Principal Wetland Specialist

Mott MacDonald; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Mott MacDonald is seeking a Principal Wetland Specialist to lead complex wetlands projects within the Water Consultancy Division. You will guide technical direction, develop nature-based solutions, and coordinate across treated water and wastewater initiatives.

Reporting to the Technical Director for nature-based solutions, you will shape option identification, feasibility studies, and detailed design for innovative wetlands.

Qualifications

• Chartered (or near Chartership) with an appropriate professional body.
• Experience leading wetlands and nature-based solutions projects.
• Strong communications and stakeholder engagement skills.
• UK immigration and hybrid working considerations for the UK.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for wetlands, driving innovation and efficiencies.
• Lead feasibility and design of wetlands for catchment management and wastewater treatment.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across water, civil, ecology, and operations.
• Build and manage client relationships and engage stakeholders.
• Mentor colleagues and promote knowledge sharing.
• Oversee projects ensuring timely, cost-effective delivery and high quality outcomes.

Skills

Technical leadership

Process models

Data analysis

Wastewater treatment

Continuous improvement

Project delivery

Stakeholder engagement

Business development

Team leadership

Public speaking

Education

Chartered engineer

Tools

Process modelling software

Job description

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London, GB Bristol, GB Birmingham, GB Brighton, GB Reading, GB Leeds, GB Cardiff, GB

Contract Type: Permanent

Work Pattern: Full Time

Market: Water

Job Ref: 15996

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices.

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual.

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About thedivision

The Water Consultancy Division is Mott MacDonald’s centre of excellence for responding to water and wastewater challenges, offering fantastic opportunities to get involved in diverse and technically challenging work. The work we do is at the forefront of ensuring safe water supplies for future generations and protecting our environment. Our multi-disciplinary teams provide a variety of services throughout the full project life cycle, from advisory services and feasibility studies, through outline and detailed design, to construction support and site supervision.

Overview of the role

We are looking for an established wetland specialist to join our team. We worked on the industry-leading Dearne Reach and Witches Oak projects and are delivering a suite of nature-based solution programmes across major water utilities during AMP8, as well as other clients. As a Principal Wetland Specialist, you will report to our Technical Director for nature-based solutions and will be part of a highly respected wetland team. You will be responsible for technical direction and quality, whether applying innovative thinking to new or established services or developing your own concepts.

You will take a key role in need definition, option identification and assessment, feasibility assessments, concept design and detailed design of wetland solutions for catchment management and wastewater treatment. Typical solutions include established nature-based solutions such as facultative lagoons, reedbeds, vertical and horizontal flow wetlands as well as integrated constructed wetlands (ICWs), floating treatment wetlands, and the growing application of constructed wetlands for storm water and combined sewer overflow (CSO) treatment. As a Wetlands Specialist, your remit will cover a range of technical, management and commercial/client-facing activities.

Key responsibilities and duties include:

• Provide technical leadership for wetlands, driving innovation and efficiencies and grow our reputation in the industry
• Build and run process models to determine size and configuration of systems to treat wastewater
• Identify data requirements and analysis to inform design and performance assessments
• Maintain and share up to date knowledge of wastewater treatment and emerging technologies
• Identify continuous improvement opportunities for treatment, efficiency, energy consumption and carbon
• Oversee projects, ensuring timely, cost-effective delivery of high-quality project outcomes
• Work as part of a multidisciplinary project team including treatment, civil engineering, mechanical and electricalengineering, landscape, ecology, climate, social and operational specialist teams
• Build and manage strong relationships with clients
• Engage stakeholders in the planning, design and delivery of wetlands, and work collaboratively with partners
• Support, mentor and train colleagues
• Drive thought leadership, technical excellence and knowledge sharing
• Thorough understanding of processes and design principals of wetlands, including for wastewater treatment
• Ability to apply recognised process models to size wetland options
• Experience applying wetland and hybrid solutions
• Familiarity with relevant legislation and regulation in the UK and Ireland
• Chartered (or near Chartership) with an appropriate professional body
• Creative thinker and problem solver
• Confident to present technical information to a wide-ranging audience with different backgrounds and expertis
• Proven track record in business development, bid/proposal and project delivery
• Multi-disciplinary design co-ordination experience with professional consultancy
• Experience working with wetland process supply chain and specialist contractors
• Able to inspire others and grow a team
• Technical skills in complementary areas such as hydrology and water quality, river restoration, nature-based solutions

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

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