Air Quality Consultant

Location/s: Brighton, Bristol, Edinburgh, Manchester; UK
Recruiter contact: Maria Cervantes

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices. 

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual. 

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About the business unit 

The Energy unit delivers services to clients globally across several sectors including hydropower, nuclear, waste, renewable generation and transmission & distribution networks. Together we provide integrated engineering and project management services across the project lifecycle – from concept and design to construction and operations, to decommissioning or repowering and life extension. Together with our clients, we’re helping to deliver the energy transition globally.

About the team

Our Energy business has an exciting opportunity for an Air Quality Consultant to join our growing team, based in one of our Brighton, Bristol, Manchester or Edinburgh offices. You’ll have the opportunity to work on a diverse portfolio of projects in the UK and internationally, across the energy, transport, data centre and advisory sectors.

Our recent international air quality work has taken us across Ireland, Australia, Hong Kong, Qatar, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, the USA and the UAE. Our energy portfolio covers gas- and diesel-fired power generation, energy from waste and nuclear projects. We also provide strategic and technical air quality advice to a diverse range of clients, including lenders and investors involved in the development and acquisition of assets around the world. We support clients through the environmental permitting process, including the preparation of air quality assessments for new and existing facilities.

Our transport work spans aviation, rail and highways, while our growing data centre portfolio includes assessing the air quality impacts associated with baseload and emergency backup power generation.

Overview of the role

With us, you’ll have the opportunity to deliver air quality assessments for UK planning applications, environmental permit applications and EIAs, alongside large-scale international projects for private developers and international financial institutions. Your work will be varied and could include air quality modelling and monitoring, technical and policy advice, preparing air quality assessments and undertaking technical reviews. We are also seeing increasing demand for odour assessments, providing opportunities to develop experience in this growing area of our work.

You’ll work alongside experienced members of the team, taking responsibility for your own technical work and supporting the delivery and management of projects. You’ll also have opportunities to broaden your experience by contributing to business development activities and the preparation of proposals.

James will be your manager: “We have an exciting and diverse range of projects ahead, including major UK infrastructure schemes, planning applications and EIAs, environmental permitting and international development projects. You’ll be an integral part of the team, delivering high-quality technical work across a varied portfolio. We’re looking for someone who is enthusiastic about air quality, keen to develop their technical experience and ready to take on increasing responsibility as their career progresses.”

Candidate specification

We are looking for someone who already has relevant practical air quality experience and can undertake assessments with guidance and support from senior team members. You’ll have a suitable academic qualification in a relevant subject and be keen to build your technical capability and take on increasing responsibility as your experience develops.

Although we have a strong portfolio of energy and international work, you’ll also be supporting our ongoing UK transport projects. Experience of transport-related air quality assessments for UK planning applications and EIAs would therefore be particularly valuable. You’ll be familiar with UK assessment approaches and have experience using relevant tools, including ADMS-Roads, ADMS and/or AERMOD, together with GIS platforms. Knowledge or experience of Irish air quality guidance and assessment approaches, particularly for energy and transport projects, would be advantageous. Previous experience of odour assessment, including applying IAQM guidance and assessment approaches, would also be beneficial.

We welcome applications from air quality specialists with the following experience:

Essential:

• A suitable academic qualification, such as a degree in air quality, environmental science or another relevant subject
• Demonstrable experience of undertaking air quality assessments in accordance with relevant guidance and best practice
• Practical experience using recognised dispersion modelling software, including ADMS-Roads, ADMS and/or AERMOD
• Experience of undertaking air quality assessments for large UK infrastructure projects as part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary team
• Experience in using geographical information systems (GIS)
• Fluent written and spoken English, with strong technical writing and communication skills

Desirable:

• Knowledge and experience of air quality monitoring techniques for a range of pollutants
• Experience of odour assessment, including qualitative assessment and/or odour dispersion modelling
• Experience of air quality assessment for energy generation projects, including environmental permitting
• Associate or full membership of a relevant professional body, such as IAQM or IEMA

We are actively recruiting a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve. We recognise that differences in ability, skills and experience are a strength and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. 

Please be advised that offers for this role are conditional upon obtaining the appropriate level of Security Clearance.

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

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