Associate Director (m/w/d)

Job Description

RPS is looking for an Associate Director to join us in our EIA team, to be based at either Abingdon, Manchester, or Edinburgh. We are working on some of the most exciting Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects in the UK and internationally, including large scale energy projects – think GW rather than MW! This includes solar, offshore wind, international interconnector, and energy storage projects. We are head EIA head for the Gatwick Airport Northern Runway Project, Morgan and Mona Offshore Wind Projects, Morgan and Morecambe Transmission Assets, TWP, XLinks interconnector and a large portfolio of energy storage and solar projects.

What you will be doing

With experience within this sector, you will already be familiar with what we are looking for. You will have the opportunity to work on and direct a range of EIA projects, including large scale renewable DCO projects. You will be able to drive a multidisciplinary EIA project team and provide advice to the customer, based on your experience on other projects.

You will be working within a multi-disciplinary environment with the opportunity to be part of a highly regarded team.

A typical week could include

• Project management role for large DCO projects or for several smaller TCPA EIA projects;
• Management of EIA team, including briefings of authors and counsel for ensuring chapters are compliant and maintaining high quality of services;
• Working as a primary point of stakeholder contact on some of the prominent EIA projects in the UK;
• Advising on legislative requirements, good practice, budget and programme.;
• Management of EIA consultation, requirements including coordination of Expert Working Groups;
• Sign off of ES documents in preparation for stakeholder or legal review;
• Opportunities for line management and mentoring of team members;
• Opportunities to work on and develop digital EIA solutions;
• Preparation of bid/tender documents with our bid team, as required.

Who we are looking for

You will have excellent experience of presiding over EIA projects, ideally including DCO and renewable infrastructure projects. Experience in the requirements for developing and consenting offshore wind, onshore cable routes, substations, solar farms would be an advantage.

Your report writing and review experience will reflect our high standards and you will be able to work collaboratively and possess the knowledge to work with stakeholders’ legal teams and other consultancies. A good eye for detail is essential as are strong troubleshooting techniques, helping to address customer concern. We’d like you to have:

• Experience of overseeing large EIA projects (essential);
• Experience working on large DCO projects, ideally including renewable projects (desirable);
• Experience in overseeing the client-EIA team interface and ensuring our customers’ high standards are met (essential);
• Detailed knowledge of the EIA Regulations and Planning Act and the requirements to deliver a compliant submission (essential);
• An eye for detail (essential);
• Willingness to travel for stakeholder meetings;
• Previous digital EIA experience or relevant techniques to help in influencing our digital EIA offering (desirable);
• A first degree in a relevant environmental subject and ideally an MSc in a relevant topic e.g. Environmental Impact Assessment, Environmental Management or similar;
• There will be some travel, so a full UK driving license is required.