Principal Wetland Specialist

Location/s: Bristol, Cardiff, Reading, London, Birmingham, Leeds, Brighton; UK

Recruiter contact: Nicola Coyle

Hiring manager contact: Marieke Nieuwaal

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 division

The Water Consultancy Division is Mott MacDonald’s centre of excellence for responding to water and wastewater challenges, offering fantastic opportunities to get involved in diverse and technically challenging work. The work we do is at the forefront of ensuring safe water supplies for future generations and protecting our environment. Our multi-disciplinary teams provide a variety of services throughout the full project life cycle, from advisory services and feasibility studies, through outline and detailed design, to construction support and site supervision.

Overview of the role

We are looking for an established wetland specialist to join our team. We worked on the industry-leading Dearne Reach and Witches Oak projects and are delivering a suite of nature-based solution programmes across major water utilities during AMP8, as well as other clients. As a Principal Wetland Specialist, you will report to our Technical Director for nature-based solutions and will be part of a highly respected wetland team. You will be responsible for technical direction and quality, whether applying innovative thinking to new or established services or developing your own concepts.

You will take a key role in need definition, option identification and assessment, feasibility assessments, concept design and detailed design of wetland solutions for catchment management and wastewater treatment. Typical solutions include established nature-based solutions such as facultative lagoons, reedbeds, vertical and horizontal flow wetlands as well as integrated constructed wetlands (ICWs), floating treatment wetlands, and the growing application of constructed wetlands for storm water and combined sewer overflow (CSO) treatment. As a Wetlands Specialist, your remit will cover a range of technical, management and commercial/client-facing activities.

Key responsibilities and duties include:

• Provide technical leadership for wetlands, driving innovation and efficiencies and grow our reputation in the industry
• Build and run process models to determine size and configuration of systems to treat wastewater
• Identify data requirements and analysis to inform design and performance assessments
• Maintain and share up to date knowledge of wastewater treatment and emerging technologies
• Identify continuous improvement opportunities for treatment, efficiency, energy consumption and carbon
• Oversee projects, ensuring timely, cost-effective delivery of high-quality project outcomes
• Work as part of a multidisciplinary project team including treatment, civil engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering, landscape, ecology, climate, social and operational specialist teams
• Build and manage strong relationships with clients
• Engage stakeholders in the planning, design and delivery of wetlands, and work collaboratively with partners
• Support, mentor and train colleagues
• Drive thought leadership, technical excellence and knowledge sharing

Candidate specification

Essential:

• Thorough understanding of processes and design principals of wetlands, including for wastewater treatment
• Ability to apply recognised process models to size wetland options
• Experience applying wetland and hybrid solutions
• Familiarity with relevant legislation and regulation in the UK and Ireland
• Chartered (or near Chartership) with an appropriate professional body
• Creative thinker and problem solver
• Confident to present technical information to a wide-ranging audience with different backgrounds and expertis

Desirable:

• Proven track record in business development, bid/proposal and project delivery
• Multi-disciplinary design co-ordination experience with professional consultancy
• Experience working with wetland process supply chain and specialist contractors
• Able to inspire others and grow a team
• Technical skills in complementary areas such as hydrology and water quality, river restoration, nature-based solutions

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.

AI Usage

At Mott MacDonald, we see the value AI can bring, but we take a people-first approach to hiring. While AI tools can help candidates prepare and build confidence, every application and hiring decision is reviewed by our recruitment and hiring teams. We encourage the responsible use of AI while ensuring we get to know the real person behind the application.

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 View email address on uk.workus.org and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

We offer some fantastic benefits including

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.

Employee Ownership

• Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.
• Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
• As your career grows, so does your stake, recognising your long-term impact and contribution.
• Your voice matters, with the opportunity to connect directly with senior leadership through formal channels to help shape our future.
• For our senior roles you will have a direct pathway towards ownership from day one.

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.

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.
• 10 days additional paid leave for Armed Forces Reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers.
• 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.
• We offer policies and dedicated support to help military families balance service life with career and wellbeing.

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.
• We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and Gold Award holders in the MOD Employer Recognition Scheme, supported by our dedicated internal Armed Forces Network.
• Make a difference within our communities through our " href=" " target="_blank" rel="noopener"> social outcomes.

Apply now, or for more information about our application process, click " target="_blank" rel="noopener"> here.