Principal Ecologist

AECOM; Croydon; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid working

Career development opportunities

Volunteering days

Job summary

AECOM is seeking a Principal Ecologist to lead ecological consultancy work across multiple UK offices, including Croydon, with a flexible hybrid working model. You’ll shape environmental strategies and deliver high-impact biodiversity projects for high-profile clients.

You will oversee surveys, licensing, and impact assessments, while mentoring teams and contributing to business development. Chartered Ecologist or Environmentalist status is preferred, with licences held where applicable.

Qualifications

• Degree (or equivalent) in ecology or an associated subject.
• Membership of an appropriate professional institution and working towards or obtained Chartered Ecologist or Chartered Environmentalist status, and a holder of protected species survey and/or mitigation licences.
• Experience of leading and managing ecological surveys/licensing/impact assessment, as demonstrated by suitable professional experience.
• Experience in work-winning, managing projects, project budgets and leading stakeholder discussions.
• Experience of reviewing technical work and supporting wider team members.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support delivery of high-quality ecological consultancy and advisory services to both internal and external clients.
• Oversee plan, schedule and organise all phases of ecological project work, ensuring necessary resources, budgets and controls are in place to meet both programme and budget requirements.
• Support development of technically robust and pragmatic solutions to complex ecological issues.
• Lead and support production of ecology chapters for environmental statements and protected species licence applications.
• Author or technically check project deliverables to ensure high quality outputs.
• Support the continued development of our technical capabilities.

Skills

Ecology expertise

Project leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Work-winning

Mentoring & coaching

Education

Degree in ecology or related subject

Job description

Company Description

At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

Work with Us. Change the World.

There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

Job Description

Are you ready to join a team of talented ecologist’s and shape the future of the environment?

Join our dynamic Nature team as a Principal Ecologist in our growing Cambridge, St Albans, Nottingham, Birmingham, Croydon and Basingstoke offices, as well as taking advantage of our flexible hybrid working model. At AECOM, we’re at the forefront of innovation, delivering an exceptional portfolio of Ecology programs and projects through long-term partnerships with key clients.

Presently, we are working on a wide range of projects, notably in the power and renewables, infrastructure, environment and transport sectors, as well as collaborating with other technical disciplines such as landscape, engineering, sustainability and drainage.

Our recent projects have included several of the largest solar farms to have gained consent in the UK; a cable tunnel below the River Thames; electricity network upgrades in Kent and Suffolk; a large scale water transfer project utilising the canal network; habitats regulations assessments of various plans and projects for local authorities; and masterplanning of new residential developments for local authorities.

In this role, depending on your interests and skillset, you will have opportunities to support on a variety of areas such as: using innovative survey techniques for species and habitats surveys, data capture and reporting; work winning; management of projects, Habitats Regulations Assessments; and Biodiversity Net Gain mentoring and coaching of the team. Our supportive environment offers both internal and external training opportunities within a nurturing mentoring and coaching framework.

Here’s what you’ll do:

• Lead and support delivery of high-quality ecological consultancy and advisory services to both internal and external clients
• Oversee plan, schedule and organise all phases of ecological project work, ensuring necessary resources, budgets and controls are in place to meet both programme and budget requirements.
• Support development of technically robust and pragmatic solutions to complex ecological issues.
• Lead and support production of ecology chapters for environmental statements and protected species licence applications.
• Author or technically check project deliverables to ensure high quality outputs.
• Support the continued development of our technical capabilities.

Come grow with us.

Become part of our dynamic Nature business, which boasts around 260 professional experts including national and global leaders located across the UK&I, from species licence holders to experts in impact assessment, habitat creation, ecosystem restoration, enhancement, and management. At AECOM, you’ll thrive in an inclusive and forward-thinking environment where your contributions are valued.

And let's not forget about the perks at AECOM. You'll enjoy a range of core and personalised benefits designed to support your future and well-being, customised to fit your lifestyle. Take advantage of career development opportunities, our flexible hybrid working model to ensure a work-life balance that suits your lifestyle, technical practice networks, AECOM University, and volunteering days.

Qualifications

Ready to push the limits of what’s possible?

Here’s what we’re looking for:

• Degree (or equivalent) in ecology or an associated subject.
• Membership of an appropriate professional institution and working towards or obtained Chartered Ecologist or Chartered Environmentalist status, and a holder of protected species survey and/or mitigation licences.
• Experience of leading and managing ecological surveys/licensing/impact assessment, as demonstrated by suitable professional experience.
• Experience in work-winning, managing projects, project budgets and leading stakeholder discussions.
• Experience of reviewing technical work and supporting wider team members.

Additional Information

Interested in the role or curious about life at AECOM? Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to explore our AECOM voices, employee stories, latest projects, and much more!

We are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to applicants who have a disability or long-term condition, who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role. Please let us know using this email address [e-mail] if you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle - from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation, benefits and well-being programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together - your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm - access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.