Principal Environmental Economist - Water

As a Principal Environmental Economist within our Water and Catchments team, you will provide a leading role in economic appraisals of water resources and water quality schemes as well as flood schemes, through the application of natural capital approaches, cost benefit assessments and multi-criteria analysis.

The role will also require you to help translate national ambitions, such as Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs), Environmental Land Management (ELM), and wider land use frameworks into practical, investable solutions at catchment and landscape scale.

Working at the intersection of natural capital, policy, and delivery, you will help lead and support projects that unlock environmental and commercial value from nature-based solutions in support of Binnies' Solutions By Nature business; a joint venture providing nature-based solutions via blue-green infrastructure to the water industry. This includes enabling high-integrity habitat creation, nutrient neutrality solutions, carbon and biodiversity markets, and integrated catchment management approaches aligned to water company, infrastructure and public sector priorities.

You will be able to combine technical expertise in natural capital assessment and ecosystem services with a strategic, market-facing mindset, helping clients navigate regulatory change and capitalise on emerging opportunities in nature markets.

You will be responsible for:

Helping lead Natural Capital and Nature Market projects across a diverse client base, including water companies, infrastructure providers, developers, landowners and public bodies, with a focus on aligning delivery to BNG, LNRS priorities and wider policy drivers;

Adapting and applying environmental appraisal approaches to assess the costs and benefits of a range of solutions to meet environmental regulatory requirements covering catchment management options, engineering solutions and flood scheme appraisal;

Applying and advancing natural capital approaches, including mapping, modelling and valuation, to support strategic decision-making, catchment planning and the development of investable nature-based solutions;

Integrating ecological and environmental data into natural capital frameworks, working closely with ecology and environmental specialists to ensure robust, policy-compliant outputs that support BNG delivery, habitat creation, and long-term monitoring;

Supporting the development and delivery of LNRS-aligned and catchment-based strategies, helping clients prioritise interventions that deliver multiple benefits across biodiversity, water, climate and natural capital outcomes;

Driving high-quality technical reporting and stakeholder engagement, ensuring outputs reflect best practice, emerging standards (e.g. BNG metrics, natural capital accounting) and are accessible to both technical and non-technical audiences;

Contributing to a wide range of environmental projects, including biodiversity net gain strategies, habitat restoration, nutrient management, and wider nature-based solutions for major infrastructure and water sector programmes;

Supporting and mentoring colleagues, helping to build capability in natural capital, catchment planning and nature markets across the team;

Playing a supporting role in business development, including identifying opportunities linked to land use change, nature markets and policy drivers, supporting bids, and helping shape innovative client solutions;

Contributing to thought leadership and innovation, helping position the business at the forefront of natural capital, nature markets and sustainable land use in line with UK policy direction.

Required experience:

Experience in implementing the natural capital approach (NCA);

A sound appreciation of key drivers, guidance, tools and approaches relating to the NCA and environmental options appraisal including cost benefit assessment cost effectiveness analysis and multi-criteria assessment;

Understanding of environmental economics, tools and principles for investment cases;

Experience of building water related benefits or biodiversity into NCAs;

Working with cross discipline teams including engineers, landscape architects, hydrologists and ecologists;

Knowledge of BNG and other nature markets;

Knowledge of natural capital/ecosystem services spatial modelling;

Strong research skills i.e. rapid evidence reviews, synthesis of material into key findings;

Strong presentation and stakeholder engagement skills.

Desired experience:

Experience with mapping and GIS;

Experience of being a technical lead for small to medium multidisciplinary projects;

Knowledge or experience of automating or modelling for NCAs;

Knowledge of Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

Qualifications/Requirements

The role is suitable for an experienced Environmental professional with full professional membership. In addition to the required knowledge and experience listed above, you should possess and be able to demonstrate the following qualifications, skills and knowledge:

An environmental related degree;

Chartered with a relevant institute;

Knowledge of the water sector and its regulatory framework;

Successful track record in technically managing and delivering projects, working with inter-disciplinary teams;

The ability to successfully manage technical project teams and be an integral member of the wider environmental team;

Excellent written and oral communication skills;

Hold a full UK driving licence;

Previous experience of working in a consultancy environment.

Binnies is a world-leader in Environmental and Critical Human Infrastructure projects in the Water and Flood Risk Management sector delivering exciting projects for clients including the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, Local Authorities and Water Utility Companies. Our team also works on other large infrastructure projects across sectors such as transport and renewable energy.

We are looking for a Principal Environmental Economist to take a leading role in delivering and shaping our growing portfolio of water and catchment work where we are developing and testing innovative approaches to catchment management and providing nature-based solutions via blue-green infrastructure to the water industry. The role will also cover the economic appraisal of flood schemes and large water company infrastructure projects.

You would become an integral part of our multi-disciplinary National Environmental Services Team. We would be happy to welcome you into one of our offices in Redhill/London, Bradford on Avon, Swansea, Birmingham or Chester and offer flexible working.

Would you like to work in a business where you feel empowered to grow? Where there is no place for criticism or discrimination? A place where people are mindful and respectful? If so, then Binnies is the place for you.

We have a strong 'ENGAGED' culture that runs through everything we do. Evolved over 100 years, we have a culture of caring, where our employee's wellbeing and work-life balance are priorities, in fact we have industry leading flexible and hybrid working arrangements. We pride ourselves on providing an inclusive working environment, where a diverse workforce is supported to grow and develop.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Flexible working (part time available, remote working, nine day fortnight)

Flexible benefits e.g. buy annual leave, varying pension contributions, options for private healthcare