Principal Consultant, Nature and Environment

Principal Consultant, Nature and Environment; Oxford; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Hybrid working model

Wellbeing resources

Professional learning opportunities

Job summary

Oxford Policy Management is seeking a Principal Consultant, Nature and Environment to lead a global team delivering high-impact climate, biodiversity and water projects. The role blends strategic leadership with hands-on technical excellence and business development across diverse geographies.

You will advance evidence-based policy, engage with funders and governments, and shape program delivery while nurturing a high-performing, multi-disciplinary team in a fast-growing area of the firm.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in conservation, environment, climate science or related discipline.
• 15+ years in the nature and environment sector with biodiversity, water, and land-use experience.
• Strong understanding of international policy, financing and procurement landscape.
• Proven ability to win new work and manage donor-funded programmes.
• Experience advising governments, funders and development partners.
• Experience in a global, matrixed organisational setting.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Nature and Environment team to deliver high-impact projects.
• Shape strategy, drive external influence, and represent OPM externally.
• Develop business opportunities and oversee bids across regions.
• Provide senior strategic and technical advice to clients and partners.
• Manage talent development and allocate resources effectively.

Skills

Advanced degree in conservation/env/cl

15+ years experience in nature and env

Strategic leadership

Business development

Donor engagement & funding

Policy influence & advisory

Team leadership in global matrixed org

Strong analytical writing

Education

Advanced degree in Conservation, Environment, Climate Science, or related discipline

Job description

Overview

The Climate, Nature and Energy team at Oxford Policy Management is currently seeking a Principal Consultant, Nature and Environment on a full-time, permanent basis. This position can be based in any of the following offices: Nairobi, New Delhi, or Oxford.

We are an international development consultancy working to improve lives through sustainable policy change in low- and middle-income countries. Our vision is for fair public policy that benefits both people and the planet.

Through our global network of offices, we work in partnership with national stakeholders and decision makers to research, design, implement and evaluate impactful public policy. We draw on our local and international sector experts to provide the very best evidence-based support. We deliver projects with expert knowledge and experience, and can be relied upon for excellence in all aspects of project delivery. We work collaboratively, with ambition, to help deliver impactful public policy that will bring about lasting change.

Position Summary

Our work on Nature and Environment delivers practical, locally led solutions that strengthen climate resilience, protect and restore biodiversity, and create sustainable livelihoods. Combining innovation on evidence-based approaches and data-driven learning with a deep understanding of institutional reform, the Nature and Environment team provides impactful technical assistance that enables communities, governments, and businesses to improve natural resource governance, unlock climate and conservation finance and turn policy solutions into lasting action. The team’s current priority areas of work include:

• Nature-based solutions,
• Biodiversity conservation and livelihoods,
• Sustainable blue (marine) economy and blue carbon,
• Water security,
• Climate resilient agriculture,
• Sustainable forest/land use,
• Conflict sensitive natural resource management & environmental peace building,
• Circular economy, including waste management.

As member of our Climate, Energy and Nature leadership team, the Principal Consultant, Nature and Environment plays a strategic role in helping to shape the strategy and delivery of this rapidly growing area of OPM’s consulting business. They are responsible for delivery of projects to the highest standards of quality and impact, whilst building our footprint in key strategic geographies for our portfolio of work on nature-based solutions, sustainable land and ecosystems management, natural resource governance, biodiversity conservation, water security, and environmental health.

The Principal Consultant, Nature and Environment sets a clear and inspiring vision for the team, providing thought leadership, motivation and shared vision to deliver its work with purpose. They bring a strong track record of providing outstanding technical expertise in the nature and environment sector, as well as in developing new areas of business and effectively managing a multi-disciplinary, global team of both early career and more experienced staff.

As OPM's Principal Consultant, Nature and Environment you will:

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the Nature and Environment team to deliver its portfolio of projects to the highest standards of quality and impact – providing timely and innovative solutions to governments and other clients.
• Shape and drive the development of the Nature and Environment team’s strategy and vision, ensuring it is effectively aligned with the Climate, Nature and Energy team's vision, and OPM’s mission and objectives.
• Represent OPM externally in line with corporate-level strategy and business development and/or external influencing priorities to enhance our impact.

Business Development

• Lead the development and execution of business development strategy for the sectors covered by nature and environment, identifying and targeting key new markets and geographies.
• Lead the team to ensure effective and efficient project selection and bidding success, to meet agreed acquisition and diversification targets; and through insight into the relationships between different areas/portfolios, facilitate effective collaboration with other relevant OPM teams as required to achieve this.

Technical Capability

• As a subject matter expert, make individual contributions to nature and environment projects, providing innovative, creative and robust solutions for our clients.
• Contribute to the Nature and Environment’s external thought leadership and internal discussions about OPM’s mission and impact.

People Management

• Manage the Nature and Environment team to meet their professional and personal development objectives, creating a supportive developmental environment and strong team culture.
• Ensure efficient allocation of the Nature and Environment team’s time resources to effectively balance the competing needs of project delivery, acquisition, external influence and personal development.

Key Qualifications / Experience / Skills / Behaviours

• Advanced degree in Conservation, Environment, Climate Science, or other relevant discipline.
• At least 15 years’ experience in the nature and environment sector – across nature-based solutions, sustainable land and ecosystems management, natural resource governance, biodiversity conservation, water security and environmental health.
• Strong understanding of the international nature and environment policy, evidence, financing and institutional landscape.
• Strong knowledge of key global and regional actors, funders, initiatives and emerging priorities for the nature and environment sector.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex technical evidence into practical policy, programme and investment recommendations.
• Demonstrated experience engaging directly with funders and clients to understand priorities, shape opportunities and develop new workstreams.
• Strong understanding of donor procurement processes and funding mechanisms.
• Strong understanding of the relationship between technical design, resourcing, pricing, risk and commercial competitiveness; and a track record of winning new work.
• Demonstrated ability to provide senior strategic and technical advice to governments, funders, development partners and other stakeholders.
• Experience of working within global, matrixed organisational setting.
• Empowering, enabling and accountable people management style, with experience in identifying and nurturing talent.
• Excellent analytical, technical writing and communication skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Desired qualifications/experience:

• Siginificant experience of working in a commercial consulting environment.
• Experience of engaging on policy reform work in multiple countries across Africa, Asia and beyond.
• Understanding of our client and stakeholder priorities (such as bilateral aid programmes (UK and German in particular), World Bank, EU and major foundations active in the space).
• Track record in successfully leading large donor funded programmes to achieve impact on the ground and ensure strong programme management.
• Experience of negotiation with senior government officials and staff of international aid agencies.

Our Offer

• We enable colleagues’ capacity to grow professionally through enhanced learning resources, opportunities to work cross functionally, and space to engage with a range of internal and external industry events.
• Our non-hierarchical culture values support, collaboration, intellectual curiosity, and a rich diversity of perspectives.
• We provide an exceptionally generous annual leave entitlement and a hybrid working model to encourage and enable healthy work/life balance.
• Wellbeing resources including a global Employee Assistance Programme and access to the UnMind app.
• Competitive salary and contributory pension scheme.

We are strengthened by the diversity of colleagues across our global business and are committed to being an equal opportunities employer, promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace for all.

Our recruitment practices reflect our ambition to make the international development sector more inclusive and firm belief that our work delivers the best outcomes when we actively include a diversity of perspectives and experiences.