Practice Leader - Hydrology & Hydrogeology

Opportunities like this are rare. SLR is seeking a high calibre individual to lead and grow our existing Hydrology and Hydrogeology Practice within our European Region as a Practice Leader. 

Our Hydrology and Hydrogeology Practice comprises a team of 75 specialists that offer technical excellence in managing surface water, groundwater and geochemistry challenges, working on projects delivering Net Zero and making significant contributions to the sustainability of new developments and existing operations. Project work is delivered in UK, Ireland, mainland Europe and further afield.

Our hydrology services include flood risk assessments and hydraulic modelling, stormwater drainage design, pollution control, operational water management, and water monitoring. Our hydrogeology and geochemistry services include hydrogeological risk assessment, groundwater and contaminant modelling, passive water treatment design and groundwater monitoring.

The Hydrology and Hydrogeology Practice deliver projects with clients across multiple sectors including Power and Distribution, Built Environment, Mining & Minerals, and Infrastructure.

The role

Reporting to the European Business Unit Director (BUD) for Earth Sciences, you will be a member of the Business Unit Leadership Team and lead the Hydrology and Hydrogeology Practice currently located across the UK and Ireland. 

We will look to you to lead and grow a successful, sustainable business which delivers on our client's needs, and inspires and motivates our staff. Our Practice Leaders have primary responsibility for all aspects of operational management, team development and technical delivery.  This includes setting and implementing the Practice’s strategy for learning and development, growth, and operational improvement. You will have autonomy to make decisions to meet market and business needs working closely with your BUD and other senior colleagues.  

You will be responsible for:

• Leading and growing our Hydrology and Hydrogeology capability in the European Region through visible leadership and direction and exhibiting and demonstrating behaviours and attitudes in accordance with SLR core values.
• Developing and implementing the Practice’s commercial strategy as well as driving growth in revenue, margin performance, and expansion of services within the team. This should align and integrate with other relevant Business Unit, Regional and Global strategies.
• Developing strong relationships with clients and partners to drive business growth and foster increased customer loyalty. 
• Monitoring client trends and identifying strategic opportunities and risks to SLR’s business and report/act on these.
• Targeting key hires to support the expansion of services and further develop the talent and skills needed to support the clients today, and into the future based on changing economic and regulatory drivers.
• Budget setting and delivery, along with tracking and forecasting the financial performance of the Practice.
• Collaborating with the Sector Leads and Marketing Team to ensure the Practice has the right market profile. 
• Identifying areas of improvement on key operational areas and delivering solutions to address these.
• Promotion of SLR’s Health and Safety culture through proactive safety leadership and staff engagement and working closely with our H&S Team to ensure compliance with our Health and Safety Management System within the Practice.
• Inclusive leadership of people in driving the business forward including,
  • Recruiting/retaining and developing the best leaders and teams.
  • Supporting and constructively challenging leaders in delivering their full responsibilities.
  • Structuring, challenging, and developing business performance to exceed expectations including project delivery excellence and enhanced delivery above Client expectations of performance.
  • Driving Ethics and Compliance aligned to SLR values.
  • Creating a healthy, safe and respectful workforce environment.
• Identifying and managing risk and opportunities for the Practice.

About us 

SLR are global leaders in environmental and advisory solutions helping our clients achieve their sustainability goals. We are a consultancy with over 4,500 employees across 3 regions, including over 1,700 colleagues in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Our ‘One Team’ culture is at the heart of our business, providing a collaborative and supportive environment for professional development. 

Along with competitive salaries, our staff enjoy a comprehensive benefits package with a company pension plus excellent healthcare offering, travel and life insurance, critical illness cover and a structured career framework with regular reviews offering opportunities for progression. Alongside 25 days of annual leave, SLR offer flexible, agile and hybrid working which enables staff to tailor hours worked around core hours, and our family friendly policies help balance the needs of professional and family life. 

About you

You will need to be a commercially minded highly skilled and experienced consultancy professional with strong client management and people leadership skills. You will need to have work winning ability and a successful track record of leading a large and diverse team. 

Key competencies:

• Ability to lead people – demonstrate strong leadership across all areas of the employee lifecycle and act as a role model by encouraging others to embrace change and face new challenges. Have a positive mindset and collaborate across all levels of the business demonstrating excellent inter-personal skills. Foster an inclusive mindset promoting and engaging with diverse perspectives.
• Ability to set and implement a strategic vision – demonstrate a curious forward-thinking mindset considering future market view and growth trends. Have experience of implementing change to maintain resilience and sustainability and drive growth.
• Ability to operate a business – demonstrate how to operate a business in accordance with client expectations (sell for revenues, manage for profit, and deliver for satisfaction).
• Capable of identifying, communicating, engaging, and driving operational changes required to improve overall business performance (technical, quality, financial, project, people etc.) through positive communication.
• Ability to deliver budget – have experience of successfully setting and delivering against an annual budget.
• Ability to deliver on client relationships – have demonstrable experience of maintaining successful client relationships with an ability to cross-sell wider multi-disciplinary services and obtain repeat business. 
   

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at SLR

We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer, and our expectations go beyond purely complying with legislation. Through our Regional DE&I Committees, Global Council and Employee Networks, we foster an inclusive environment where all people regardless of their background can thrive.

We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of their background, including those from groups that are currently under-represented at SLR, such as: LGBTQ+ people, ethnic minority groups, women, and people with visible or invisible disabilities, including those who are neurodivergent.

For more information on our commitment to DE&I, and the great work we are doing, please watch the video here: https://www.slrconsulting.com/about/making-sustainability-happen

Should you require any special adjustments throughout the recruitment process with us, please let us know. As a Disability Confident Committed employer, we seek to ensure all applicants have equitable support when applying to SLR.