Graduate Marine Ecologist

Supports marine environmental studies through fieldwork, lab analysis, and ecological data collection for impact assessments and conservation projects across UK coastal and aquatic environments.

Job Description

About Our Team:

Marine Ecology is part of AECOM’s Environment business which provides environmental management services for feasibility, impact analysis and operational compliance as well as remediation, restoration and re-use of impacted property.

Our Marine team are seeking a Graduate Marine Ecologist to work within any of the following offices; Dublin, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Norwich, Leeds or Nottingham.

In this role you will work with our team of marine and aquatic ecologists, and our marine EIA specialists, to support the growth and development of the marine ecology team and grow our portfolio of high-profile marine projects.

The role will support the delivery of consultancy and advisory services, including a wide range of fieldwork and site work opportunities, for both internal and external clients to a high level of technical quality and to programme and budget.

Here’s what you’ll do:

• Support the wider marine ecology team in gathering baseline data to feed into a range of environmental assessments, including Environmental Impact Assessment, Habitat Regulation Assessments and Water Framework Directive Assessment

• Delivery of existing and new contracts for the collection and analysis of marine survey data

• Assist with a wide range of marine ecology surveys with potential to further support freshwater and terrestrial surveys.

• Have the opportunity to support freshwater ecologists in the laboratory analysis of macroinvertebrates samples

• Work as part of the existing network of AECOM ecologists and water scientists within the UK and Ireland;

• Communicate with line manager, project managers, clients, project teams and other members of the Marine, Aquatic Ecology and Water Environment team in person, by telephone, e-mail, letters and reports;

• Comply with internal business management procedures, including in relation to health and safety and technical quality of all advice and outputs;

• Contribute to maintaining internal and external client relationships, including providing urgent ecological response and / or advice as required;

• Collaborate with colleagues in wider AECOM teams on multi-disciplinary projects;

• Assist with other administrative duties which add value to the management and development of the team.

Enjoy the Perks.

At AECOM, you'll enjoy a range of core and personalised benefits designed to support your future and well-being, customised to fit your lifestyle. Take advantage of career development opportunities, our flexible hybrid working model to ensure a work-life balance that suits your lifestyle, technical practice networks, AECOM University, and volunteering days.

Here is what you will get from us!

On the job support and learning

When a graduate starts at AECOM, we pair them with a senior member of the team who will guide and mentor them through their initial period working on live projects and business development tasks, to support with any technical queries.

Graduate Development Programme

Our 2 year graduate ADVANCE programme is designed to help you build your career in AECOM. You will attend a number of instructor-led training sessions where you will meet and hear from people across the business and take part in a series of interactive activities to equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to succeed in your role.

Alongside the instructor-led elements of the ADVANCE programme, you will also engage with an online curriculum via AECOM University and have the opportunity to join the ADVANCE webinar series.

We will provide you with all the support and tools you need to achieve your professional development ambitions, which may include Chartership with the relevant international professional institution. We are affiliated either with CIEEM (Chartered Inst of Ecology and Env Management) or IFM (Inst of Fisheries Management).

We have more than 750 graduates on our programmes across the UK and Ireland from more than 40 different disciplines, each making a tangible difference to the environment in which we live and work.

Ready to push the limits of what’s possible?

Here’s what we’re looking for:

• A degree (preferably MSc or higher, BSc considered) in Marine Ecology or an alternative marine-focused degree such as Oceanography.

• Marine ecological experience is essential as are laboratory skills

• Marine field survey experience would be advantageous across benthic, fish, shellfish and/or marine mammals

• An understanding of marine consenting and licencing regimes across the UK&I particularly to the key regulatory bodies including the MMO, NRW, Scottish MD and The Crown Estate

• Microsoft Office skills essential such as Word, Excel & PowerPoint

• Ability to structure & prioritise work effectively through close cooperation with the team as a whole

• Solid attention to detail

• Strong numeracy

• Ability to communicate effectively to internal and external clients, both verbally & in writing with the confidence to engage with a variety of people (clients, colleagues, stakeholders and sub-contractors alike) and the aptitude to rationally explain, explore and discuss technical issues and capture feedback

Desirable

• Full driving license and willingness to travel on occasion is desirable (some site travel with equipment may be required)

We celebrate diversity, including neurodiversity, and believe it enriches our team. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and abilities.

At AECOM, we value everyone's unique contributions and perspectives. 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!

Additional Information

Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible since CVs will be reviewed, and candidates selected on a rolling recruitment basis for either immediate or advanced offer start. Please include a covering letter with your application and provide all predicted and/or obtained academic grades.

You must have permanent right to work in the UK&I as we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management.

On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities.