Thrive on openness, respect and collaboration? Good. Us too. Join as our new UK Nature & Biodiversity as an Associate and thrive in a culture where wellbeing and tackling complex challenges is intrinsic.
The role can be based from either our Bath or London offices with hybrid working.
The Team
This is an opportunity to work with a dedicated and passionate team, in a bespoke organisation that values innovation, and real outcomes that make a difference. The Nature and Biodiversity team forms an integral part of the business and helps to shape entire projects by being involved at the outset and putting strategies in place to protect the environment, determine biodiversity priorities and weave best practice and net gain into their fabric. Our focus on strategic level projects, results in a highly varied and interesting workload.
The existing team’s ethos is supportive and collaborative and encourages independent thinking, allowing staff to work autonomously, and supporting them to grow their career in the direction that they choose. The team prides itself on the consistent use of best practice and the quality of its work. If you're looking to make a positive impact and create real change you will be rewarded with an excellent salary and access to extensive learning and development opportunities, generous pension contributions, private medical, life, dental and travel insurance, flexible leave, and more.
You will be responsible for supporting the UK lead with the strategic growth of our UK Nature and Biodiversity team and input into the broader nature-based solutions, ecosystem services and sustainability offers.
You will be expected to provide project and technical leadership, team line-management and mentoring and delivery of UK planning projects. The role will also require engagement with clients and collaboration across multiple disciplines to develop and deliver holistic solutions to the joint climate and nature crisis. You will be part of the wider Nature and Biodiversity team, which includes both UK and internationally focused ecologists.
Your skills & Experience
We are looking for candidates who are curious, driven, have a strong understanding of the changing ecological landscape, are fast learners and open minded, and passionate about delivering positive outcomes. You will be able to demonstrate:
- Experience in coaching and mentoring junior staff to develop their technical and consultancy skills and fostering a positive team culture
- A strong awareness of recent developments in the ecology sector, including biodiversity net gain, off-site credits and nature-based solutions
- Understanding and experience in the application of Biodiversity Net Gain and how it relates to other ecosystem services, as well as being able to communicate the wider benefits of biodiversity to clients
- A client focussed approach and the ability to find solutions to complex ecological issues
- A through technical understanding of, and experience in, the UK planning system, ecological legislation and best practice
- Experience of providing ecological services for infrastructure projects, including road and rail schemes
- Experience in managing resources, budgets and leading the preparation of bids and proposals
- Being a full member of CIEEM or similar
Key duties
You will be part of the senior Nature and Biodiversity team helping inform its strategic direction and growth, with specific responsibilities for:
- Leading, and supporting others to lead, the technical components of complex UK projects
- Providing senior input into multidisciplinary projects, including liaising across disciplines, presenting findings and recommendations to clients, managing team inputs and being responsible for deliverables
- Advising on biodiversity restoration/enhancement, and the integration of green infrastructure and nature-based solutions to secure biodiversity gain and strengthen climate change resilience
- Project management, including resource planning, managing budgets, and contribution to work winning, including the preparation of proposals
- Maintaining productive relationships with key clients to make sure that sustainable levels of new and repeat business are achieved
- Taking an active role in the mentorship of the team where appropriate
- Maintaining and developing the highest standards of technical quality; continuously seeking to develop the discipline through innovation and creativity
- Supporting the UK Lead with the management of the team.
What we offer you
Bring your knowledge and expertise to one of the world’s most respected consultancies.
- Hybrid working arrangements.
- Attractive salary and benefits package including, private medical insurance, life assurance and income protection.
- 10% Car allowance
- Holiday entitlement of 25 days per annum (exclusive of bank holidays) and flexible holiday arrangements.
- Generous company pension scheme.
- Flexible benefits including cycle scheme, dental insurance, optical cover, travel insurance, season ticket loans, and corporate discounts.
- Enhanced parenthood leave policies.
- 3pm finish on the last Friday of the month.
- A strong commitment to your continuous development. Whatever stage in your career, we have a learning and development programme that will enable and empower you.
- Entitlement to two memberships to professional bodies or subscriptions
- A commitment to your wellbeing through a comprehensive employee assistance programme and wellbeing activities. A supportive and inclusive environment that will welcome you through social and outreach activities from the Young Employees Forum to mentoring.
- An international culture that wherever your career takes you at Buro Happold, you won’t be far from the exceptional. #LI-NG1 #LI-Hybrid
Apply today and be where exceptional is everywhere. #
A place for everyone
Buro Happold values an individual's flexible approaches to working patterns as an important part of how you work and achieve balance. We welcome applications from those who are seeking flexibility in their careers.
Our exceptional portfolio of projects is the result of the diversity of thought, identities, backgrounds, and experiences that shape us. Appreciating each other’s differences is key, we want employees to feel they don’t have to mask elements of their identity to thrive.
We are working to change the lack of representation of marginalised groups in the built environment. We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who feels they are underrepresented in the industry. We have much to learn from one another. Embracing differences allows us to develop the most innovative and elegant solutions.
Please let us know if there are any adjustments we could make to the application process to make it easier and more comfortable for you. Contact recruitment@burohappold.com so we can work with you to support you throughout your application.