Associate Director - Geo-Environmental

At Ocean to Earth Recruitment, we are proud to be partnering with a growing, ambitious geo-environmental consultancy at a pivotal moment in its journey.  This is a deliberate investment in leadership, created to help shape the next phase of the business.

For the right person, this is a rare opportunity: to step into a senior position where your influence will be visible, your decisions will matter, and your legacy will be measurable.

🌍 The Opportunity — A New Challenge Worth Taking

Our client has built a strong reputation for technical excellence and trusted delivery across geo-environmental services. Now, they are entering a period of expansion—broadening their reach, deepening client relationships, and taking on increasingly complex and high-impact projects.

They are seeking an Associate Director who is ready to move beyond delivery alone and into true leadership:

• shaping projects,

• developing people,

• strengthening client partnerships,

• and contributing to strategic growth.

This is a role for someone who wants more than oversight—someone who wants ownership.

🚀 The Impact You Will Have

This position sits at the intersection of technical excellence, commercial performance, and leadership. Your work will ripple across the organisation.

You will:

• Lead the delivery of complex geo-environmental and contaminated land projects that directly influence land use, regeneration, and environmental protection.

• Elevate technical standards and ensure that every project reflects rigour, integrity, and innovation.

• Build and mentor a high-performing team, shaping the next generation of specialists.

• Strengthen and expand client relationships, becoming a trusted advisor on critical environmental challenges.

• Contribute to the strategic direction of the business, influencing how services evolve and grow.

In short, you won’t just deliver projects—you will help define what the business becomes.

🧭 The Journey — From Expert to Leader

Every strong career has a moment where the question shifts from “What can I deliver?” to “What can I build?”

This role is that moment.

You may already be leading projects and teams. You may already be trusted by clients. But here, you will step into something broader:

• From managing projects → shaping a portfolio

• From mentoring individuals → building a culture

• From delivering work → driving a vision

With direct access to senior leadership and close collaboration with the Managing Director, you will be positioned not just to execute—but to influence.

🛠️ What You’ll Be Responsible For

You will take ownership across five key areas:

Leadership & Project Delivery
Driving high-quality delivery of geo-environmental projects—from initial scoping through to client handover—ensuring technical excellence and commercial success.

Team Development
Leading, mentoring, and growing a team of engineers and consultants, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Client & Stakeholder Engagement
Building long-term relationships, leading key conversations, and positioning the business as a trusted partner in complex environmental matters.

Commercial & Financial Performance
Managing budgets, forecasting, and project profitability, while contributing to wider departmental performance and growth.

Strategy & Business Growth
Identifying opportunities, supporting tenders, and helping shape the future direction of geo-environmental services.

🎓 What You Bring

You will likely have:

• A degree in Environmental Science, Geotechnical Engineering, or a related field

• Significant experience in UK geo-environmental consultancy

• Deep expertise in contaminated land, site investigations, and remediation

• A strong understanding of UK environmental and planning regulations

• A track record of leading projects, teams, and client relationships

But beyond credentials, this role calls for something more:

• The judgement to navigate complexity

• The confidence to lead from the front

• The curiosity to keep improving

• And the ambition to leave something better than you found it

🌱 Why This Role, Why Now?

Opportunities at this level are often incremental. This one is not.

This is a chance to:

• Step into a visible leadership role

• Influence both projects and people

• Play a meaningful part in a company’s next chapter of growth

And to do so in a way where your contribution is not diluted—but recognised.

📩 Interested?

If you are ready for a role where your expertise becomes influence—and your influence becomes impact—we would value a conversation.