Associate Director, Environmental Clerk of Works

About the role:

This role can be based in LUC's Edinburgh or Glasgow office.

LUC is passionate about creating opportunities for nature and people to thrive together.

With established teams in London, Bristol, Cardiff, Manchester, Sheffield, Edinburgh and Glasgow, we support a huge range of projects, at local and national levels. We’re enthusiastic about finding new ways to apply emerging environmental principles and methods to the most challenging of policy and development projects, and we have fun working together along the way.

We are seeking an experienced and established professional consultant to join LUC as an Associate Director, leading our Environmental Clerk of Works (EnvCoW) service in Scotland. This exciting, yet demanding role can be based from either our Edinburgh or Glasgow office and will involve developing and leading a team who will be both site and office based.

As an Associate Director in our Ecology team, you will consolidate and strengthen LUC’s existing EnvCoW offer while driving its strategic growth – expanding our geographical reach, deepening relationships with established clients, and cultivating new opportunities across the development and construction sector.

The successful candidate will build and lead a team of EnvCoW’s, developing a strong pipeline of work and ensuring delivery of high-quality, trusted site-based environmental compliance monitoring. In addition, you will play a pivotal leadership role in shaping LUC’s broader post-consent service, working collaboratively across disciplines to integrate ecological, environmental, landscape, planning and cultural heritage expertise into a cohesive, market-leading offer.

Responsibilities within the role will include:

Strategic Leadership & Service Development:

• Lead the strategic development and growth of LUC’s Environmental Clerk of Works (EnvCoW) service in Scotland, shaping a clear vision and market position
• Consolidate and enhance existing service delivery, embedding best practice and innovation across projects
• Identify and capitalise on opportunities to expand geographic reach and diversify service offerings within the post-consent and construction sector
• Play a leading role in developing LUC’s integrated post-consent services, bringing together multidisciplinary expertise into a cohesive client offer

Business Development & Client Leadership:

• Develop and maintain strong, trusted relationships with key clients, regulators, and industry stakeholders, including the Association of Environmental Clerks of Works
• Lead the development of a robust pipeline of opportunities
• Act as a senior representative for LUC within the EnvCoW and wider environmental sector, enhancing profile and reputation
• Provide strategic input to client projects, advising on compliance, risk, and delivery at a programme level

Technical Leadership:

• Provide technical leadership and quality assurance across EnvCoW projects, ensuring high-quality, compliant delivery
• Guide complex ecological risk management, mitigation strategies, and licensing approaches across large-scale projects
• Support project teams in resolving technical challenges, regulatory issues, and stakeholder concerns
• Maintain a strong understanding of relevant legislation, policy, and best practice, ensuring this informs service delivery

Team Leadership & Capability Building:

• Build, lead, and inspire a high-performing EnvCoW team, including recruitment, resourcing, and succession planning
• Provide line management, mentoring, and professional development to colleagues, fostering technical excellence and career progression

Collaboration & Cross-Disciplinary Integration:

• Work closely with colleagues across ecology, planning, landscape, and cultural heritage to deliver integrated post-consent solutions
• Lead or contribute to multidisciplinary projects, ensuring environmental considerations are effectively embedded in construction-phase delivery
• Facilitate effective internal collaboration to maximise value for clients and strengthen LUC’s market offer

The role includes the opportunity to share and participate actively in the management and ownership of the business through the Employee Ownership Trust, which places full ownership of the company with the employees.

The role is based in LUC’s offices in Edinburgh or Glasgow. We work in a hybrid model with people being in the office a minimum of two days per week. There will also be travel required to visit sites, client offices and other office locations.

A full-time role is based on 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday). However, LUC has a strong track record in flexible working, and we have been recognised for our flexible working culture, so we are happy to discuss a range of flexible working options for this role including part time hours (minimum 30 hours per week) if desired.

Salary: £58,000 - £64,750 FTE (Dependent on experience).

Experience and qualifications

We welcome applications from experienced environmental professionals with a background in Environmental Clerk of Works (EnvCoW) or construction-phase environmental management, particularly within Scotland or similar regulatory contexts.

You may already be operating at a senior level, or you may be ready to take the next step in your career into a more strategic and leadership-focused role. We are looking for someone who brings strong technical understanding alongside the ability to build positive relationships with clients, regulators, and multidisciplinary teams. An interest in developing services, growing client relationships, and supporting others to thrive will be important, as will a collaborative and proactive approach. You will be supported to develop your leadership skills, and we value a range of experiences and perspectives—so if you’re excited by the opportunity but don’t meet every requirement, we would still love to hear from you.

Essential

• Extensive experience in Environmental Clerk of Works (EnvCoW) or construction-phase environmental management, with a strong understanding of compliance, licensing, and environmental risk management (e.g. pollution prevention, surface water, waste, protected species etc)
• Demonstrable experience of leading and delivering complex projects or programmes, including oversight of quality, programme, and financial performance
• Strong commercial awareness, including experience of budget management, forecasting, and delivering profitable work
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence, challenge, and engage a wide range of stakeholders
• Track record of leading, mentoring, or supporting the development of others, with a commitment to building team capability
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to provide clear, pragmatic solutions in complex and dynamic environments
• Ability to think strategically, identify opportunities for growth, and contribute to service development
• Experience of working on large-scale or linear infrastructure projects (e.g. energy, transport, utilities)
• Full UK driving licence

Desirable

• Experience working with Private Water Supplies and/or water quality monitoring
• Experience of supporting projects in remote landscapes
• Relevant professional membership or qualification
• CSCS card

Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK.

Please apply by uploading your CV and covering letter via the following link: https://hr.moorepay.co.uk/hr/recruitment/job/a2f8c29f2022012f657780c3f06c4b34/52193

LUC is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and we actively encourage applications from under-represented groups. We value the differences, needs and contributions a diverse workforce represents, and we strive to embed equality, diversity and inclusion in all our people related activities.

About LUC:

LUC is an award-winning environmental consultancy celebrating 60 years of impact. Since 1966, we have been dedicated to a single mission: delivering better futures for nature, people, and places.

As an independent, employee-owned business, we combine a rich heritage with a forward-looking approach. Our multidisciplinary teams – spanning planning, impact assessment, landscape design, ecology, and geospatial services – collaborate to tackle complex land-use challenges across the UK.

From restoring historic environments to driving climate resilience and nature recovery, we are proud of our past. But in our 60th year, our focus is firmly on the future and driving positive change for the next generation.

Our Mission is to deliver better futures for nature, people and places.

Just like our founders, we’re dedicated to leaving this world in a better place. And we believe we have the power to create a positive legacy through all our projects. We do this by guiding our clients, as well as influencing national and local policy.

Of course, we recognise that change is inevitable. But we also recognise that cities, towns and landscapes of the future must work to help nature recover and to create a fairer society for all. We are committed to creating beautiful, inclusive places that support the health and wellbeing of the people and environments impacted by such inevitable change.

Our Values are what make us.

They reflect our heritage, express the attitudes of our people, and capture what our clients tell us we’re like to work with. Our values are timeless, informing the actions of every generation of LUC.

They guide our big thinking as much as our daily working lives – from the projects we pursue, to how we manage people, to how we resolve conflicting interests.

• We act with professionalism and integrity
• We have the courage and openness to lead
• We collaborate to achieve shared goals
• We act with passion, insight and creativity
• We are intrinsically people-centred