Managing Consultant, Biodiversity

Why this role matters?

As a Biodiversity Managing Consultant, you will lead and technically oversee desk-based biodiversity workstreams supporting ERM's global Capital Project Delivery portfolio. You will translate complex ecological evidence into robust, decision-ready advice for major infrastructure, renewables, transmission and distribution, hydrogen, carbon capture, mining and diversified energy projects. Working within the CPD Nature & Biodiversity sub-team, you will partner with regional ecology leads, project managers and multidisciplinary teams to shape scope, manage delivery, assure technical quality and strengthen the capability of the CDH team. This is a desk and office-based, globally connected role; field survey work is delivered by regional teams. 

What your impact is?

• Lead complex biodiversity and ecological baseline, constraints and impact-assessment workstreams, integrating protected-area, designated-site, habitat and species data from public and licensed sources.

• Author and technically review EcIA/ESIA chapters, critical habitat and natural habitat screening, technical appendices, scoping reports and biodiversity management or mitigation inputs to internationally recognised standards, including IFC Performance Standard 6 and the Equator Principles.

• Provide senior technical oversight of desktop habitat mapping, constraints and buffer analysis, and preliminary wetland and habitat delineation, working closely with GIS specialists and regional technical experts.

• Apply the mitigation hierarchy and guide proportionate approaches to biodiversity metrics, net gain, no-net-loss, offsets and monitoring requirements, recognising applicable regional policy and project context.

• Manage multiple workstreams from scoping and resourcing through delivery, review and close-out, maintaining control of quality, programme, budget, dependencies and risks.

• Serve as a trusted technical and delivery contact for regional project and ecology leads, communicating findings, limitations, risks and recommendations clearly.

• Build team capability through coaching, technical review, knowledge sharing and development of consistent methods, templates and quality controls.

What will you bring?

• Bachelor's degree in ecology, zoology, botany, wildlife science, environmental science, conservation, forestry, biological sciences or a closely related discipline; a relevant Master's degree is strongly preferred.

• Typically, 7-10 years of relevant experience in environmental or ecological consulting, EIA/ESIA, applied research, or an NGO or government body, including substantial responsibility for biodiversity assessment on infrastructure, energy or development projects.

• Demonstrable experience leading biodiversity workstreams, coordinating multidisciplinary inputs and producing technically robust deliverables within agreed scope, budget and programme.

• Strong working knowledge of environmental impact assessment processes and biodiversity assessment methods, with experience of India's EIA regime and/or international lender and regional frameworks. The ability to work across multiple regulatory contexts is essential.

• Advanced technical writing and review capability in English, with the judgement to turn complex evidence into clear conclusions, limitations, mitigation commitments and practical recommendations.

• Working knowledge of ArcGIS Pro and/or QGIS sufficient to direct spatial analysis, interrogate mapping outputs and quality-check figures and supporting datasets. Specialist GIS production may be delivered with ERM's GIS teams.

• Strong stakeholder management, commercial awareness and communication skills, with the ability to influence across cultures, disciplines and time zones.

• Proven commitment to technical quality, professional ethics, inclusive teamwork and safe delivery.

Preferred qualifications, skills & competencies

• NABET-QCI accreditation or experience as an EIA functional-area expert in Ecology & Biodiversity, or an equivalent recognised ecological credential.

• Experience with major infrastructure and lender-led regimes, such as IFC PS6, critical habitat assessment, biodiversity action planning, lender due diligence, NSIP/DCO or comparable frameworks.

• Applied experience in one or more specialist areas such as wetlands and waterbodies, threatened species and habitats, biodiversity net gain, ecosystem services, offsets, nature-related risk or TNFD-aligned screening.

• Experience contributing to proposals, scope and fee development, delivery planning, change control and client-facing technical discussions.

• Experience mentoring consultants and reviewers, supporting competency development and building consistent delivery practices within a global team or hub environment.

• Familiarity with remote sensing, automation, AI-enabled tools or digital approaches that improve biodiversity baseline, assessment, review and reporting workflows.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the technical delivery of biodiversity scoping, baseline, impact assessment, mitigation and reporting workstreams.

• Define proportionate methods, data needs, assumptions, review points and interfaces with regional teams and other disciplines.

• Undertake and document technical and quality reviews, ensuring outputs are accurate, evidence-based, traceable and fit for client and regulatory use.

• Plan resources, allocate work, monitor progress and manage risks, dependencies, scope and budget across concurrent assignments.

• Guide and coach consultants, providing clear feedback and supporting the development of stronger technical judgement and delivery ownership.

• Support bids and proposals through technical approach, scope, resourcing, schedule, assumptions and level-of-effort inputs.

• Contribute to thought leadership, communities of practice and the standardisation of templates, methods, review checklists and tracker tools.

• Maintain current knowledge of relevant biodiversity policy, guidance, standards, metrics and emerging nature-related frameworks across the regions supported by ERM.

• Adhere to ERM's Health & Safety, ethics, information-management and quality-management requirements in all project work.