Lead Environmental Consultant

NRL; Knutsford; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering and environmental consultancy is seeking a Lead Environmental Consultant based in Knutsford. The role involves overseeing environmental advisory services, managing client relationships, and ensuring compliance with environmental legislation. This senior position requires significant industry experience, strong leadership skills, and a degree in a relevant discipline. The company offers an opportunity to shape environmental strategy while contributing to a cleaner, greener future.

Benefits

Commitment to diversity

Inclusive recruitment policies

Qualifications

• Degree in a relevant environmental discipline.
• Strong understanding of environmental legislation and policy frameworks.
• Professional membership or affiliation with a recognised environmental body.
• Significant experience within an environmental consultancy or similar industry role.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of environmental consultancy projects.
• Provide regulatory guidance and coordinate assessment activities.
• Lead and support permitting and planning applications.
• Deliver technical assessments for planning and permitting.

Skills

Customer-focused mindset

Outstanding communication

Stakeholder-management skills

Time-management

Leadership capability

Proficiency in Office 365

Full UK driving licence

Eligibility to work in the UK

Education

Degree in a relevant environmental discipline

Professional membership with a recognised environmental body

Significant experience within an environmental consultancy

Job description

Job Specification: Lead Environmental Consultant

Location: Knutsford

Division: Consultancy

Rate: Outside IR35

Overview

A leading engineering and environmental consultancy is seeking an experienced Lead Environmental Consultant to oversee and deliver high-quality environmental advisory services across industries transitioning to net-zero. The role focuses heavily on regulatory compliance, environmental assessments, and supporting emerging low-carbon technologies, including renewable energy, power-to-liquid processes and hydrogen.

This is a senior position offering the opportunity to shape environmental strategy, build team capability, expand client relationships and influence the development of innovative low‑carbon technologies.

Role Purpose

The Lead Environmental Consultant will manage a portfolio of environmental consultancy projects, providing regulatory guidance, coordinating assessment activities, and ensuring clients meet complex environmental requirements. The role requires both strategic leadership and hands‑on technical delivery across a range of environmental disciplines.

Key Responsibilities

Regulatory & Advisory Services

• Provide expert guidance on environmental legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Lead and support permitting and planning applications, including IED, BAT, SWIP, MCP, and installation permits.
• Advise clients on environmental compliance strategies and implementation.

Environmental Assessments

• Deliver or oversee technical assessments for planning and permitting, including:
  • Air quality
  • Flood risk
  • Containment reviews
  • Other environmental impact assessments as required

Carbon Reporting & Sustainability

• Support carbon and GHG reporting activities, including simplified GHG quantification.
• Provide expertise in ISO 14064-1:2019 methodologies.
• Deliver energy audits, carbon assessments for planning, and life cycle assessments.

Leadership & Team Management

• Act as Technical Advisor for all environmental matters.
• Lead, mentor, and develop environmental engineers to ensure high‑quality outputs and technical excellence.
• Manage resource planning, ensuring optimal utilisation and minimal reliance on external contractors.
• Promote the consultancy’s strategic vision and engage the team in delivering it.
• Ensure KPIs are in place, monitored, and met.

Client Engagement

• Serve as a trusted adviser, maintaining strong client relationships and high levels of confidence.
• Ensure all projects are delivered to client satisfaction, technical standards, and deadlines.

Company-Wide Responsibilities

• Adhere to the Business Management System.
• Support and promote organisational performance development processes.
• Perform additional duties aligned with evolving business priorities.

Requirements

Education & Professional Background

• Degree in a relevant environmental discipline.
• Strong understanding of environmental legislation and policy frameworks.
• Professional membership or affiliation with a recognised environmental body.
• Significant experience within an environmental consultancy or similar industry role.
• Proven experience delivering expert advice to clients and internal stakeholders.

Skills & Competencies

• Customer-focused mindset with commitment to excellence.
• Outstanding communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with strong time-management.
• Demonstrated leadership and team-development capability.
• Proficiency in Office 365, including OneDrive and SharePoint.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Eligibility to work in the UK.

Security Clearance

• Ability to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) level clearance if required.

The NRL Group connect global companies with the right people to bring engineering projects to life. Supporting contracting companies with energy transition plans and working with our clients to create a cleaner, greener future.

We welcome applications from every walk of life and are committed to diversity within the industries we support, as a certified Inclusive Recruiter and Armed Forces friendly employer. You can ensure you stay safe when job searching online by visiting the JobsAware website.