Environmental Specialist

JN Bentley Experienced Careers; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 57,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension contributions 4.5-7%

Annual bonus schemes

Professional subscription coverage

Flexible working

Life Assurance

Private Medical Insurance

Health screening

Job summary

Mott MacDonald Bentley is seeking an Environmental Specialist to join the environment team across the UK. You will identify environmental risks, coordinate inputs from ecology, archaeology and other disciplines, and ensure timely delivery of environmental deliverables and permit applications.

You will contribute to sustainability initiatives, work with project teams, and support training while engaging with regulators and clients to uphold high environmental standards.

Qualifications

• Chartered with a relevant professional body or working towards chartership.
• Knowledge of ecology, archaeology, drainage, geotechnical, contaminated land, landscape, or noise.
• Awareness of planning processes and permits/consents for construction activities.
• Ability to coordinate environmental aspects with planning, organisation and communication.
• Experience in biodiversity net gain and sustainability initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Identify environmental risks across project lifecycle and define mitigation measures.
• Liaise with regulators and advise clients on environmental matters.
• Coordinate inputs from heritage, ecology, archaeology and other specialists.
• Produce environmental deliverables (EIA screening, environmental management plans).
• Prepare permit and consent applications and support training delivery.

Skills

Environmental risk management

Project coordination

Stakeholder communication

Education

Chartered status / working towards chartership

Job description

Mott MacDonald Bentley is a fully integrated design and build business combining the design expertise of Mott MacDonald with the contracting experience of JN Bentley to deliver award winning projects. Working for Mott MacDonald Bentley, you will work on major water and wastewater schemes throughout all phases of the project from feasibility through to construction. With an annual turnover surpassing £500 million, Mott Macdonald Bentley cements its position as a leader within the industry. The sustained, robust business performance creates an ideal environment for career growth.

We joined a new partnership in Northumbrian Water’s new Living Water Enterprise, an innovative vehicle developed to deliver large scale construction programmes in AMP8 and beyond, supporting a £3.6bn workload. Northumbrian Water supplies water and sewerage services to just under 4.4 million people and has worked closely with MMB and JN Bentley since 2001. In this time, the companies have delivered hundreds of engineering and construction projects together. This new contract will extend the relationship to at least 2030 and see MMB – which harnesses the contracting strength of JN Bentley and the design specialisms of Mott MacDonald - undertake treatment projects across the North East.

We are looking for a proactive Environmental Specialist who will be part of our environment team co-located across the UK, supporting a regional team comprised of both design and operation staff.

As Environmental Specialist, you will:

• Identify specific environmental risks throughout the project lifecycle, from solution definition to completion.
• Support projects teams to develop environmental risk mitigation measures, with consideration of cost, time, compliance, safety and social impacts.
• Identify, plan and coordinate project environmental specialist inputs (e.g. heritage and archaeology, ecology, geomorphology), to ensure that all environmental tasks are completed at the correct time and to the required standards, including prioritising risks.
• Able to produce specific environmental deliverables at appropriate project milestones e.g. EIA screening assessments, material management plans, and environmental management plans.
• Able to produce applications for environmental permits and consents.
• Lead on the liaison with environmental regulators.
• Positively engage with our clients regarding environmental and consenting matters, develop relationships and enhance our reputation.
• Contribute to environmental improvement projects at both local and regional level.
• Assist in the production and delivery of training.

What you’ll need:

• Chartered with a relevant professional body or actively working towards chartership
• An understanding of environmental disciplines and project risks in the following areas: ecology, archaeology, drainage, geotechnical, contaminated land, landscape, noise. More in-depth knowledge and experience in one of these subject areas is desirable.
• Awareness of the planning process (preferably the water sector), including the need for surveys as well as permits and consents for relevant construction activities.
• Able to coordinate the management of environmental aspects through a high level of planning, organisation, and communication, to ensure successful project outcomes.
• Experience in advising and promoting on project sustainability initiatives, including an understanding of biodiversity net gain.
• A valid driving licence and willingness to travel to sites.

What’s in it for you:

Financial wellbeing

• MMB match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues including our annual bonus schemes.
• Payment of annual professional institution subscription costs.

Health and wellbeing

• A minimum of 33 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays, with the ability to buy, sell or carry over annual leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Access to Life Assurance / Private Medical Insurance / Critical Illness Insurance and Health Screening options.
• We are happy to talk openly about flexible working and how we can support your responsibilities beyond the workplace.
• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.

Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave plus the option for shared parental leave.
• Up to 2 paid additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities.

Learning and development

• MMB are committed to empowering our people to grow professionally and thrive in their careers. We offer structured development schemes that support your journey toward professional chartership. From day one, employees are fast-tracked towards chartership reviews and benefit from mentorship, hands‑on experience, and tailored training opportunities.

Mott MacDonald Bentley 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.