Principal Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Consultant

Jacobs; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Private medical cover

Pension contributions up to 10%

Life assurance

Job summary

Jacobs is seeking a Principal EIA Consultant to lead environmental assessment workstreams on major UK infrastructure, energy and water projects. You’ll coordinate multidisciplinary teams, advise clients and shape consent strategies to deliver sustainable outcomes.

You’ll work within our Environmental Planning unit, helping projects navigate UK planning regimes, share expertise, mentor talent and accelerate your career in a global, inclusive consultancy.

Qualifications

• Lead multidisciplinary teams and manage projects.
• Proven experience delivering EIAs and environmental coordination on infrastructure projects.
• Strong knowledge of environmental assessment methodologies and UK environmental legislation.
• Experience working within UK planning frameworks (DCO, Town & Country Planning, or similar).
• Strong client-facing and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Professional membership or chartership with a relevant institution (IES, ISEP or CIWEM) or willingness to achieve with our support.
• Degree or master's in a relevant environmental/planning/science discipline or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead environmental assessment and consenting workstreams and coordinate multidisciplinary project teams.
• Provide strategic environmental advice to clients and drive consent delivery.
• Guide projects from feasibility through to consent, delivery and implementation.
• Mentor and develop junior staff within the Environmental Planning team.
• Deliver high-quality EIAs on infrastructure, water and energy projects.

Skills

Leadership

EIA Experience

UK Legislation

Planning & Consent

Stakeholder Engagement

Chartered Membership

Environmental Degree

Education

Degree in environmental/planning/science

Job description

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

Help shape the projects that will define the UK's future.

As a Principal EIA Consultant at Jacobs, you’ll be at the forefront of major infrastructure, water, energy, and environmental projects that improve lives, support net zero ambitions, and create long-term benefits for communities across the UK and Ireland.

This is more than producing Environmental Impact Assessments. You’ll influence critical decisions from the earliest project stages, helping clients navigate complex environmental difficulties, secure consents, and deliver sustainable development responsibly.

From renewable energy and hydrogen projects to nationally significant infrastructure schemes, your expertise will help bring transformative projects to life while protecting the environments and communities they serve.

What's In It For You

If you’re looking for bigger projects, greater influence, and a clear route to progression, this is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.

At Jacobs, you’ll enjoy

• Leading high-profile, nationally significant infrastructure projects
• Working with the top clients in the industry, including National Grid, Environment Agency, National Highways, Network Rail and major water utilities
• A clear pathway to further technical and management progression
• The freedom to shape project strategy and client outcomes
• A collaborative, supportive and inclusive team where your ideas are valued

We Offer

Compensation That Reflects Your Skills And Experience

• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• 24 days annual leave plus the option to buy up to 10 additional days
• Enhanced pension contributions of up to 10%
• Private medical cover and Digital GP access
• Family planning and fertility support services
• Enhanced parental leave and family support programmes
• Employee Networks We have a commitment to hiring a diverse workforce and supporting colleagues of different backgrounds
• Life assurance at four times your salary
• Income protection for long-term financial security
• Access to wellbeing support, including Calm and Daily Burn
• Professional memberships funded and ongoing development opportunities
• Paid volunteering time, matched charity funding, and community engagement programmes

About The Opportunity

Our Water & Environment business is recognised as a driver in environmental consultancy, supporting some of the most exciting and complex projects across the UK and Europe.

Due to continued growth, we’re looking for talented Principal EIA Consultants to join our Environmental Planning team.

You’ll lead environmental assessment and consenting workstreams, coordinate multidisciplinary project teams, provide strategic advice to clients, and play a key role in delivering successful project outcomes.

Our portfolio spans

• Renewable energy and hydrogen
• Water and water resource management
• Utilities and transmission infrastructure
• Rail and transport
• Major developments and nationally significant infrastructure projects

Working alongside planners, engineers, environmental specialists and technical experts, you’ll guide projects from early feasibility and strategy through to consent, delivery and implementation.

This is an opportunity to build trusted client relationships, mentor emerging talent, and help shape the future direction of projects that matter.

Here’s what you’ll need

• The ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage projects effectively
• Proven experience delivering Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and environmental coordination on infrastructure projects
• Strong knowledge of environmental assessment methodologies and UK environmental legislation
• Experience working within UK planning and consenting frameworks, including DCO, Town & Country Planning, or similar regimes
• Strong client-facing and stakeholder engagement skills
• Professional membership or chartership with a relevant institution (such as IES, ISEP or CIWEM), or a desire to achieve this with our support
• A degree or master's qualification in a relevant environmental, planning or scientific discipline, or equivalent experience

We’re looking for experienced EIA professionals who can confidently lead projects and influence outcomes.

This is your chance to work on projects that shape the future, tackle some of society’s biggest environmental challenges, and accelerate your career with one of the industry’s most respected consultancies.

Ready to Make Your Mark?

Join Jacobs and help deliver the sustainable infrastructure the world needs tomorrow.

Jacobs offers hybrid working and a standard 40-hour working week

Good luck with your application

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 ourJacobs 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.

We value collaboration and believe that in‑person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.