Senior Marine Environmental Scientist

Location/s: Norwich, Colwyn Bay, Croydon, Brighton, Southampton, Cambridge, Reading; UK
Recruiter contact: Emma Cantley

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices. 

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual. 

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About the business division
Environmental and social considerations are central to Mott MacDonald’s Purpose and its offerings across all sectors and territories. Our environment and social business provides essential services and innovative solutions which anticipate our clients' needs across all sectors.

Overview of the role
The Marine Environment team is a growing group of individuals from regulatory, survey, consultancy, and academic backgrounds, bringing diversity of experience and interests. 

We welcome forward-thinking individuals to be part of our growing marine environment offering and are recruiting a Senior Marine Environmental Scientist to join the team. They will help lead our diverse array of projects, whether that comprises assessing the impact of space launches on the marine environment to developing coherent marine spatial plans or ensuring ecologically sustainable Port authority expansion plans in the UK and internationally. Our diverse range of projects vary from concept outline design and advice, ensuring nature is included from the start, to working on fully formed designs to discharge conditions. 

In this role you will be responsible for supporting a variety of multi-disciplinary projects for a range of clients across the UK and internationally. We are a cross-disciplinary team working with engineers, numerical modellers, water quality specialist and terrestrial ecologists across the business, which offers opportunities for technical knowledge exchange and continued professional development. We’ve used that collaboration to find innovative solutions for our clients revieing impacts of space vehicle launches on marine environments, digital solutions to marine spatial plans, award winning Port and coastal defence projects, and first forays into intertidal BNG application in England. We strive to provide our clients with sustainable solutions by constantly looking at challenges from a fresh angle and maintaining collaborative relationships, discussing opportunities, and bringing fresh ideas and perspectives.

The role may involve project management, mentoring of junior staff, as well as business development in line with current growth plans depending on candidate experience and interest and level of experience in each of these areas. This role will suit dynamic, proactive individuals who want to work in a growth area of our business, supporting the delivery of marine environmental services in an innovative, client focussed, commercial environment.

Candidate specification
If you think this could be the job you are looking for, then we would like to hear from you if you have experience in the majority of the following:

Essential:

• A degree in biology/ecology/marine environmental science or directly related subject is essential and an additional higher degree would be an advantage but not necessary
• Full Member of a relevant professional body or equivalent, Chartership as a preference but willingness to work towards this if not yet attained
• Good working knowledge of UK marine environmental legislation including planning processes, marine licensing and/or EIA/HRA assessments
• Excellent knowledge, understanding and experience of applying relevant guidance for surveys and a willingness to train team members
• Proficiency in report writing skills, displaying high standards with attention to detail and ability to write accurate and concise reports
• Ability to lead projects by ensuring deliverables, budgets and programmes targets are met

Desirable:

• Fish ecology, fisheries, or marine and coastal ornithology
• Ecological enhancements, biodiversity/marine net gain and nature-based solutions
• Marine pollutants, water, and sediment quality
   

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. 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.

Agile working  

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well-being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion 

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at reasonable.adjustments@mottmac.com and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long-term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high-street retailers.

 Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self-development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click here.