Technical Director – Ecology

The Opportunity

If you're an established ecology leader who enjoys shaping strategy as much as delivering technical excellence, this could be the kind of opportunity worth exploring.

This role offers the chance to lead and grow a well-established ecology team across the North of England while influencing some of the UK's most significant development, infrastructure and renewable energy projects. It's a position that combines technical authority, commercial leadership and team development, giving you genuine scope to shape the future direction of an expanding multidisciplinary consultancy.

Whether you're already operating at Technical Director level or looking for a broader platform to influence business growth, this is an opportunity to make a lasting impact within a collaborative and ambitious environment.

The Company

Our client is a rapidly growing multidisciplinary environmental and planning consultancy with offices across the UK and a strong reputation for delivering environment-led planning and design solutions.

The business brings together specialists across ecology, planning, landscape architecture, EIA, arboriculture, historic environment, engineering, sustainability and a range of complementary disciplines. This integrated approach creates opportunities to work on complex projects from initial concept through to delivery, while collaborating with experts from a wide variety of technical backgrounds.

The culture is professional but entrepreneurial, with a strong focus on innovation, collaboration and continuous development. The ecology team plays a central role in the organisation's growth strategy, supported by a healthy pipeline of projects across renewable energy, residential, infrastructure and major development sectors.

What You'll Be Doing

As Technical Director, you'll provide both strategic and technical leadership across the ecology business, helping to drive quality, growth and innovation.

You'll be:

• Acting as a senior technical authority for ecology across the business.

• Providing strategic oversight on major and complex projects.

• Leading technical excellence, quality assurance and best practice initiatives.

• Supporting and mentoring senior ecologists and future leaders.

• Driving the growth and performance of the northern ecology team.

• Developing client relationships and identifying new business opportunities.

• Leading bids, framework opportunities and strategic pursuits.

• Working closely with directors across multiple disciplines to support integrated project delivery.

• Representing the business within the wider industry through conferences, professional networks and stakeholder engagement.

This is a highly visible role where you'll have genuine influence over project outcomes, team development and business direction.

About You

You're likely to be an experienced ecology consultant with a strong track record of technical delivery, leadership and commercial success.

You may already be operating at Technical Director, Associate Director or Director level and will bring a combination of ecological expertise and business acumen.

You'll have extensive experience of leading EcIA, HRA and BNG work on complex projects, alongside a strong understanding of UK planning policy and environmental legislation.

Just as importantly, you'll enjoy developing people, building client relationships and helping teams perform at their best.

Membership of CIEEM is essential, and additional specialist licences, chartership, NSIP experience or expert witness experience would be welcomed.

What's on Offer

This is an opportunity to join a growing consultancy at an exciting stage of its development, with significant investment in ecology and a strong pipeline of work.

You'll benefit from:

• A senior leadership position with genuine influence.

• High-profile renewable energy, infrastructure and development projects.

• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.

• The opportunity to shape and grow a regional ecology business.

• Strong support for technical development and professional growth.

• Professional membership subscriptions.

• Structured career progression pathways.

• Enhanced annual leave entitlement.

• Enhanced pension contribution.

• Private medical insurance.

• Health and wellbeing support.

• Employee assistance programme.

• Cycle to work scheme.

• A comprehensive benefits and reward package.

Location & Flexibility

The role can be based from several locations across the North of England and Scotland, including York, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham or Edinburgh.

Hybrid working is fully supported, and both full-time and part-time arrangements will be considered. Travel to project sites and other offices will form part of the role.

Interested?

Not actively looking but curious to find out more?

For a confidential conversation about the opportunity, please get in touch with Vicky at Ocean to Earth Recruitment.

vicky@oceantoearth.co.uk

Please apply here or send your CV if you'd like to explore the role further. All conversations will be handled in complete confidence.