Consultant Aquatic Ecologist

Company: AECOM
Apply for the Consultant Aquatic Ecologist
Location: City of Edinburgh
Job Description:

  • Primary Location: UK – Nottingham Regan Way

Job Description

We are looking for an experienced Consultant Aquatic Ecologist to join the Aquatic Ecology Team at AECOM. We have multi‑disciplinary offices throughout the UK (including Edinburgh and Basingstoke), and you would play a key role in providing technical expertise and undertaking surveys for new and existing projects, as well as in the continued growth and development of our team.

You will join a growing, friendly, and highly motivated team, and contribute to a diverse range of projects, including the Environment Agency and Natural England, Water Companies, renewable energy projects, nationally significant infrastructure projects, and many others. We deliver a diverse range of projects, such as baseline data collection and monitoring for major infrastructure and utility projects, fish passage and weir removal projects, fish rescue and translocation, water quality monitoring for regulators and the private sector, pollution response surveys, drought monitoring – the list goes on!

Responsibilities

  • Undertaking aquatic surveys in freshwaters
  • Working with other environmental specialists and disciplines on important projects, large and small.
  • Collecting and/or processing freshwater macroinvertebrate samples in the laboratory, undertaking benthic macroinvertebrate surveys in freshwaters, assisting with fieldwork and sample collection (potentially macroinvertebrate, macrophytes, phytobenthos, fisheries, water quality etc.).
  • Assisting with data entry, analysis, and processing for freshwater projects, contributing to survey reports and ecological appraisals and liaising with project managers and clients.
  • Delivery of consultancy and advisory services to a high level of technical quality, while prioritizing safety and security in all that you do.
  • Assisting with fieldwork and sample collection and data analysis (potentially fisheries, macroinvertebrate, macrophytes, phytobenthos, water quality, etc.) for freshwater projects.
  • Contributing to desk studies and literature reviews.
  • Contributing to data capture, collation and presentation, survey reports and ecological appraisals which are produced to a high technical standard and within agreed deadlines.
  • Assisting in the production of Environmental Impact Assessment documents in line with CIEEM guidelines.

You will be involved in monitoring and impact assessment projects for various stakeholders, including Water Companies, Regulators such as the Environment Agency and Natural England, and private clients like National Grid, as well as solar and wind farms and other renewable energy projects.

Qualifications

Here’s what we will need from you;

  • You will be adaptable and flexible so that peaks in demands can be met. The role may involve occasional longer / unsociable hours and short periods away from home.
  • You will have experience of some or all of the following: aquatic ecology surveys such as fish, macroinvertebrates, crayfish, macrophytes, riparian mammals, River Habitat Survey, etc.
  • Qualified to degree level or MSc, or higher, in a relevant subject with some previous experience in an aquatic ecology or similar role.
  • Member of CIEEM or similar professional body; or eligible to qualify for this status.
  • Relevant training, potentially including Water Safety, First Aid, and a Licence to drive in the UK.
  • Good knowledge of current environmental legislation, including the Water Framework Directive.

We celebrate diversity, including neurodiversity, and believe it enriches our team. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and abilities. If you are an applicant with a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to complete the application process, please contact us at (email protected)

If you meet some of the requirements above or have transferable skills you believe would benefit us, we would be delighted to hear from you!

We are a DisabilityConfidentEmployer and will offer an interview to applicants who have a disability or long‑term condition, who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role. Please let us know using this email address (email protected) if you would like to apply through the DisabilityConfidentInterview Scheme.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

#J-18808-Ljbffr…

Posted: July 1st, 2026