Associate Director - Watercourse BNG & WFD

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A little more about your role …

WSP is looking for an Associate Director / Associate to play a pivotal role in the rapid growth of our Hydromorphology Service Line, with a primary focus on watercourse Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and a strong supporting role in Water Framework Directive (WFD) assessment and advisory work. 

This is a senior technical and advisory role within our Catchment Science team, where you will lead high-quality water BNG delivery and support a growing pipeline of WFD-related advisory work.

Some of your day-to-day responsibilities...

• Leading and technically reviewing application of the Watercourse BNG Metric, including reviews of River Condition Assessments.
• Leading and reviewing Water Framework Directive (WFD) compliance assessments
• Providing senior technical support to our watercourse BNG team
• Supporting business planning, sales, and bid development for watercourse BNG, WFD, and hydromorphology
• Identifying opportunities to expand watercourse BNG delivery pipelines
• Overseeing and advising on Habitat Management and Monitoring Plans (HMMPs) to secure BNG for 30 years
• Providing high-level technical direction on multidisciplinary projects where both WFD and BNG are being completed.
• Contributing to or advising on landowner engagement strategies for off-site BNG delivery.
• Supporting the development of innovative approaches to river restoration, enhancement, and nature-based solutions.
   

Your Team

We have a rapidly growing hydromorphology team providing our technical expertise to a diverse client and project-base. Our work is currently expanding rapidly into the exciting BNG for Rivers and Streams area, where we are providing technical leadership in the delivery of the watercourse component of BNG. Our current portfolio of hydromorphology work includes: 

• Fluvial audits to inform catchment management options to improve river form and function 
• Erosion monitoring on active dynamic rivers
• Sediment studies
• Geomorphology and WFD assessment of flood alleviation schemes and major linear infrastructure projects
• Exploring natural flood management and natural capital opportunities
• Channel design for river diversions
• Developing new methods for hydromorphology assessment.
• We provide our technical services to a wide range of both internal and external Clients including Rail, Highways, Local Authority, Housing and Private Development sectors
   

Our rapidly growing technical team is spread across the UK, with hubs in Scotland, Leeds, London, and Bristol, fostering a friendly, collaborative culture that is relaxed, supportive, and positive. 

We have delivered award-winning projects such as the Otley Flood Alleviation Scheme, which recently earned the Institution of Civil Engineers Yorkshire and Humber Region's prestigious Smeaton Award for excellence in Civil Engineering. Committed to your professional growth, we offer full support for development and progression, helping you achieve your career aspirations. To attract the best talent, we offer flexibility on location, and we are proud to have the fastest-growing, technically excellent hydromorphology team in the UK.

What we will be looking for you to demonstrate …

• A degree in a relevant discipline (e.g. Geography, Environmental Science, Ecology, or similar)
• Professional membership (e.g. CIWEM, CIEEM, RGS), ideally Chartered.
• River Condition Assessment accreditation.
• Strong track record in watercourse BNG, including application of the metric and delivery of net gain strategies.
• Ability to integrate WFD compliance, watercourse BNG, river restoration and nature-based solutions into coherent project strategies.
• Knowledge of Habitat Management and Monitoring Plans (HMMPs) and long-term stewardship.
• Experience managing projects, programmes, and multidisciplinary teams.
   

Don't quite meet the criteria? Please still apply, as there are plenty of other opportunities we could explore in WSP!

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