Principal Consultant - Environmental Permitting and Impact Assessment

Principal Consultant - Environmental Permitting and Impact Assessment

Amentum

Multiple Locations, United Kingdom

We are seeking a Principal Consultant with significant experience in environmental permitting and environmental impact assessment (EIA). In this leadership role, you will provide technical direction on complex permitting and EIA projects, ensure compliance with evolving regulations, and build strong relationships with clients, regulators, and other stakeholders. You will be instrumental in shaping major developments in nuclear waste management and infrastructure. We welcome candidates from both consultancy and regulatory backgrounds, especially those with experience as a statutory peer reviewer in environmental permitting.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership: Lead and manage environmental permit applications, EIA processes, and Development Consent Order (DCO) projects. Develop and champion best available techniques (BAT), particularly in areas such as air quality permitting, dispersion modelling, and writing Environmental Statements. Innovate methods of impact assessment for terrestrial, marine, coastal, and ecological environments.
• Project Management: Oversee project scope, budgets, and schedules, ensuring timely delivery that meets client expectations. Evaluate project risks and opportunities related to permitting, delivering strategic insights to the business and stakeholders. Co-ordinate multi-disciplinary project teams to ensure smooth, efficient execution of project tasks.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Act as a key point of contact for clients, regulators, and external partners, providing clear updates on project progress, challenges, and mitigation strategies. Lead public consultations, client workshops, and technical or non-technical meetings, ensuring a transparent and inclusive engagement process.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all projects comply with relevant UK environmental legislation, industry standards, and nuclear sector regulations. Respond to changes in legislation and policy, adjusting project plans and guiding client teams accordingly. Integrate climate resilience, emissions, noise, biodiversity, water discharges, and heritage considerations into best available techniques.
• Business Development: Identify and pursue new business opportunities. Lead high-value bids and proposals, and cultivate strong client relationships. Represent Amentum at industry events and conferences, sharing thought leadership and expanding professional networks.
• Strategic Contribution: Contribute to the overall strategic direction of the Environmental Permitting and EIA service line, driving continuous improvement in methodologies and practices.Collaborate with other internal teams to share knowledge, foster innovation, and adopt best practices across the organisation.Keep a forward-looking approach by anticipating emerging trends, technologies, and policy shifts in environmental permitting and impact assessment.

Here's What You'll Need

Below are the qualifications and experience that we’re seeking in applicants. We understand that not everyone will meet every single requirement, so if you believe you have most of the relevant experience and strong potential to succeed in this role, we’d love to hear from you.

• Environmental Permitting/Authorisations: Extensive (10+ Years) experience inpreparing environmental permit applications/authorisations and developing BAT/BPM assessments for chemical, nuclear, oil and gas, petrochemical, and waste management operations.
• EIA and DCO Delivery: Proven track record of leading multi-disciplinary teams to deliver Environmental Impact Assessments, Development Consent Orders, and planning applications.
• Leadership & Communication: Demonstrable success in managing and motivating diverse teams, alongside strong interpersonal, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Skilled in engaging client representatives, supply chain consultants, and regulators, clearly communicating impacts, mitigation measures, and assessment outcomes.
• Business Development: Proven ability to contribute to business development - including identifying opportunities, writing proposals, winning work, and expanding client accounts or service offerings.
• HSE Commitment: Commitment to health, safety, and environmental excellence, ensuring top-tier standards for project activities.
• Education: A degree in marine sciences, geosciences, atmospheric chemistry, or ecology (or equivalent); knowledge of noise abatement legislation or dispersion modelling is advantageous.
• Professional Qualifications: Chartered Environmentalist, Chemist, Physicist, or equivalent.
• Flexibility: Willingness to travel (UK and overseas) for site visits, stakeholder meetings, and project execution.

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