Senior or Principal Consultant, EIA - Onshore Renewables (UK Wide)

What if you could do the kind of work the world needs? At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.

Overview

Onshore renewable energy technologies play a leading role in meeting the rising demand for power, maintaining secure and reliable energy supplies, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and delivering future energy schemes to help create a sustainable world. WSP helps clients plan and execute large-scale renewable energy projects, including solar photovoltaic, onshore wind and battery energy storage systems. Armed with a workforce of highly skilled engineers, scientists and technicians, we partner with clients to meet their clean energy objectives. As one of the largest environmental consultancies in the UK, you’ll contribute to major onshore renewable energy projects and support the energy transition towards Net Zero. You’ll be encouraged to explore new ideas in a culture that values curiosity and diverse perspectives.

With increased support at governmental level across the UK for onshore renewables, the continued growth of this sector will bring increased scrutiny and challenges. As either a Senior Consultant or Principal Consultant in our Environmental Consents team, you’ll play a key role in navigating this landscape—supporting the development of onshore renewables projects through strategic planning, environmental advice, and technical studies. You’ll contribute to some of the UK’s most significant and transformative onshore renewables projects, delivering services such as planning applications and EIA, and support for DCO examinations and planning inquiries to name a few. This is a post of strategic significance for our business and represents a challenging and exciting opportunity to identify, win and deliver multi-disciplinary inputs for onshore renewables projects. We need people with creative spirit, a dedicated approach and a solid grounding in environmental design, assessment and management at any stage of the development project lifecycle.

Join a great organisation. As either a Senior Consultant or Principal Consultant, you will collaborate with a diverse team of technical specialists and design professionals to manage environmental contributions across project designs and assessments. You will be instrumental in improving the environmental performance for a range of onshore renewables projects. The role would suit an enthusiastic individual looking to influence, manage and deliver environmental elements of aviation projects. You will have responsibility for managing projects including tasks relating to bidding, project team management, project delivery, and financial management.

Responsibilities

• Managing the delivery of a diverse range of environmental inputs into onshore renewables projects including planning applications, EIA, and support for DCO examinations and/or planning inquiries.
• An awareness of and experience in the delivery of environmental inputs into projects including EIA screening requests and scoping reports, environmental constraints studies, environmental management plans and Environmental Statements.
• Building relationships with clients and identifying opportunities to provide support in areas such as resourcing, programming, strategy development and project delivery.
• Undertaking activities to secure new work, including preparing proposals, contributing to strategic-bid preparation, and participating in business development opportunities.
• Supporting the development of innovative techniques to shape the way we do our business whether through Digital EIA, Technical Excellence, Future Ready EIA etc.
• Inspiring and upskilling junior colleagues to support their career development.
• Promoting an inclusive workplace, demonstrating an understanding of Health and Safety whilst living the values of our health, safety, and wellbeing culture.
• Undertaking actions that contribute towards the success of the WSP business strategy, whilst being self-motivated towards goals relevant to the role, team, and your projects.

What we will be looking for you to demonstrate

• A relevant environmental degree level qualification in EIA, or similar.
• Achieved or demonstrably working towards Practitioner or Chartered Environmental Status and Full membership of IEMA, or similar qualification with a relevant professional body.
• Demonstratable experience of undertaking EIA for onshore renewables schemes with limited supervision, including under a range of UK planning regimes such as the Town and Country Planning Act and the Planning Act 2008.
• Demonstrates the ability to apply programme knowledge to effectively coordinate tasks across technical teams, external clients, stakeholders, and partner organisations, while consistently delivering projects or tasks on time and within budget, in full compliance with business management procedures.
• Ability to lead and contribute to meetings with the wider technical team and external clients and stakeholders.
• Experience in coordinating a suite of environmental surveys required to support an EIA for renewables schemes, with knowledge of the associated Health and Safety requirements.
• Experience in bid preparation and responding to client change requests with appropriate fee adjustments for renewables projects.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong report writing and review capabilities, attention to detail, and a focus on quality assurance.

About Us

We are one of the world’s leading engineering and professional services firms. Our 72,800 passionate people are united by the common purpose of creating positive, long-lasting impacts on the communities we serve through a culture of innovation, integrity, and inclusion. With over 9,000 professionals across the UK and Ireland, we are dedicated to our local communities and propelled by international brainpower.

What’s in it for you

• Work-life balance – At WSP we understand that work is just one aspect of life. Our hybrid policy offers flexibility to work from home and in modern offices across the UK.
• Inclusivity & Belonging – We welcome applicants with varied backgrounds and experiences. We enable rewarding careers by encouraging people to bring their whole and authentic selves to work and supporting a culture of inclusion and belonging.
• Health & Wellbeing – We are committed to your wellbeing through our Thrive programme, including access to a Virtual GP, reasonable workplace adjustments, Gymflex discounts, and menopause support.
• Flex your time – To enhance work-life balance, WSP offers the “WSP My Hour,” allowing you to take one hour each day for personal activities, with the flexibility to make up the time earlier or later in the day.
• We also offer part-time and flexible working arrangements, the option to purchase additional leave, and the ability to use your bank holiday entitlement to suit you.
• Your development – We understand the importance of development and training to you. That’s why we foster a supportive environment that invests in your growth, whether through training, mentoring, or Chartership.

#WeAreWSP Here at WSP we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. As a Disability Confident leader, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria; please let us know if you require any workplace adjustments in support of your application.