Principal / Associate Director Ecology – Manchester

Jacobs; Manchester; Vor Ort; GBP 90.000 - 120.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

Jacobs Engineering Group in Manchester seeking a Principal/Associate Director of Ecology to lead a growing team and shape the future of ecology in the UK. You will steer strategic direction, mentor staff, and act as a trusted advisor to clients and regulators while managing high-value projects and bid activity.

The role requires Chartered status (or progression), strong terrestrial ecology expertise, and a proven track record in leadership and client relationships across diverse projects.

Qualifikationen

• Chartered status or readiness to achieve it.
• Strong background in terrestrial ecology with industry experience.
• Proven line-management, mentoring and team development.
• Excellent client-facing skills and regulator engagement.
• Strategic leadership with the ability to influence senior decisions.

Aufgaben

• Steer the strategic direction of the team and contribute to UK ecology leadership.
• Lead and mentor colleagues with high-impact, empathetic leadership.
• Act as trusted advisor to clients, stakeholders and regulators.
• Lead high-value client relationships and represent Jacobs externally.
• Oversee deliverables like Ecological Impact Assessments and Biodiversity strategies.
• Design and lead ecological monitoring programmes and surveys.
• Collaborate across disciplines to deliver integrated project solutions.
• Identify, bid for and secure new work; champion the team internally.
• Plan resources to balance workloads and support projects.

Kenntnisse

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Mentoring

Client-facing skills

People management

Willingness to travel UK & Ireland

Ausbildung

Chartered status (or eligible)

Jobbeschreibung

Principal / Associate Director Ecology – Manchester

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

This is your chance to lead from the front and shape the future of ecology. We’re looking for experienced and driven Associate Directors to join our Manchester team.

You’ll take on line-management responsibilities and support the development of a high-performing team, while influencing decisions on nationally significant energy and water infrastructure, major highway and rail schemes.

Your expertise will directly influence decisions that impact communities, environments and sustainability outcomes for decades to come.

This isn’t just leadership - this is visible, meaningful impact at scale.

What’s In It for Me

At Jacobs, we don’t just offer jobs, we build careers. You’ll be joining a respected and ambitious company with a strong reputation for excellence and innovation. Our commitment to your growth is backed by:

• Global Career Framework – chart your path with clarity and purpose
• Chartership Academy Programme – support to achieve professional accreditation
• Employee Networks & Communities of Practice – connect with 600+ ecologists worldwide and influence beyond the UK
• A culture of collaboration and sustainability – work on projects that matter

You’ll be given the autonomy, support and platform to lead with confidence and make a tangible difference.

About the Opportunity

In this role, you will:

• Help steer the strategic direction of the team, contributing to wider UK ecology leadership
• Lead and inspire colleagues through empathetic, high-impact leadership and mentoring
• Act as a trusted advisor - the go-to expert for clients, stakeholders and regulators
• Lead high-value client relationships and represent Jacobs externally
• Oversee and guide deliverables such as Ecological Impact Assessment, Biodiversity Net Gain, Habitats Regulations Assessments and biodiversity strategies
• Design and lead ecological monitoring programmes and survey strategies
• Work across disciplines to deliver integrated, innovative project solutions
• Play a key role in identifying, bidding and winning new work
• Champion your team internally, raising its profile across the wider business
• Oversee resource planning for the teams to ensure workloads are balanced and projects are properly supported

This is a rare opportunity to step into a role where you can combine technical excellence, strategic thinking and people leadership - all while working on projects that truly matter.

Here’s what you'll need

You’re an experienced ecology leader who brings both credibility and vision.

• A strong background in terrestrial ecology with significant industry experience
• Chartered status (or ready to achieve it)
• A strategic mindset, with the ability to contribute to senior leadership decisions
• Proven experience in line management, mentoring and developing teams
• Strong client-facing skills and confidence engaging with stakeholders and regulators
• A flexible approach, with willingness to travel across the UK and Ireland when needed
• A proactive, hands‑on leadership style with strong self‑awareness
• The ability to adapt and thrive across diverse, complex projects

We’d be especially excited if you bring experience in:

• Innovative scoping of ecological inputs
• Protected species licensing and biodiversity enhancements
• Project consenting and construction environments
• Stakeholder and regulator engagement
• Planning inquiries and examinations

But beyond experience, what really matters is your ability to think differently, challenge the status quo, and spot opportunities to improve how we deliver for our clients.

Why Join Now?

Because this is more than a leadership role - it’s your chance to define the future of ecology within a global organisation while working on projects that shape the world around us.

In addition to the benefits you’d expect, UK employees also receive:

• up to 10% company contribution into their pension
• reimbursement towards relevant professional development and memberships
• support to their local communities through our Collectively program which incorporates matched‑funding, paid volunteering time and charitable donations
• opportunity to buy/sell annual leave

Wellbeing support and resources

• free employee medical cover and digital GP service, including support for obtaining formal diagnosis for ASD, ADHD and Tourette syndrome under Private Medical Insurance
• a mindfulness platform
• dedicated Workplace Support 1:1 Counselling Consultations
• confidential information & counselling service provided by Optum. Emotional Wellbeing Solutions is a free confidential information and counselling service available 24/7 via phone or online. Experienced consultants are available to discuss finance, legal, family matters and counselling can be provided for personal support
• online demand fitness platform provided by Daily Burn
• personalised financial planning and support provided by Origin, with 1:1 access to dedicated certified financial planners

Fertility and family benefits and support

• enhanced parental leave pay
• Fertility, reproductive health and family-building support through Carrot, including fertility preservation, fertility treatment, adoption, surrogacy, donor assistance, pregnancy menopause and low testosterone support
• a free parental success solution and neurodiversity training benefit provided by RethinkCare Family. The family solution gives you and your family 24/7 access to behavioural health support tools and resources to help parents or caregivers of children raise happy, healthy and resilient children: 1:1 digital & live support – unlimited access to Board Certified Behaviour Analysts and thousands of clinically validated audio/visual trainings, including support with ADHD & developmental disabilities.
• Bridge the Gap is our parental transition programme which aims to make Jacobs employer of choice for working parents, supporting them before, during and after the life-changing milestone of becoming a parent. Bridge the Gap supports our efforts to create an environment where we can bring our authentic selves to work and achieve our full potential.

Work-life balance and flexibility is a key focus area for Jacobs. We’re happy to discuss the different working patterns we offer:

• part‑time roles
• flexible working hours including compressed hours (working full-time hours over fewer days)
• annualised hours contract (working a defined number of hours over a year with an estimated average weekly hour pattern)
• desk‑based only roles

Joining Jacobs not only connects you locally but globally. Our values stand on a foundation of safety, integrity, inclusion and belonging. We put people at the heart of our business, and we truly believe that by supporting one another through our culture of caring, we all succeed. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees.

With safety and flexibility always top of mind, we’ve gone beyond traditional ways of working so you have the support, means and space to maximize your potential. You’ll uncover flexible working arrangements, benefits, and opportunities, from well‑being benefits to our global giving and volunteering program, to exploring new and inventive ways to help our clients make the world a better place. No matter what drives you, you’ll discover how you can cultivate, nurture, and achieve your goals – all at a single global company. Find out more about life at Jacobs .

We aim to embed inclusion and belonging in everything we do. We know that if we are inclusive, we’re more connected and creative. We accept people for who they are, and we champion the richness of different perspectives, lived experiences and backgrounds in the workplace, as a source of learning and innovation. We are committed to building vibrant communities within Jacobs, including through our Jacobs Employee Networks, Communities of Practice and our Find Your Community initiatives, allowing every employee to find connection, purpose, and belonging.Find out more about our Jacobs Employee Networks here .

Jacobs partners with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain talent from a wide range of backgrounds. For greater online accessibility please visit https://www.vercida.com/uk/employers/jacobs to view and access our roles.

As a disability confident employer, we will interview disabled candidates who best meet the criteria. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.