Principal Technical Consultant: Nature and Biodiversity
The ERM International Group View all jobs
- Dublin
- Permanent
- Full-time
- Act as technical lead for complex terrestrial, freshwater and/or ornithological ecology scopes across infrastructure, energy, renewables, and development projects.
- Lead and review Ecological Impact Assessments (EcIA), HRA inputs, biodiversity chapters for EIAs, and supporting technical reports.
- Provide authoritative advice on UK planning policy, protected species legislation, habitats regulations, and biodiversity net gain (BNG).
- Oversee and quality‑review field survey design, interpretation of results, and mitigation strategies.
- Ensure technical outputs meet ERM quality standards, best practice guidance, and client expectations.
- Support or lead project delivery, including scope definition, programme planning, budget control, and risk management for ecology packages.
- Contribute to proposal development, including methodology writing, resourcing, pricing, and technical input to bids.
- Identify opportunities to grow ecology scopes within wider CPD projects and frameworks.
- Support workload planning and resourcing discussions in collaboration with team leads.
- Build trusted relationships with key clients, acting as a senior technical point of contact.
- Represent ERM in technical meetings with regulators, statutory consultees, and stakeholders.
- Provide pragmatic, solution‑focused advice to help clients navigate consenting and environmental risk.
- Provide line management and/or technical mentoring to consultants and senior consultants within the ecology team.
- Support capability development, knowledge sharing, and upskilling within the team.
- Contribute to succession planning and talent development initiatives within CPD Ecology.
- Champion high standards of health, safety, and environmental performance.
- Contribute to internal technical communities, guidance development, and innovation initiatives.
- Support continuous improvement in ecology delivery efficiency and consistency.
- Degree (or higher) in Ecology, Environmental Science, or a related discipline.
- Extensive experience delivering ecological consultancy services in the UK.
- Strong working knowledge of UK wildlife legislation, planning policy, and environmental consenting processes.
- Proven experience leading ecology inputs to EIAs and large infrastructure projects.
- Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, programmes, and client relationships.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Membership of a relevant professional body (e.g. CIEEM) at an appropriate level.
- Chartered Ecologist or working towards chartership.
- Specialist expertise (e.g. ornithology, freshwater ecology, BNG, protected species licensing).
- Experience working within multidisciplinary project teams.
- Experience contributing to frameworks or long‑term client programmes.
- Credible senior technical authority with a collaborative mindset.
- Commercially aware and delivery‑focused.
- Calm and pragmatic under pressure.
- Committed to developing people and building high‑performing teams.
- Aligned with ERM values and purpose‑led consultancy.
- Reports to: Ecology Team Lead / Technical Discipline Lead
- Works closely with: EIA Leads, Project Managers, Technical Directors, and CPD Leadership
- Interfaces with clients, regulators, and statutory consultees