Senior Nature Based Solutions Specialist

Job Title: Senior Nature Based Solutions Specialist
Location: Flexible (ideally West Sussex or Hampshire) – 1 day a week in Durrington, West Sussex
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: 37, Monday to Friday
Salary: circa £55,000 depending on skills and experience

As part of Southern Water’s drive to enhance and protect the environment, the Environment & Innovation team are deploying the latest innovative solutions and working in partnership with our customers and stakeholders. The team takes a holistic approach to managing water quality and flow across the region, with a portfolio that has rapidly expanded from £50 million to over £2 billion in the next 10-year period. This is a fast-paced team that is now expanding to continue to deliver a larger programme of new and sustainable solutions.

About the role

A brand-new position has been created to join our Environment & Innovation team as a Senior Nature Based Solutions Specialist, with a focus on chalk stream restoration and project management across Hampshire and Sussex. This is an exciting opportunity to help develop and lead habitat enhancement and river restoration projects at a landscape scale.

What you will be responsible for:

• Support delivery of our regulatory programme, supporting the Principal Nature Based Solutions Specialist to manage implementation, delivery and reporting of our regulatory investigations, impact assessments, ecological schemes and compliance requirements. Responsible for managing projects through a full lifecycle and delivering outcomes within given timescales.
• A key element of this role is engagement with key stakeholders including our regulators (EA and NE), other Water Companies, the Water Industry, Catchment Partnerships, internally within SWS to promote our Catchment First Programme and contribute to industry technical working groups.
• Providing Nature Based Solutions advice to the wider business in relation to ecology, planning and development, environmental policy etc. Contribute to industry forums promoting the Catchment First approach. Assist and mentor the professional development of the Nature Based Solutions Specialists.
• Support how we can best deliver in each catchment, balancing the opportunities for specialist consultants, catchment partnership working and direct delivery by the in-house team.

What you’ll bring to the role:

• Demonstrable expertise in ecology, river / wetland restoration, biodiversity enhancement, planning and development.
• Proven expertise of project management, including planning and permitting requirements.
• The ability to demonstrate the completion of quality multi-disciplinary tasks on time to a consistent & high standard.
• Experience managing delivery of technical work via sub-contracted consultancy teams.
• Experience translating regulatory environmental requirements into deliverable and manageable work streams.
• Degree in relevant environmental discipline or equivalent experience. Masters degree in relevant discipline such as Hydroecology is desirable. Chartership or working towards is highly desirable.

Southern Water is at the forefront of transforming Britain’s water industry, investing significantly to enhance resilience, sustainability, and service excellence. With £7.8bn planned investment for 2025-30, this is an unparalleled opportunity to join a business committed to delivering a generational shift in the way water services are managed.

You will be joining at a time of significant change, working alongside a highly skilled leadership team with a clear vision for the future. We offer an environment where senior professionals can make a meaningful impact, influence major strategic decisions, and drive long-term value creation.