Technical Principal / Director Energy Environment

MOTT MACDONALD; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Health cash plan

Flexible benefits

Employee ownership

Job summary

Mott MacDonald is seeking an Environmental Consultant at Technical Principal/Director level to join its energy team. The role focuses on providing environmental direction for projects across energy networks, nuclear, and renewables. It includes leading consent-led teams, business development, and mentoring staff.

The position involves delivering environmental and consenting strategy, coordinating with engineering colleagues, and ensuring compliant, high-quality outputs. Travel is required.

Qualifications

• Fluent English required with strong written and oral communication.
• Experience leading DCO applications and permitting for UK energy projects.
• Proven ability to develop client relationships and prepare proposals for new opportunities.
• Strong understanding of technical aspects of energy projects and consent processes.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and writing skills; capable of mentoring juniors.

Responsibilities

• Lead environment and consent team for large linear energy projects.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to ensure environmental considerations in development.
• Support contractors to meet environmental requirements and deliverables.
• Provide leadership, direction, and technical assurance on projects.
• Manage client relationships and oversee sub-consultants.
• Contribute to business plan execution and growth strategy.
• Travel as required.

Skills

English fluency

DCO applications

Client relationships

Proposal writing

Technical energy projects

Team leadership

Budget & timescales

Mentoring juniors

Interpersonal skills

Education

Degree & Masters in Environmental Subject

Job description

Location/s:

UK-wide

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 thebusinessunit

The Energy unit delivers services to clients globally across several sectors including hydropower, nuclear, waste, renewable generation and transmission & distribution networks. Together we provide integrated engineering and project management services across the project lifecycle – from concept and design to construction and operations, to decommissioning or repowering and life extension. Together with our clients, we're helping to deliver the energy transition globally.

Overview of the role

Mott MacDonald's energy environment and social team is at the leading edge of delivering environmental services for energy projects. We pride ourselves on the working relationship between our engineering and environmental colleagues operating a ‘one team' approach to maximise benefits for our clients.

We're looking for a Technical Principal or Technical Director level environmental consultant to join our energy team and play an important role in ambitious growth.

The focus of the role will be providing environmental and consenting technical direction for a range of projects primarily in the energy network sectors, but also nuclear and renewables. These could include grid connections and large scale transmission and distribution and pipeline projects. The role will also require leading business development activities through engagement with key clients and bidding for new prospects.

Key elements of the role will include:

• Leading the environment and consent team for large linear projects in the energy sector
• Working closely with our engineering colleagues as part of consent led teams to ensure environmental considerations are made during project development
• Supporting contractors meet environmental requirements
• Providing leadership and guidance for project teams and technically assuring deliverables
• Directing projects
• Building relationships with clients
• Managing sub-consultants
• Responsibility for approving technical and commercial aspects of proposals
• Playing a key role in the delivery of teams business plan and growth strategy
• Travel

You'd be part of a truly multidisciplinary team; working alongside some of the best environmental specialists, social specialists and engineers in the industry.

Candidate specification

• Fluent in English
• Degree and Masters qualified in an environmental subject
• Led DCO applications and permitting for UK energy projects such as transmission and distribution, solar, hydro, wind, and thermal generation technologies
• Extensive experience in developing client relationships and preparing proposals for new project opportunities
• Understanding of the technical aspects of energy projects
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and writing skills
• Experience of providing support and guidance to junior members of staff
• Able to work within a team and motivate others to deliver to high standards
• Able to meet challenging budgets and timescales
• A high standard in an environmental specialism and a broader awareness of other environmental or social disciplines
• Experience of options appraisals and iterative design processes

Please be advised that offers for this role are conditional upon obtaining the appropriate level of Security Clearance.

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.

Agile working

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

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at [e-mail] and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Employee Ownership

• Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.
• Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
• As your career grows, so does your stake, recognising your long-term impact and contribution.
• Your voice matters, with the opportunity to connect directly with senior leadership through formal channels to help shape our future.
• For our senior roles you will have a direct pathway towards ownership from day one.

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• 10 days additional paid leave for Armed Forces Reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years' service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.
• We offer policies and dedicated support to help military families balance service life with career and wellbeing.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and Gold Award holders in the MOD Employer Recognition Scheme, supported by our dedicated internal Armed Forces Network.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.