Principal Arboricultural Consultant
WSP in the UK & Ireland
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
WSP is seeking a Principal Arboricultural Consultant to lead complex arboricultural commissions across the UK & Ireland, delivering expert advice to clients and project teams while supporting work-winning activities and ensuring high-quality delivery.
You will mentor professionals, shape best practices, and contribute to the growth of a nationally recognised arboriculture team within a multidisciplinary firm.
Qualifications
- Extensive experience in arboricultural consultancy, planning and project delivery.
- Strong technical expertise in BS5837 assessments and reporting.
- Proven experience advising multidisciplinary design and project teams.
- Experience managing complex projects, programmes, budgets and client expectations.
- Commercial awareness including scope management and budget control.
- Strong relationship-building skills with clients, stakeholders and internal teams.
- Experience leading, mentoring and developing technical professionals.
- Promotes safe working practices across project teams.
Responsibilities
- Lead and technically review Arboricultural Impact Assessments, Method Statements and related advice.
- Deliver arboricultural services on NSIPs and complex developments.
- Manage client relationships, programmes, budgets, scopes and risks.
- Provide strategic arboricultural advice to multidisciplinary teams.
- Support recruitment, mentoring, and succession planning within the team.
- Develop consultants and senior staff through coaching and mentoring.
- Support senior leadership on technical and operational matters.
- Lead tenders, proposals, scopes of work and commercial reviews.
- Provide specialist advice on veteran trees, woodland constraints and protections.
- Drive quality, consistency and technical excellence in delivery.
Skills
Education
Job description
At WSP, we’re committed to delivering sustainable solutions that make a lasting difference to communities and the environment.
As a Principal Arboricultural Consultant, you’ll play a pivotal role in leading complex projects, developing client relationships, mentoring talented professionals and driving technical excellence across our national arboriculture team. Working as part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary business, you’ll provide strategic arboricultural advice on some of the UK’s most significant infrastructure and development projects while helping to shape best practice and consistent delivery standards across regions.
This is an opportunity to take your career to the next level within one of the world’s leading professional services firms.
- The chance to work on nationally significant and high-profile development and infrastructure projects.
- Opportunities to lead major project workstreams and build strategic client relationships.
- A supportive, inclusive and collaborative culture where development is genuinely prioritised.
- Clear career progression pathways and leadership opportunities.
- An annual training budget aligned to your personal and professional goals.
- Flexible and hybrid working arrangements to support work-life balance.
- Opportunities to contribute to WSP’s Future Ready initiatives, digital innovation and global service development.
- Paid professional membership.
- WSP Treats employee benefits programme.
- Competitive pension contributions.
- A 37.5-hour working week with flexible and core working hours.
As a Principal Arboricultural Consultant, you’ll combine technical leadership with project management, team development and business growth responsibilities. You’ll lead complex arboricultural commissions, provide expert advice to clients and project teams, support work winning activities and help ensure consistent, high-quality delivery across the business. You’ll also play a key role in developing our people through mentoring, coaching and succession planning initiatives.
- Lead and technically review Arboricultural Impact Assessments, Arboricultural Method Statements, Tree Protection Plans, EIA inputs and other specialist arboricultural advice.
- Deliver arboricultural services on Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) and other complex developments.
- Manage client relationships, project programmes, budgets, scopes and delivery risks.
- Provide strategic arboricultural advice to multidisciplinary design teams and stakeholders.
- Support recruitment, mentoring, career development and succession planning within the team.
- Manage and develop consultants and senior consultants, acting as a coach and trusted mentor.
- Support and advise the senior leadership team on technical and operational matters.
- Lead the preparation of tenders, fee proposals, scopes of work, assumptions and commercial reviews.
- Provide specialist advice relating to veteran and ancient trees, woodland constraints, statutory protections and mitigation strategies.
- Drive quality, consistency and technical excellence across project delivery.
- Extensive experience in arboricultural consultancy, planning and project delivery.
- Strong technical expertise in BS5837 assessments and reporting.
- Proven experience advising multidisciplinary design and project teams.
- Experience managing complex projects, programmes, budgets and client expectations.
- Commercial awareness, including scope management and budget control.
- Strong relationship-building skills with clients, stakeholders and internal teams.
- Experience leading, mentoring and developing technical professionals.
- A positive approach to health, safety and wellbeing, with the ability to promote safe working practices across project teams.
- Chartered Arboriculturist, Chartered Forester status, or be working towards chartership.
- Significant experience supporting NSIP/DCO projects, major infrastructure schemes or EIA delivery.
- Experience supporting public inquiries, expert witness services or planning appeals.
- A strong track record in work winning, tender preparation and client development.
- Knowledge of forestry considerations within the planning system.
- Experience using digital survey technologies, canopy cover assessments and emerging AI-enabled workflows.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced arboricultural professional looking to influence project outcomes, develop future talent and contribute to the growth and direction of a nationally recognised team.
You’ll have the autonomy to lead, the support to grow and the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to some of the UK’s most important infrastructure, environmental and development projects.
Imagine a better future for you and for us all. Join our talented community of experts and help shape a more sustainable world through innovative arboricultural solutions.
We know that great candidates don’t always meet every requirement. If you’re excited about the opportunity and believe you can make a valuable contribution, we’d love to hear from you.
We are one of the world’s leading engineering and professional services firms. Our passionate people are united by the common purpose of creating positive, long-lasting impacts on the communities we serve through a culture of innovation, integrity, and inclusion. With over 11,000 professionals across the UK and Ireland, we are dedicated to our local communities and propelled by international brainpower.
At WSP, we understand that work is just one aspect of your life. It’s important to make time for you, your family, friends, interests and your community. Our hybrid working policy offers the flexibility to work from home two days a week, while also providing opportunities to collaborate in our modern offices across the UK.
We welcome applicants with varied backgrounds and experiences. We enable rewarding careers by encouraging people to bring their whole and authentic selves to work so that our work represents the fullest spectrum of society. We celebrate integrity and treat people with respect, supporting each other and embracing a culture of inclusion and belonging at WSP. We have our employee resource groups bring together employees and allies with different backgrounds to promote a culture of inclusivity.
We are committed to supporting our people, giving you the tools to make improvements to your health and wellbeing through our Thrive programme. Our Virtual GP service gives you access to an NHS or Irish Medical Council GP at a time and place that suits you – giving you peace of mind and quick access to medical advice when you need it most. We also provide reasonable workplace adjustments for those in need. Additionally, you can benefit from the Gymflex scheme, which offers up to 40% off annual gym memberships through our WSP flexible benefits program, as well as a comprehensive menopause support package.
To enhance work-life balance, WSP offers the “WSP My Hour,” allowing you to take one hour each day for personal activities, with the flexibility to make up the time earlier or later that day. We also provide part‑time and flexible working arrangements, the option to purchase additional leave, and the ability to use your bank holiday entitlement to suit you.
We understand the importance of development and training to you. That’s why we foster a supportive environment that invests in your growth, whether through training, mentoring, or Chartership.
Here at WSP we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. As a Disability Confident leader, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria, please let us know if you require any workplace adjustments in support of your application.
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