Associate Director - EIA / DCO

Associate Director - EIA / DCO

Bristol, GBR

Are you an experienced environmental assessment professional with a strong background in Development Consent Orders (DCOs), looking for an opportunity to lead major infrastructure projects, develop client relationships and help shape the future of environmental consenting?

We’re looking for an Associate Director – EIA / DCO to join our growing environmental team in Bristol, London or Reading . This is an exciting opportunity to take a leading role in delivering environmental assessment and consenting services across a diverse portfolio of nationally significant infrastructure and major development projects.

You’ll work across sectors including energy, water, transport and critical infrastructure, helping clients navigate complex planning and consenting requirements while ensuring environmental considerations are embedded throughout the project lifecycle.

Working alongside planners, environmental specialists, engineers and other technical experts, you’ll lead multidisciplinary teams, provide strategic environmental advice and support clients through the DCO process, from early project development and assessment through to submission and examination.

As an Associate Director, you’ll combine technical leadership with project and commercial management, building strong client relationships, identifying new opportunities and supporting the development of colleagues. You’ll also play an important role in growing our environmental assessment and consenting capabilities across the UK.

About The Role

• Lead the delivery of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for Development Consent Order (DCO) applications and other major infrastructure projects.

• Provide strategic advice to clients on environmental assessment, consenting strategy and the management of complex environmental issues throughout the project lifecycle.

• Lead EIA and consenting workstreams from project inception and scoping through assessment, consultation, Environmental Statement preparation, submission and examination.

• Advise on the application of the Planning Act 2008, relevant EIA legislation and associated planning and consenting requirements.

• Oversee the preparation, coordination and quality assurance of Environmental Statements, scoping reports, preliminary environmental information, consultation materials and other supporting documentation.

• Coordinate multidisciplinary technical teams, ensuring environmental assessments are robust, proportionate and aligned with project design, programme and consenting requirements.

• Lead the management of environmental risks, constraints, interfaces and dependencies, developing practical solutions to support project delivery and successful consenting outcomes.

• Provide guidance on consultation responses, statutory consultee engagement, relevant representations, examination questions and requests for further environmental information.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, planning consultants, statutory consultees, regulators, local authorities and other key stakeholders.

• Oversee project delivery, including budgets, resources, programmes, commercial performance and technical quality, ensuring projects meet client expectations and agreed objectives.

• Identify opportunities to strengthen client relationships, develop existing accounts and secure new work across the infrastructure and environmental sectors.

• Lead and contribute to bids, tenders, proposals and business development activities, helping to grow our EIA and DCO services.

• Support the development and implementation of strategic plans for the continued growth of our environmental assessment and consenting capability.

• Mentor and develop colleagues, providing technical leadership, sharing knowledge and supporting career progression across the wider team.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues across our planning, environmental and engineering disciplines to deliver integrated solutions for complex infrastructure challenges.

Your Impact:

You’ll play a key role in helping clients navigate the environmental and consenting challenges associated with nationally significant infrastructure projects.

Through your technical expertise, leadership and commercial awareness, you’ll help deliver robust environmental assessments and consenting strategies that support informed decision-making and successful project outcomes. You’ll influence how environmental considerations are addressed from the earliest stages of project development through to submission and examination, helping clients balance infrastructure needs with environmental responsibility.

As an Associate Director, you’ll take ownership of major project relationships, oversee complex workstreams and support the delivery of high-quality, commercially successful projects. You’ll also contribute to the strategic growth