Associate Director - Flood Risk

My client is looking for an experienced Flood Risk & Drainage Consultant at Associate Director to join their growing environmental consultancy team.

This is an exciting opportunity for a senior professional who wants to take the lead on complex, high-profile development projects, while helping shape the growth and technical capability of a forward-thinking, sustainability-focused consultancy.

The Role

You'll lead and oversee the preparation of Flood Risk Assessments (FRAs), Drainage Strategies and flood/drainage solutions for large-scale and major developments across sectors including:

• Property and strategic development
• Renewable energy
• Aviation
• Infrastructure

Projects will span the full development lifecycle - from early strategy and feasibility through to outline design, planning submission and discharge of conditions.

Alongside FRAs and drainage strategies, your work may include:

• River restoration feasibility
• Water Framework Directive assessments
• Nutrient Neutrality
• Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS)
• Flood mitigation and masterplanning
• Development Consent Orders (DCOs)
• Town and Country Planning applications

You'll take a leading role on complex strategic sites, while providing technical review, oversight, mentoring and support to more junior members of the team .

Responsibilities

A key part of the role will be ensuring that environmental considerations are embedded into development design from the outset.

You'll work closely with clients, stakeholders, engineers, planners, architects and wider design teams , clearly communicating flood risk and drainage constraints and identifying practical, sustainable solutions.

You'll also have the opportunity to:

• Lead the design and integration of SuDS schemes
• Develop flood mitigation strategies within masterplans
• Prepare and review technical reports
• Provide technical leadership across projects
• Support project delivery and commercial management
• Contribute to bids and business development
• Mentor and develop junior consultants

Core Skills & Experience

We're looking for someone with strong technical and consultancy experience, including:

• Excellent knowledge of the UK planning system, particularly flood risk policy and guidance such as the NPPF and SuDS Manual
• Extensive experience preparing complex Flood Risk Assessments and Drainage Strategies
• Strong ability to identify and communicate flood risk and drainage constraints and opportunities
• Excellent project management and stakeholder communication skills
• Strong report writing and technical review capabilities
• Experience working collaboratively within multidisciplinary project teams
• Good knowledge of InfoDrainage (or equivalent drainage modelling software), AutoCAD and GIS
• Experience supporting bid preparation and business development
• The confidence and experience to lead complex projects and provide technical direction to others

Why Join?

This is a great opportunity to join a solution-focused environmental consultancy where sustainability is central to the work they deliver .

You'll have the autonomy to lead major projects, influence development design, work across a diverse range of sectors and play an important role in developing the next generation of flood risk and drainage specialists.