Associate Director - Environmental Due Diligence

Job :

Location:

United Kingdom Department:
Advisory Business Unit: AUK UKWork Type:
On-site

Date Posted:
Arcadis is the world's leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets.

We are more than 34,000 people, in over 30 countries, dedicated to improving quality of life. Everyone has an important role to play. With the power of many curious minds, together we can solve the world’s most complex challenges and deliver more impact together.

Role description:

Lead and grow Environmental Due Diligence, acting as the senior technical authority for transaction-focused Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments across single assets, portfolios and multi-jurisdictional corporate transactions. The role combines technical leadership, commission management, client advisory and commercial growth, translating environmental findings into proportionate, decision-useful advice for investors, lenders, insurers and corporate clients.

The successful candidate will have proven experience in this space and will broaden transaction outcomes through due diligence, including governance, and post-transaction support that reduces risk and creates value. They will connect Arcadis specialists across jurisdictions, maintain consistent quality and help develop a scalable, integrated transaction advisory offer.

This role is open to candidates across the UK, will be a hybrid role and will require site visits. Key working relationships

Clients: investment managers, private equity, lenders, insurers, developers, corporates, legal advisers and senior transaction stakeholders.

Delivery:
Global Investment Advisory, UK Technical Due Diligence and Commission Management, environmental and sustainability teams, and international Arcadis teams.

Business: account, sector, service and value proposition leads, and bid teams.

People: project teams, mentees and line reports, where applicable

Role accountabilities:
1. Phase 1 EDD and international ESA technical leadership

Act as engagement lead and senior technical authority for transaction-focused Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments and Environmental Due Diligence.

Scope and direct desktop review, site reconnaissance, historical land-use assessment, regulatory and database review, conceptual site models, contaminated land risk evaluation and recommendations for further investigation.

Deliver and oversee international ESAs, adapting the approach to local regulatory frameworks, market practice, transaction context and client risk appetite while maintaining a consistent Arcadis standard.

Integrate environmental compliance, permitting, operational EHS, flood, climate and other material issues where relevant to scope.

Translate findings into clear red flags, potential liabilities, cost and programme implications, decision points and proportionate mitigation.

Provide senior review and sign-off of reports, risk registers, portfolio summaries and executive outputs.
2. Transaction execution and risk advice

Lead single-asset, portfolio and multi-jurisdictional commissions from opportunity through mobilisation, delivery and close-out.

Coordinate Arcadis teams and external specialists across geographies, establishing scope, programme, responsibilities, quality controls and escalation routes.

Advise on data-room gaps, reliance, vendor and purchaser positions, SPA wording, indemnities, conditions precedent and W&I insurance considerations, working with legal advisers as appropriate.

Balance technical robustness with materiality, commercial context and fast-track transaction deadlines.

Maintain project controls covering scope, change, budget, margin, programme, risk and quality.
4. Post-transaction value creation and risk reduction

Convert findings into practical 100-day and longer-term action plans, prioritised by risk, value, cost, ownership and timing.

Support integration, remediation, compliance improvement, ESG governance enhancement, KPI and reporting design, and portfolio implementation.

Help clients track closure of material findings, validate progress and embed controls that protect value and improve performance.

Identify follow-on technical, sustainability, asset, programme and investment advisory opportunities.
5. Clients, commercial growth and capability

Build trusted-advisor relationships with senior clients, understand investment and risk drivers, and shape proportionate solutions.

Lead technical and commercial proposals, tenders and presentations, with clear scope, assumptions,…