We are a consultancy based in Cambridge (UK), specialising in biodiversity management. We work with leading clients across many sectors with the goal of achieving an environmentally sustainable basis for development, by delivering practical solutions for managing biodiversity risk and achieving conservation outcomes. We work on some of the most environmentally complex development projects in the world, across sectors, including energy (particularly hydropower, wind, solar, and geothermal), extractives (mining and oil & gas), agriculture, infrastructure and finance. We wish to recruit an exceptional Principal Consultant, with a particular focus on the renewable energy sector, to deliver a number of key projects and manage client relationships. We are seeking an ecologist with international experience of working in solar, wind and/or hydropower.

Person specification

You are an outstanding individual who is able to take decisions and a strategic approach to designing and leading projects in diverse situations. At the same time you are an adept team player, comfortably able to work within multi-cultural teams in different environments and countries. You have had a developing world focus in your work, and understand that human and biodiversity issues cannot be separated in such countries.

An ability to think creatively and put oneself in the shoes of our clients is critical. This capacity to understand our clients’ views, coupled with core ecological principles and biodiversity knowledge common to conservation planners/ecologists/protected area specialists is the making of a TBC consultant. You are politically savvy and able to communicate your ideas succinctly and clearly to non-specialists. You enjoy building good relations with colleagues working in nature conservation, renewable energy, mining, oil & gas, environment ministries, and multilateral and commercial banks. 

Self-motivation and rigour will be essential. Importantly, you will possess a strong analytical mind with the capacity to transform complex problems into brief, scientifically and politically defensible solutions. You have outstanding writing skills, being able to digest, dissect and condense large amounts of information into readable, technically sound summaries. We need excellent communicators who can explain the benefit of our work, as well as write clear concise reports and papers.

You are probably already well-established within the field of consultancy or nature conservation. You now relish the opportunity to take leadership of TBC’s fast-growing renewable energy portfolio.

Roles

• Technical project work for clients, and building capacity within client teams, including design and implementation of baseline surveys, biodiversity metrics, ecosystem services reviews, impact assessment, design of mitigation, biodiversity offsets, and monitoring & evaluation
• Project management, consisting of technical design and critical review of projects, and ensuring timely delivery of on-budget projects to a high level of quality
• Working as an advisor to financial lenders on whether a client is meeting their standards and, conversely, with the clients themselves to explain/negotiate what is required by these standards
• Leading stakeholder engagement processes, both remotely and in-country, with government, civil society and industry
• Direct negotiation and/or relationship building with industry, government, NGOs, international financial institutions and scientific institutions
• Winning and undertaking work overseas by developing strategic and innovative proposals of work with new or existing clients, and in new and existing sectors, including using your own network
• Speaking on behalf of TBC to maintain our careful line between pragmatism and rigour
• Networking within the conservation movement, especially in Cambridge, and also with universities
• Writing scientific or policy papers and other articles, dependent on client commitments
• Managing interns, i.e. personnel management in addition to project management
• Contributing to the strategic development of TBC, with a particular focus on TBC’s strategy for engaging and supporting the renewable energy sector
• Other work, as requested by the TBC Directors.

Attributes

Essential attributes

• At least five years’ practical experience in biodiversity conservation or environmental consultancy
• Experience of ecological/environmental management within one or more of the following sectors: solar, wind, and hydropower
• Experience of managing and delivering complex projects
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills, able to convince sceptical stakeholders
• An acute understanding of human politics and institutional dynamics
• Experience of supervising or managing individuals and/or small teams
• A willingness to work with the private sector, understand their needs, and operate strategically within client organisations which might hold different core values
• An ability to develop new business and maintain and strengthen existing relationships with individuals and organisations from different backgrounds
• Familiarity with international biodiversity, ecosystem services, natural resource and livelihood issues, especially in the developing world
• An ability to provide intellectual leadership, creativity and simplicity to problem solving
• Willingness and enthusiasm to travel globally and work in challenging environments
• Experience of working in multi-disciplinary, multicultural international teams would be a distinct advantage
• Positivity, self-motivation and teamwork
• A good Honours, or preferably Masters, degree or other postgraduate qualification in a relevant discipline.

Desirable attributes

• A background as a field conservation specialist, understanding how to make conservation theory work in practice with communities and governments
• Expertise in freshwater ecology
• Expertise in biodiversity priority setting; conservation planning; protected areas management; or biodiversity policy
• Experience with geothermal or other renewable energy projects
• Experience in IUCN Red Listing
• Familiarity with scientific publishing
• Experience in management of ecosystem services and other social – biodiversity issues
• Proven ability to work in French and/or Spanish
• PhD in environmental discipline
• Sufficient GIS skills (map making and basic analysis) to communicate with our GIS team.

Details

Position details

• Location: Cambridge, UK with potentially significant international travel
• Full-time (near full-time also considered)
• Salary range: £42,000-£56,000 PA (Full time) + benefits (25 days’ holiday, work pension scheme, life insurance and flexible working opportunities)
• Permanent contract.

Application details

Applications as early as possible. By 6 November 2017 at the latest: Send the following to recruitment@thebiodiversityconsultancy.com

• Curriculum Vitae
• A one-page application letter explaining your interest in the job and showing clearly how you meet our job and person requirements
• Two short and pithy (maximum four pages each) extracts of work that you have written within the past two years
• A one-page brief to the CEO of a renewables company to explain what a biodiversity offset is, and the risks and opportunities of undertaking one as part of IFC PS6 alignment.

Interviews: Will be held by phone or in person.

About The Biodiversity Consultancy (TBC)

We provide technical expertise, policy advice and field capacity to the private, public and NGO/science sectors. We deliver solutions to complex biodiversity challenges such as No Net Loss/Net Positive Impact, international lender and best-practice standards, and biodiversity offsets. We specialise in the environmental lending criteria of major international financial institutions, such as IFC PS6, EBRD PR6, WB ESS6. We conducted the first field pilots of the current IFC PS6, and are now watching these projects deliver both real biodiversity outcomes and business value.

We have leading expertise in quantitative – but clear and simple – metrics for biodiversity. This core capacity lays a foundation for emerging business needs such as measurement of loss and gain of biodiversity in impact assessment, offset design, and monitoring & evaluation. We use our breadth of expertise to develop corporate and government policy and to build national capacity to run programmes we have initiated. We exercise a due diligence process and only work with clients who demonstrate a real motivation for quality and leadership. Known for pragmatic intellectual leadership, we are a resource for problem-solving and a platform for cross-sector engagement. Examples of our work can be found at: www.thebiodiversityconsultancy.com

We are a small consultancy that places high value on its experienced and expert staff. This is a new position which we hope will be shaped by you. We also welcome input into TBC’s broader strategic direction. We believe that the right individual will grow and flourish in TBC’s stimulating, collaborative and flexible culture. Personal development is important to us and as such we offer a comprehensive, tailored induction and ongoing in-house and external training opportunities.

At heart we are committed conservationists, who believe we can make more of an impact by working with industry. We take significant steps to live our values, from a careful due diligence process with our projects and clients to environmental policies covering the way we work. We invest in the environmental leaders of the future through our internship programme. TBC also donates 12.5% of its profits to environmental causes chosen by staff.