Principal Consultant (Land Quality)

Sweco UK Ltd; Bristol; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible & hybrid working

Pension

Life Assurance

Private Medical Insurance

Company car or car allowance

Discretionary Annual Bonus Scheme

Subscriptions to professional bodies

25 days holiday + bank holidays

Cycle2Work Scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Employee discounts

Job summary

Sweco UK Ltd is seeking a Principal Land Quality Consultant to join our Infrastructure and Environment Division, delivering UK-wide land quality assessments for public and private clients. You will lead complex site investigations, remediation programs and reporting, mentoring junior staff and driving proposals with internal and external stakeholders.

The role requires a degree in a relevant technical subject (MSc preferred), Chartered status, and strong knowledge of CDM, regulatory guidance,

Qualifications

• Degree level education in a technical subject (MSc preferred).
• Chartered with a relevant professional body.
• In-depth knowledge of best practice guidance, regulation and legislation in contaminated land.
• Experience of CDM regulations and site investigations.
• Proven ability to manage site investigations, remediation, and reporting to high standards.
• Strong data handling, interpretation and summarising capabilities.
• Experience mentoring junior staff and leading project teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide geo-environmental consultancy services for land quality assessments.
• Prepare desk studies, site investigations, risk assessments and validation reports.
• Supervise sites and manage complex investigations, remediation, and construction programs.
• Act as project manager on varying project sizes and complexities.
• Lead or contribute to proposals, bids and client relationships.
• Produce clear, well-presented drawings and reports; review site documentation.
• Mentor junior staff and manage deliverables on regeneration frameworks.

Skills

Geotechnical reporting

Site supervision

Project management

Data analysis

Technical report writing

Mentoring juniors

Client relationship

Driving licence

Stakeholder liaison

Education

Degree in a relevant technical subject

Chartered status with a professional body

Job description

Do you have what it takes to transform society?

We are currently looking for a Principal Land Quality Consultant who is highly motivated, adaptable and strategic to join our growing Land Quality team within our Infrastructure and Environment Division.

What does the role involve?

As a Principal Land Quality Consultant, you will undertake predominantly office-based work with some site-work requirements, supporting UK-wide delivery of land quality assessment and brownfield regeneration schemes for a range of public and private sector clients.

With a strong pipeline of work over the next year and beyond, now is an exciting time to join our growing team in the UK!

If you want to be part of a company who are just the right size to provide our clients with a personal, attentive and engaged service and large enough to provide a diverse and exciting workload, this job is for you.

Typical duties will include:

• Providing consultancy services in relation to geo-environmental assessments
• Preparing desk study, site investigation, risk assessment and validation reports.
• Site supervision and management during complex site investigations, remediation, demolition and construction programmes as required including liaison with internal/external clients and sub-contractors.
• Acting as project manager on projects of varying sizes and complexities.
• Leading/assisting in the production of proposals/bids.
• Developing and enhancing new and existing internal and external client relationships.
• Preparing drawings and well written clear, accurate and well-presented reports.
• Reviewing drawings, reports and site documentation.
• Acting as a mentor to junior employees.

What do you need to be successful in the role?

• Qualified to degree level, preferable to MSc level in a relevant technical subject.
• Chartered with an appropriate professional body.
• Detailed knowledge and understanding of best practice guidance, regulation and legislation in contaminated land.
• Applied knowledge and understanding of Construction Design and Management (CDM) regulations.
• Proven experience in facilitating, delivering and managing site visits, investigations and/or remediation works in line with the highest health, safety and environmental standards.
• Track record in design, supervision and management of site investigation works including experience in a variety of techniques, good site management, supervision of contractors, liaison with stakeholders, soil logging, chemical and geotechnical sampling and analysis, gas and groundwater monitoring.
• Demonstrated experience in collecting, managing, analysing, and interpreting data.
• Highly experienced in technical report writing including Phase 1 desk studies, factual and interpretative ground investigations, qualitative and quantitative risk assessment, remediation option appraisals and verification reports.
• Experience of reviewing reports and mentoring others.
• Experience of managing deliverables on land regeneration frameworks i.e. gas and electrical infrastructure/utility clients is desirable.
• Full driving licence.

What’s in it for you?

You will work with experienced land quality consultants who share a passion for working together with our clients to deliver technical excellence.

Join us, and grow your career in an inclusive, friendly and flexible working environment where colleagues are encouraged and supported in their growth and development and your work as a land quality consultant helps transform society.

We hire for potential, not just a checklist. If you believe you have the passion and transferable skills to succeed, are keen to join a business with genuine opportunities for career progression, then we’d love to hear from you, even if your CV doesn't perfectly match the description.

Let’s transform society together at Sweco!

Employee Benefits

• Flexible and hybrid working (Flexworks Policy)
• Competitive pension contribution
• Life Assurance
• Private Medical Insurance
• Company car or car allowance
• Discretionary Annual Bonus Scheme
• Payment of two relevant professional subscriptions
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays (with the option to purchase up to 5 additional days per year)
• Cycle2Work Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme (wellbeing, mental health, financial and work advice)
• Employee discounts via Sweco Benefit Select (Faircare)
• Salary Sacrifice Electric Vehicle Scheme
• We plant a tree for all new starters!

About Us

Transforming society together, we're planning and designing sustainable communities and cities of the future.

Solving the great societal challenges of our time is more relevant, demanding and inspiring than ever before. At Sweco, we bring together experts with different perspectives and skills to develop solutions that address the challenges of urbanisation, harness the positive power of digitalisation and make societies more sustainable.

We offer our clients a combination of global expertise and local presence, adapted to their business and reality. Our ambition is to be our clients’ most relevant partner, working together to help them solve their challenges, today and into the future.

Sweco is committed to enabling all its colleagues to achieve a great balance between work and their other priorities, such as caring responsibilities, leisure activities, further learning or other interests. We offer flexible start and finish times, part time and hybrid working options so that you can flex your hours around your day to day needs.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

It’s important to us that that all our colleagues thrive at work - we strive to have a friendly and inclusive culture which respects the contribution individuals can bring to Sweco. We aim to promote equality, inclusivity and diversity for everyone.

Here at Sweco 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.

We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant to ensure those who serve or have served, and their families, are treated fairly. To find out more The Armed Forces Covenant - Our Commitments | Sweco UK.

We are also proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer, and will interview applicants covered by the Equality Act 2010 that opt into the guaranteed interview scheme on the application form and meet the minimum criteria for the role.

If I have a disability, can I get help (e.g. “reasonable adjustments”) with the application process?

If you’re an applicant with a disability that requires a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability or unable to use the online application system and need an alternative method for applying, please contact [e-mail] for assistance.

In order to address your request the following information is needed:

Name

The best method for contacting you (Phone or email)

The position title

Requisition/vacancy number

Upon receipt of this information, we’ll respond to you promptly to obtain more information about your request.

Please note: we reserve the right to close vacancies before the advertised closing date.

Sweco UK&I have an internal resourcing team who are responsible for all recruiting activity.

We have a Preferred Supplier List of trusted agencies who we work with on those “hard to fill” roles.

We have defined processes for recruitment applications and it is company policy not to accept speculative CVs. Any speculative CVs received into the business (whether to a manager or member of the resourcing team) will become the property of Sweco and the agency will not be eligible for an introductory fee.

Our Preferred Supplier List was reviewed in November 2025 and we are not looking to add any additional agencies. We’ll be reviewing the PSL again at the end of 2026 and non-compliance with the above statements could be detrimental to you having the opportunity to be included.

Our Talent Community for experienced professionals is a great way to keep up to date with our latest news, insights, future vacancies, as well as gaining access to exclusive events hosted by our experts.

To learn more Join Our Talent Community - Sweco United Kingdom