Principal Technical Specialist - Water Team - Leeds

Thomson Environmental Consultants; Leeds; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Enhanced pension scheme

Life insurance

Discounted gym membership

Paid professional memberships

Clothing allowance

Performance-related rewards and long‑s

Job summary

Thomson Environmental Consultants is seeking a Principal Technical Specialist to lead our Water Team in Leeds. This senior role combines technical leadership, project delivery, and business development to shape aquatic projects and services.

You will mentor staff, ensure compliance with legislation, and drive high-quality outcomes for clients. Based in Leeds, the role emphasizes leadership, client engagement, and delivering complex hydro-ecological work while managing budgets and timelines.

Qualifications

• Principal-level experience in environmental consultancy.
• Strong background in aquatic ecology or hydro-ecology.
• Proven ability to manage and develop staff.
• Track record of winning work and building client relationships.
• Knowledge of hydro-ecological survey techniques and relevant legislation.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow the Water Team, delivering large, complex hydro-ecological projects.
• Provide expert guidance on policy, legislation and best practice.
• Review and approve technical reports and deliverables.
• Oversee budgets, forecasting and team performance.
• Win new work through bids, tenders and client engagement.

Skills

Leadership

Aquatic ecology

Staff development

Client relationships

Hydro-ecology knowledge

Job description

Principal Technical Specialist - Water Team - Leeds

• Full-time

Join us in shaping a future where nature and business thrive together

At Thomson, our purpose is simple but powerful:to enable nature and business to thrive together.

We’re building a reputation as the UK’s mostinnovative, pragmatic and fast-growing environmental consultancy. Our ambition is to be thefirst choice for clientsand theemployer of choice for environmental professionals.

With offices across the UK, our multidisciplinary experts deliver exceptional outcomes across terrestrial and freshwater ecology, hydrology, marine science, GIS, habitat management, arboriculture and environmental impact assessment.

The Opportunity

We are seeking aPrincipal Technical Specialist to lead and grow ourdynamic Water Team.

This is a key leadership role where you will combinetechnical expertise, team leadership and business development to deliver complex aquatic projects and shape the future of our water services.

You will work closely with clients and colleagues to provide best-practice advice, ensure compliance with legislation and policy, and support the successful delivery of high-quality environmental outcomes.

What You’ll Be Doing

Leadership & Team Development

• Manage team workloads, performance, training and development
• Provide technical oversight, mentoring and internal training
• Support colleagues in achieving their professional goals

Technical Delivery

• Lead and deliver large, complex hydro-ecological projects
• Provide expert guidance on legislation, policy and best practice
• Review and approve technical reports and deliverables
• Oversee budgets, forecasting and team financial performance
• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget and to a high standard

Business Development

• Win new work through bids, tenders and client engagement
• Build and maintain strong client relationships
• Support marketing and PR activity to promote water services

Example Projects & Deliverables

Field & Survey Work

• Preliminary Ecological Appraisals and Ecological Clerk of Works
• Macroinvertebrate and water quality monitoring
• Fish population and habitat surveys
• eDNA and INNS surveys
• River habitat surveys, flow gauging and water level monitoring

Environmental Assessments

• Nutrient neutrality assessments
• Water Framework Directive (WFD) assessments
• Habitats Regulations Assessments (HRA)
• Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA)
• Marine licensing and flood risk permitting

What We’re Looking For

• Principal-level experience in environmental consultancy
• Strong background in aquatic ecology, hydro-ecology or similar
• Proven experience managing and developing staff
• Track record of winning work and building client relationships

Technical Expertise

• Strong knowledge of hydro-ecological survey techniques, legislation and policy
• Experience delivering high-quality reports and assessments

Skills

• Excellent communication and organisational skills
• Ability to manage people, budgets and multiple projects
• Proactive, collaborative and solutions-focused approach
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle with business insurance

Working at Thomson

At Thomson, we strive to be the very best at what we do—for our clients and for each other.

We believe inOne Thomson: valuing every individual’s unique skills and experiences, and working together to deliver exceptional service.

Our people are our greatest asset. We are proud of ourfriendly, supportive and can-do culture, wherenothing is too much trouble. We live and breathe ourRISE values – Respect, Integrity, Support and Excellence—and we are constantly evolving, with your voice helping shape our future.

We actively promote ahealthy work-life balance, offering flexibility and a supportive environment where people can thrive. We embrace new challenges, work collaboratively, and celebrate success together.

We are passionate aboutcareer development. You’ll have access to:

• Industry-accredited external training
• Specialist-led internal training
• Opportunities to work across disciplines
• The chance to contribute to and leadhigh-profile, once-in-a-lifetime projects

We also offer a competitive benefits package, including:

• 25 days annual leave
• Enhanced stakeholder pension scheme
• Life insurance
• Discounted gym membership
• Paid professional memberships
• Clothing allowance
• Performance-related rewards and long service awards
• Free parking
• Regular social and company events

We are also committed to giving back, with strong involvement incharity fundraising and local community initiatives.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

As an equal opportunities employer, Thomson is committed to the fair and equal treatment of all current and prospective employees. We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind.

We are buildingdiverse and inclusive workplaceand strongly encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds. We believe diversity strengthens our team and enhances the work we do.

Ready to make a difference?

If you’re a skilled and motivated professional looking for a role where you can lead, influence and deliver meaningful environmental impact, we’d love to hear from you.