compliance

Budget management

Stakeholder engagement

Environmental risk management

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Ecology, Environmental Science, Conservation, Environmental Management or related discipline

Job description

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:

• Led multidisciplinary environmental or technical functions.
• Experience delivering regulatory or compliance outcomes.
• Managed significant budgets/programmes with external delivery partners.
• Develop, set and implement strategies across an organisation.
• Experience leading, motivating and developing specialist technical teams.
• Worked at a strategic level with senior stakeholders.
• Experience managing environmental compliance, risk and regulatory obligations within a regulated environment.
• Knowledge of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements and implementation.
• 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 up to £80,000 per annum, depending on skills and experience.
• Car Allowance of £5,800 a year
• 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.

Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water

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. We’re here to help and support.

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.