Hydroecology Technical Lead

Job Description

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.

We work on a wide range of projects in the freshwater environment, including sustainable abstraction studies, river restoration schemes, ecological impact assessments, and the design and delivery of ecological monitoring programmes. The team collaborates widely with in‑house teams including catchment science and fluvial geomorphology experts to meet and exceed client and regulatory requirements. Our projects are primarily UK based while also covering a variety of international schemes such as development and R&D projects.

Key UK portfolio projects include Water Industry Natural Environment Programme projects that identify and restore salmonid spawning habitats, predict abstraction impacts using macroinvertebrate metrics, and conduct routine biological monitoring for water companies.

We are looking to appoint a senior applied aquatic ecologist or hydro‑ecologist to join our aquatic ecology team. The postholder will have a key technical role in delivery of our AMP8 WINEP projects and will be an experienced hydro‑ecologist or aquatic ecologist with a proven track record in delivering water industry projects. The ideal candidate will have a thorough understanding of the regulatory context for water resources projects in the UK and experience preparing ecological assessment reports to support Water Framework Directive and Habitats Regulations Assessments.

Ideally, the postholder will have managed aquatic ecology and hydro‑ecology projects, including monitoring budgets and coordinating staff resources.

• Delivery of hydro‑ecological investigations on behalf of water industry clients, providing specialist aquatic ecological input to water resources projects.
• Analysis and interpretation of biological and hydrometric data, including outputs from standard biotic indices in the context of assessing impacts from abstraction.
• Design and delivery of aquatic ecological monitoring programmes to support water resource investigations.
• Preparation and delivery of interpretive technical reports for standalone aquatic ecology studies and in collaboration with other teams.
• Preparation of tender outputs for medium and large‑scale hydro‑ecology projects, including fee estimates.
• Building and maintaining a strong internal and external profile as a technical expert, for example, through our Practice Area Networks and externally.

• Extensive, relevant experience gained within a professional consultancy, regulatory or industrial role.
• A clear understanding of regulatory drivers including the Water Framework Directive and Habitats Regulations, in a water resources context.
• Strong numeracy, preferably with experience in statistical analysis and programming languages such as R.
• Experience interrogating ecological data (macroinvertebrate, macrophyte and/or fish) to understand and manage impacts of abstraction and other pressures on rivers.
• An enthusiastic, confident and positive approach with excellent communication and reporting skills.

Don’t quite meet all the criteria? Apply, and we can see how your experience aligns to this role and other opportunities within the team.

Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all. Join our close‑knit community of talented individuals who share your passion for making a positive impact. Our global team includes more than 69,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities close to home and around the world.

With us, you can. Apply today.

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