Ecology Team Leader - MIDLANDS

Are you experienced ecologist ready to take the next step in your career? Do you thrive in delivering a positive leadership role whilst staying hands on with technical work? Can you contribute to our established group of regional leaders who aim to continue developing and evolving our exciting team? Tetra Tech is looking for a Midlands Team Leader to manage, inspire and significantly grow our talented team of ecologists in this region to deliver an increasing market share of interesting projects.

Who is Tetra Tech?

Tetra Tech is a dynamic, leading provider of high-end consulting and engineering services for projects worldwide. We combine the resources of a global, multibillion dollar company with local, client-focused delivery in more than 400 locations around the world. We work across a breadth of sectors including Residential, Defence, Energy, Government Services and Transport.  We are Leading with Science® to provide sustainable and resilient solutions for our clients. Tetra Tech Ecology team won the CIEEM Large Consultancy of the Year Award and Large Scale Mitigation Award in 2023. We are renowned for delivering innovative solutions to our clients complex problems and our ecology team plays a critical role in shaping sustainable projects nationwide, and we are looking for a dynamic Regional Lead who is ready to lead from the front.

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. They help our clients succeed, our business prosper and the communities we work in thrive.  We need the very best designers, project managers, engineers, surveyors, town planners, environmental specialists and business service professionals to maintain our reputation as a market leader.  We do this by taking care of our people; offering fantastic flexible benefits, providing personal and professional development, and giving employees the opportunity to work on exciting and ground-breaking projects.

We don’t want Tetra Tech to be just your next role, we want it to be a step-change in your career and ultimately a move that you are proud to have made.

The Role:

As the Midlands Team Lead, you will be at the forefront of our ecology team in the region and contribute to driving success for Tetra Tech’s UK nature team (ecology team sits within the nature team). This role requires a balance of leadership, business development, and technical excellence. You will lead by example, guiding your team to deliver high-quality ecological services while fostering new opportunities and maintaining strong client relationships.

Your primary focus will be to positively lead, manage, and grow our ecology team, providing mentorship and support to staff in their professional development. You will oversee the delivery of a programme of works including complex ecological projects, ensuring technical quality and timely completion objectives are met, whilst maintaining positive engagement with clients and feedback of information to your team. We seek someone who thrives in a fast-paced, high-quality environment and can balance multiple responsibilities which a leading role can bring.

We provide Tetra Tech’s dedicated Project Management training and encourage you to lead projects that align with your technical skillset. With an eye for detail and a commitment to high standards, you will provide support and feedback to colleagues on project deliverables, bids, and proposals. You will also collaborate with colleagues from across the wider business on multi-disciplinary opportunities and projects, so a willingness to understand how other parts of the business operate would be advantageous.

You will represent the Midlands region and contribute to Tetra Tech’s nature team business development activities in line with our strategy. This includes leading, supporting, and coordinating the technical elements of bids, tenders, and framework opportunities, requiring a sound understanding of the technical aspects of ecological consultancy and commercial acumen. You will work closely with our professional project managers and bid support team.

In this role, you will leverage your professional network to add value to bids, business development opportunities, and projects. It is essential that you enjoy developing relationships with clients and colleagues. 

Key responsibilities

·       Team Development: Mentor and inspire the team and communicate effectively with colleagues and third parties fostering collaboration and professional growth. Lead the mentoring and development of staff in line with strategic goals. Have line management responsibility including timesheet signoff, pastoral care and duty of care where appropriate for the technical specialism.

·       Client Engagement: Build and maintain strong relationships with existing and new clients, positioning us as a trusted partner for all nature-related needs. 

·       Project Leadership:  Take an active role in projects, providing expert ecological input from initial consultation through to delivery, as well as

supporting more junior project managers in the Region with troubleshooting.

All Team Leads will be trained to Tetra Tech’s Project Management training to Level 2.

·       Technical Expertise: our team is renowned for his technical excellence and the Team Lead will need to provide high-level technical guidance to ensure projects meet regulatory and environmental compliance. They will supervise and review the development of standard technical solutions and verify that outputs meet expected quality standards. Lead the development of technical excellence and solutions based on relevant best practice and research, including knowledge sharing across the national Ecology team. Experience of Ecological Impact Assessment and writing EIA reports and Habitat Regulations Assessments. Contribute to planning committees, inquiries and Expert Witness evidence.

·       Business Growth: Contribute to the strategic development of the Nature department and wider Tetra Tech business. Be involved with business development activity including having an awareness of market conditions, opportunities and competition and the identification and delivery of opportunities with new and existing clients.

Requirements:

·       An appropriate academic qualification in a related discipline

·       Full Member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management.

·       Chartered Ecologist or Charted Environmentalist

·       Demonstrable industry experience and capability to fulfil the role described.

·       Hold a full driving licence.

Flexible Working

We operate fully flexible, hybrid working which allows our environmental specialists to choose where, how and when they work as long as our clients are receiving the high-quality service they expect.  We focus on talent and skills, not postcode.   The role will require working closely with the ecology leadership team, national ecology team, mentoring and managing other consultants and developing relationships with clients and colleagues so may require some time at an office or alternative working space to suit those involved. 

We are very happy to discuss flexible working for this role, including the possibility of reduced or compressed hours and flexible start or finish times. We can offer a range of solutions to help you get the most out of your work / life balance.  If the timing’s not quite right for you, please do still get in touch as we will always consider deferring the start date for the right candidate.

About the team

·       Over 90 permanent ecologists across 14 offices working as one cohesive team. 

·       Time away from home minimised.  

·       IT systems allow seamless remote and flexible working, so proximity to an office is not a barrier– we focus on talents & skills, not postcode.  Our ecologists can work on the projects that interest them and deliver them to the highest standards.

·       Cars or car allowances to every member of the team regardless of grade, including for personal use.

·       Established TOIL system to allow time management to suit specific personal needs alongside seasonal demands.

·       Career frameworks provide clarity on how to progress.

·       We encourage the development of well-rounded ecologists who can talk about all stages of a project.

·       We offer internal and external training and mentoring, including from our inhouse experts.

·       Bat handling licence incentivisation scheme to thank ecologists who spend time and effort in achieving their licence - we know it's not easy!

·       And to show our support of personal development, we award a significant financial bonus to anyone achieving Chartered Environmentalist/Ecologist status through CIEEM.

·       We work closely with many other teams, including our own Planners, Archaeologists, Landscape Architects, Masterplanners and Engineers. With a culture of openness, there is always someone within the business who can provide advice and support for almost any query.