Associate Director / Technical Director - Bat Specialist (Nationwide)

Overview / Responsibilities

Within the UK, Wood has one of the largest biodiversity, EIA, and planning consultancy teams. Our UK biodiversity staff are 70 strong, made up of diverse and passionate specialists who take pride in delivering a wide range of high-quality ecological services on complex projects across a diverse range of sectors in UK and international markets, including low carbon and hydrogen, transport, renewables, nuclear, power, waste, minerals and property.

We have a fantastic opportunity for an Associate Director/Technical Director experienced in bat ecology, licensing, and project delivery to join our biodiversity team. Wood has an established team of bat licensed ecologists and tree climbers across the UK, with project opportunities in the UK and increasingly, internationally; this role represents an exciting opportunity to lead, shape and grow the delivery of our bat service offering both across the UK and abroad.

Open to applications nationwide, we are seeking a candidate who can provide clear and innovative ecology advice and who can lead on the biodiversity elements of development projects with a particular specialism in bat survey, mitigation and licencing. The successful applicant will enjoy the benefits of working within a caring ‘people first’ team which champions Wood’s commitments to diversity, inclusion and equality.

This role will involve

• Providing clients with the accurate, innovative, and proportionate biodiversity technical and consenting advice in relation to our development and infrastructure projects in the UK and internationally with a particular specialism in bat survey and mitigation
• Lead on designing and implementing international survey work with regards to bats. This role can be conducted from the UK (international travel if desired). Wood is lead consultant on biodiversity delivery for a major international infrastructure project, as this work grows the existing team requires a bat technical specialist to lead on client liaison, survey design and delivery. This work is truly ground-breaking, collecting baseline data in a part of the world where very limited bat survey has previously been undertaken. This exciting role would include shaping and leading the bat project delivery team, including liaison with UK and international experts, managing the survey team, subcontractors and data outputs and authoring high quality reports with the associated quality, schedule and budget management responsibilities
• Lead in writing and holding EPS licence applications with regards to bats in support of UK development projects
• Mentor, coach and support junior staff. We are passionate about continual professional development and look to our senior staff to provide on the job coaching, mentoring and support to ensure our team members grow and develop to achieve their aspirations and meet our client needs
• Lead, shape and grow the delivery of Wood’s bat service offering, working with the existing team to ensure Wood remains at the front of cutting-edge best practice, adopting the latest technologies and survey approaches and maintaining technical excellence across the team

Qualifications

What are we looking for

• A significant body of experience at a senior/director level within an organisation delivering development /infrastructure projects within the UK; overseas experience would be advantageous
• Demonstrable track record in the leadership of biodiversity contributions to projects, including designing and leading large scale bat survey programmes, data collation and mitigation design
• Extensive experience in writing, implementing and being named ecologist on EPS mitigation licences, particularly related to bats
• Experience in stakeholder engagement, including wide-ranging technical engagement, subcontractor management and consultation with regulators, local authorities and NGOs
• Team leadership experience, including within the project context and bat technical discipline leadership
• Demonstrable and detailed knowledge of the bat survey and mitigation best practice and insight into changes in the industry and how to adapt to ensure technical excellence
• Ideally will have an industry recognised status

Salary & Benefits

• Competitive director level salary
• Flexible working
• Company car or cash alternative (includes personal use)
• Competitive 25 days holiday (in addition to bank holidays) with options to buy / sell additional days leave
• Flexible benefits scheme including health insurance for self and dependents, enhanced maternity and primary carer allowances, life insurance, dental insurance, cycle to work scheme and generous pension scheme contributions

Company Overview

Wood is a global leader in engineering and consultancy across energy and the built environment, helping to unlock solutions to some of the world’s most critical challenges. We provide consulting, projects and operations solutions in more than 60 countries, employing around 40,000 people. www.woodplc.com

Diversity Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer that recognises the value of a diverse workforce. All suitably qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment on the basis of objective criteria and without regard to the following (which is a non-exhaustive list): race, colour, age, religion, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or other characteristics in accordance with the relevant governing laws.