Location: Southam / North Chilterns, multiple locations available along 80km line of route (Hybrid — 3 days office/site, 2 days home)
Salary: £50,000 – £61,000 + 12% Pension + Healthcare
Next Step: Senior Environmental Manager (£80,000 – £90,000+ package)
Programme: HS2 Phase One – £4.2bn EKFB Main Works Civils Contract
Help Deliver One of the UK's Most Environmentally Ambitious Infrastructure Projects
Looking for an Environmental Advisor / Consultants to work on a major contract on HS2, interested in candidates from general environment, flooding, carbon, ecology, air quality indeed any environmental background to work as an Environmental Manager on one of the largest and most diverse infrastructure programmes in the UK?
This is a genuine opportunity to move into a client-side assurance role at the heart of HS2's £4.2bn EKFB Main Works Civils Contract, 80km of largely rural railway comprising 15 viaducts, 81 bridges, 6.9km of green tunnels and 30 million cubic metres of excavation. The scale and environmental complexity of this programme is unlike almost anything else in UK construction.
Working within the Integrated Project Team, you'll sit alongside the principal contractor, providing technical assurance and oversight to ensure environmental commitments are delivered consistently and compliantly across a broad section of the route.
Must have strong communication skills and willingness to challenge Tier 1 main contractors to ensure environmental compliances are met and to negotiate on behalf of the tax payer and not simply accept all change requests (early warnings) raised.
The Role
Reporting to a Senior Environmental Manager, you'll provide assurance that design and construction activities comply with HS2's Environmental Minimum Requirements (EMRs), environmental legislation and project commitments - spanning biodiversity, ecology, noise, air quality, carbon, hydrology and archaeology.
This is a breadth role, not a specialism. You'll work across the full range of environmental disciplines, drawing on internal subject matter experts and developing your own knowledge as you go. You'll need to be comfortable picking up unfamiliar issues, asking the right questions and managing outcomes confidently, even in areas outside your prior experience.
A key part of the role is influencing and constructively challenging contractors and their supply chain, ensuring environmental risks are identified early, mitigated effectively and managed proactively throughout delivery.
Key Responsibilities
* Support technical assurance through production, checking and submission of assurance evidence for technical stage gates
* Authorise mandatory approvals by assuring contractor designs and construction works comply with EMRs and the Code of Construction Practice (CoCP)
* Manage and communicate HS2 environment and sustainability requirements to the Integrated Project Team and principal contractor
* Provide guidance on environmental design solutions, ensuring environmental constraints are considered from the outset
* Support the Senior Environmental Manager with internal and external environmental reporting
* Liaise with technical stakeholders and local communities on sensitive environmental issues
* Work alongside technical specialists to develop cost-balanced mitigation strategies and solutions
* Support risk identification and management across environmental disciplines throughout the project lifecycle
What We're Looking For
We're open to candidates from a wide range of environmental backgrounds:- generalist, ecology, acoustics, air quality, carbon, contaminated land or any other environmental specialism, from contractor, consultant, client or statutory authority. What matters most is your ability to apply your knowledge in a complex construction environment, communicate confidently with contractors and supply chain partners, and maintain high environmental standards under real programme pressure.
Essential Experience
* Experience working in environmental management on major infrastructure or construction projects
* Broad understanding across multiple environmental disciplines rather than a single narrow specialism
* Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, including the confidence to challenge contractors more experienced than yourself
* Pragmatic, solutions-focused approach to environmental management
* Knowledge of relevant UK environmental legislation, policy and best practice
* Understanding of Environmental Impact Assessments and/or Environmental Minimum Requirements
* Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel across site locations
Desirable Experience
* Experience working in a client-side assurance role
* Experience with NEC or similar construction contracts
* Familiarity with environmental incidents, early warnings, technical queries or contractual compliance processes
* Background in rail, highways, utilities, aviation or other major civil engineering programmes
* Membership of an appropriate professional institution (or working towards it)
Why Join HS2?
This role offers exposure to one of the broadest environmental portfolios in UK infrastructure — no two days are the same and the scale of challenge is genuinely exceptional. You'll work alongside experienced specialists in a collaborative, integrated team environment with long-term programme security and a clear progression pathway to Senior Environmental Manager.
With work continuing well beyond the current programme, this is an opportunity to build a long-term career while contributing to infrastructure that will serve the country for generations
Salary description
£50000.00 - £61155.00 per year