Environmental Specialist
Architecture & Engineering (Physical)Posted 15 Jul 2026
Posted 15 Jul 2026
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
Location: Sunderland
Recruiter contact: Lauren.hutchinson@jnbentley.co.uk
Mott MacDonald Bentley is a fully integrated design and build business combining the design expertise of Mott MacDonald with the contracting experience of JN Bentley to deliver award winning projects. Working for Mott MacDonald Bentley, you will work on major water and wastewater schemes throughout all phases of the project from feasibility through to construction. With an annual turnover surpassing £500 million, Mott Macdonald Bentley cements its position as a leader within the industry. The sustained, robust business performance creates an ideal environment for career growth.
We joined a new partnership in Northumbrian Water’s new Living Water Enterprise, an innovative vehicle developed to deliver large scale construction programmes in AMP8 and beyond, supporting a £3.6bn workload. Northumbrian Water supplies water and sewerage services to just under 4.4 million people and has worked closely with MMB and JN Bentley since 2001. In this time, the companies have delivered hundreds of engineering and construction projects together. This new contract will extend the relationship to at least 2030 and see MMB – which harnesses the contracting strength of JN Bentley and the design specialisms of Mott MacDonald - undertake treatment projects across the North East.
We are looking for a proactive Environmental Specialist who will be part of our environment team co-located across the UK, supporting a regional team comprised of both design and operation staff.
As Environmental Specialist, you will:
Identify specific environmental risks throughout the project lifecycle, from solution definition to completion.
Support projects teams to develop environmental risk mitigation measures, with consideration of cost, time, compliance, safety and social impacts.
Identify, plan and coordinate project environmental specialist inputs (e.g. heritage and archaeology, ecology, geomorphology), to ensure that all environmental tasks are completed at the correct time and to the required standards, including prioritising risks.
Able to produce specific environmental deliverables at appropriate project milestones e.g. EIA screening assessments, material management plans, and environmental management plans.
Able to produce applications for environmental permits and consents.
Lead on the liaison with environmental regulators.
Positively engage with our clients regarding environmental and consenting matters, develop relationships and enhance our reputation.
Contribute to environmental improvement projects at both local and regional level.
Assist in the production and delivery of training.
What you’ll need:
Chartered with a relevant professional body or actively working towards chartership
An understanding of environmental disciplines and project risks in the following areas: ecology, archaeology, drainage, geotechnical, contaminated land, landscape, noise. More in-depth knowledge and experience in one of these subject areas is desirable.
Awareness of the planning process (preferably the water sector), including the need for surveys as well as permits and consents for relevant construction activities.
Able to coordinate the management of environmental aspects through a high level of planning, organisation, and communication, to ensure successful project outcomes.
Experience in advising and promoting on project sustainability initiatives, including an understanding of biodiversity net gain.
A valid driving licence and willingness to travel to sites.
What’s in it for you:
Financial wellbeing
MMB match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues including our annual bonus schemes.
Payment of annual professional institution subscription costs.
Health and wellbeing
A minimum of 33 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays, with the ability to buy, sell or carry over annual leave through our flexible benefits programme.
Access to Life Assurance / Private Medical Insurance / Critical Illness Insurance and Health Screening options.
We are happy to talk openly about flexible working and how we can support your responsibilities beyond the workplace.
Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
Enhanced family and carers leave
Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave plus the option for shared parental leave.
Up to 2 paid additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities.
Learning and development
Mott MacDonald Bentley 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.
Other information
This is a Mott MacDonald Bentley role, employed by Mott MacDonald.
Mott MacDonald Bentley is a joint venture business, established in 1999 between civil engineering contractor JN Bentley and global management consultancy, Mott MacDonald.
Mott MacDonald Bentley offers fully integrated design and build services to its clients, combining the contracting expertise of JN Bentley and the design specialisms of Mott MacDonald.
This role is employed by Mott MacDonald but will involve working across the joint venture business, both with Mott MacDonald and JN Bentley colleagues.
About Mott MacDonald
Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management and development consultancy.
Our purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming our clients’ businesses, our communities and employee opportunities.
A fundamental part of this is respecting each person’s differences and striving to meet their needs.
Our values: progress, respect, integrity, drive, excellence.
We believe that because we care about what we do, we do things better.
We know that our people are our most valuable asset, so we are dedicated to investing in them, through our comprehensive training and development schemes, exposure to the wider design and build business and endless opportunities.
We are committed to creating a workplace where our people are safe, have a voice, can reach their full potential, and everyone shares in the rewards.
You’ll have the opportunity to contribute to projects that benefit our communities – from helping to secure water supplies for future generations to protecting homes and businesses from flood risk – our projects make a real difference.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
A Mott MacDonald Bentley we welcome applications from all sectors of the community. We are dedicated to building a diverse workplace where everyone feels included, has the opportunity to thrive, and is treated with respect.
Even if you don’t meet every requirement for this role but are excited about the opportunity, we encourage you to apply. Find out more about our approach to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion here: https://www.mottmacbentley.co.uk/people.
We are committed to ensuring that our recruitment practices are barrier-free and as inclusive as possible. This includes making adjustments during the job application process and throughout your future career with us. Please call 01756 691572 or email recruitment@jnbentley.co.uk to discuss any such adjustments that we can make. You can read more about our Equal Opportunities Policy here: Equality, diversity and inclusion - Mott MacDonald
Agile working
We are committed to providing a flexible and agile working environment that supports both our employees and the needs of the business.
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