Natural Capital and Nature Based Solutions

Overview

Role: Natural Capital and Nature Based Solutions (Principal Consultant/AD)

Location: UK Flexible / Hybrid

Salary range: £48,000 - £60,000 plus benefits

Role ID: 1709

Our vision is to create a safe and sustainable world

Ricardo plc is a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company, listed on the London Stock Exchange. With over 100 years of engineering excellence and employing close to 3,000 employees in more than 20 countries, we provide exceptional levels of expertise in delivering leading-edge and innovative cross-sector sustainable products and solutions. Every day, we enable our customers to solve the most complex and dynamic challenges to help achieve a safe and sustainable world.

Energy & Environment, one of Ricardo plc’s five operating business units, is a leader in sustainability consultancy, solving complex environmental challenges through industry-leading analysis, advice and data. With more than 40 years of heritage in addressing air quality, environmental and sustainability issues, our customers value us for our deep understanding and breadth of services covering the entire value chain from evidence, policy & strategy to implementation.

We are currently looking for an expert in Natural Capital and Nature Based Solutions environmental decision making to drive forward our business in this area and to join our Water and Environmental Resources team.

Key responsibilities

• To develop and grow our Natural Capital and associated Nature Based Solutions and catchment management offerings in the context of a change policy environment.
• Working collaboratively across a range of disciplines and especially with our growing Biodiversity net gain and Nature Based Solutions experts and our climate change, policy and economists within in the business.
• Work alongside our senior team to identify opportunities both in the UK and if the successful candidate has the expertise, more widely.
• Grow our internal expertise and more widely as business grows, and to our current team.
• You will also be required to lead teams on complex projects for a variety of clients providing technical services and advice.
• You will be expected to take on a mentoring role and potentially team management of those who have experience in these areas.
• We would expect the successful applicant to work closely with the senior management team and to identify new opportunities.

Key competencies and experience

• An ambition to develop new business.
• Experience working for an environmental consultancy.
• Experience in proposal writing and winning work.
• An environmentally related degree (ideally with a post-graduate qualification).
• Demonstrable experience of leading complex technical inputs and teams for successful project delivery including Natural Capital/Ecosystem services assessments.
• Expert knowledge of regulatory context in terms of Natural Capital and associated Biodiversity indicators (including Net Gain in the UK).
• Ability and keenness to both mentor a team and support technically.

Skills and behaviours

• Excellent organisational skills.
• Collaborative team working and communication skills.
• The ability to manage and prioritise workload and assist others in doing so.
• Effective stakeholder liaison and management skills, including keeping clients and internal project staff up to date with progress, programme changes and tasks.
• Ability to manage and support technical input into proposals
• Ability to support judicial and expert witness work and reviews would be advantageous
• The position would suit an individual who already has technical capability but is also eager to learn more and support very active business development opportunities.

Desirable

• A first degree in a relevant environmental discipline ideally with a post graduate degree.
• Working toward Chartership via CIWEM, ICE or other relevant professional body.
• Currently much of our work of this nature is based in the UK however, we do have growing expertise in Europe, Australia, and the Middle East in particular. If you have international experience as well as a sound UK understanding (essential) this would be advantageous.
• An understanding of social and environmental economics together with a background in Water and/or ecology.

Working here

Ricardo is an exciting and rewarding place to work and you have the opportunity to make a difference. You will work with teams of talented, dedicated, and supportive individuals. Alongside having a fantastic opportunity to develop your career with us through our broad range of projects, mentoring opportunities and a personalised approach to your learning and development. We are always keen to hear from people who have driven, ambition and a flair for innovative thinking.

Wellbeing and work life balance

We offer flexible approaches to work, whether that's working from home, being in the office, or as a hybrid worker. We're happy to discuss flexible working arrangements. Wellbeing is at the core to our culture, allowing employees to flourish and to achieve their full potential. Our People are important to us, and we take pride in our wellbeing programmes and policies that support individuals including flexible working, carers policy, mental health first aiders and readily available support through our extensive Employee Assistance programme.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion statement

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person's potential, and we'll help you reach yours. We have an ambitious diversity, equality, and inclusion approach as explained here. We value diversity; recognising that a more diverse workforce creates a richer and more varied working environment. Diversity also drives innovation, by allowing us to offer our clients the best consultancy service that we can. As part of our commitment to engage positively and pro-actively with all our employees and ensure a culture of inclusivity, we are a recognised as a 'disability confident' employer.

Benefits

Our core benefits include 25 days' annual leave, plus 8 flexible bank holidays, a competitive company pension scheme, life assurance and professional subscriptions reimbursement. We also offer a wide range of flexible benefits to suit your lifestyle.

Once you have submitted your application a member of our Recruitment Team will be in touch. Please be aware that the timing can vary dependent on the volume of applications that we receive for each role and in some cases, we may start to review applications prior to the closing date.