Principal Coastal Scientist

Mott MacDonald; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Health and wellbeing program

Pension contributions

Annual bonus

Job summary

Mott MacDonald is seeking an experienced Principal Coastal Scientist to lead coastal resilience and marine ecosystem projects, directing multidisciplinary teams across the project cycle. You will mentor junior staff, shape technical strategy, and help drive bids in a global transport context.

Based in the UK with hybrid working options, you will engage with clients and stakeholders, translating complex coastal processes into robust business cases for sustainable infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Coastal Science, Oceanography, or related field required.
• Experience in Coastal Management in a Consultancy environment.
• Demonstrated project leadership and ability to manage multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects focused on coastal resilience, climate adaptation and marine ecosystem management.
• Mentor junior team members and support business development and bidding.
• Provide technical leadership and project management of deliverables.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate coastal science into policy and business cases.

Skills

Coastal science

Project leadership

Written communication

Climate adaptation planning

Business development

GIS

Remote sensing

Coastal modelling tools

Education

Master’s degree in Coastal Science, Oceanography, or related field

Chartered with CIWEM (or equivalent)

Tools

Delft3D

SWAN

ADCIRC

Job description

Location/s:

Southampton, Croydon, Liverpool, Newcastle, Bristol; UK

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices.

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual.

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About The Business Unit

We help conceive, drive, and implement transport solutions for cities, regions, and asset owners/operators around the globe. From preparing the business case and advising on related issues - such as revenue, procurement, and environmental legislation - to delivering the completed infrastructure and helping maintain it. Our planning, engineering, environmental and management skills cover the whole project cycle. We play a major role in developing and delivering the Global Transport Sector Strategy.

Overview Of The Role

Mott MacDonald is one of the global leaders advising a broad range of clients in the planning, design and construction of coastal and offshore infrastructure across an array of size and type. This extends to all stages in the project cycle, from developing innovative coastal erosion business cases and feasibility studies to structural defences and environmental enhancements, and then onto construction supervision. We work across the world including the Caribbean, North America, Middle East, Asia and Africa, as well as in the UK. We strive to ensure we provide our clients with the most sustainable solutions, with the UN Sustainable Development Goals forming the heart of what we do.

As a key member of the Ports, Coastal and Offshore (PCO) team, you will influence the success of our projects by contributing to outcomes which exceed our clients’ expectations. We are seeking an experienced and motivated Principal Coastal Scientist to lead projects focused on coastal resilience, climate adaptation and marine ecosystem management. The successful candidate will bring expertise in coastal processes, shoreline management and evidence-based decision‑making to guide multidisciplinary teams and inform policy and business case efforts.

The ideal candidate will play a key role in supporting the leadership and future direction of the coastal team, providing mentorship to more junior members of the team and supporting business development and bidding as well as providing technical leadership and project management of deliverables.

Candidate specification

• Master’s degree in Coastal Science, Oceanography, or related field
• Experience in Coastal Management in a Consultancy environment
• Demonstrated project leadership
• Strong written communication skills and are comfortable writing reports and delivering presentations
• Familiarity with climate adaptation planning and policy
• Experience in business development, including client liaison and bid preparation
• Chartered with a relevant professional institution such as CIWEM (or equivalent working experience)
• Proficiency in GIS, knowledge/ experience of remote sensing, and coastal modelling tools (e.g., Delft3D, SWAN, ADCIRC) advantageous

Desirable

• Due to the nature of our work, you may be required to travel overseas for project assignments when required
• With your project management skills and experience you are comfortable networking and collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams for project delivery and enjoy building relationships with internal and external stakeholders

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they have the opportunity to contribute.

As we want the best people for the role, it is available as part time, job share or full time. This is because we recognise that sometimes people are not available full time.

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Agile working

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well‑being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at [e-mail] and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Location(s):

Southampton, GB Liverpool, GB Bristol, GB Newcastle Upon Tyne, GB Croydon, GB

Contract Type: Permanent

Work Pattern: Full Time

Market: Transport

Discipline: Maritime

Job Ref: 16503