Senior Nature & Environment Policy Consultant

ICF; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical

Dental insurance

Pension

Life cover

Parental leave

Job summary

ICF is seeking a Senior Consultant – Nature and Environment to support delivery and growth of its portfolio for Defra and its arm’s-length bodies, with a focus on natural environment policy.

The role combines strong project management with technical, research and policy expertise; the postholder will manage multiple projects, contribute to technical delivery and help mobilise new work across biodiversity and related environmental policy areas.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent professional experience in environmental policy, ecology, environmental science, social research, evaluation, economics or a related discipline.
• Relevant consulting, research, policy or programme delivery experience, with demonstrable responsibility for managing projects or substantial workstreams.
• Knowledge of UK natural environment policy and delivery, such as biodiversity, nature recovery, protected sites, land management or environmental monitoring.
• Experience of monitoring, evaluation, applied research or evidence-based policy work.
• Strong project management skills, including planning, resourcing, risk management, budget oversight and quality assurance.
• Ability to contribute technically while maintaining oversight of delivery, commercial performance and client requirements.
• Strong analytical, written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce clear client-ready outputs.
• Experience working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and external partners.
• Desirable experience: experience delivering work for Defra or UK public-sector clients; theory-based or value-for-money evaluation; knowledge of biodiversity targets and nature recovery; managing supplier inputs; contributing to competitive proposals and costed workplans.

Responsibilities

• Contribute technical expertise to monitoring, evaluation, research and learning projects in the natural environment field.
• Support the design of evaluation questions, theories of change, monitoring frameworks, research methods and evidence synthesis approaches.
• Undertake and oversee qualitative and quantitative research, analysis and reporting, ensuring outputs are robust, practical and accessible to policy audiences.
• Apply knowledge of UK environmental policy and delivery contexts to interpret evidence and develop useful conclusions and recommendations.
• Provide technical review and quality assurance for the work of junior colleagues and delivery partners.
• Manage a portfolio of small and medium-sized nature- and environment-related projects, taking responsibility for delivery planning, resourcing, budgets, risks, quality and client reporting.
• Mobilise new projects quickly, establishing proportionate governance, clear roles, realistic workplans and effective project controls.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary ICF teams and delivery partners, ensuring inputs are integrated and deadlines are met.
• Monitor progress, dependencies, risks and financial performance, taking timely corrective action where required.
• Maintain clear and constructive client relationships, provide concise progress updates and manage changes to scope or delivery expectations.
• Contribute to project plans and bids, including shaping methods, workplans, resourcing and budgets.
• Work flexibly across ICF’s environment portfolio, supporting priority projects and emerging client needs.
• Help identify opportunities to retain and grow nature and environment work within ICF.
• Support the development of reusable methods, tools, guidance and learning across the team.
• Coach junior staff, supporting their technical and project delivery development.

Skills

Project management

Environmental policy

Research methods

Data analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Team leadership

Education

Degree in environmental policy or related field

Job description

ICF is seeking a Senior Consultant – Nature and Environment to support delivery and growth of its portfolio for Defra and its arm’s-length bodies, with a focus on natural environment policy.

The role combines strong project management with technical, research and policy expertise; the postholder will manage multiple projects, contribute to technical delivery and help mobilise new work across biodiversity and related environmental policy areas.