Principal Arboricultural Consultant

Belfast, County Antrim, United Kingdom
Ireland

Job Description

Lead with expertise. Influence major projects. Shape the future of arboriculture.

At WSP, we're committed to delivering sustainable solutions that make a lasting difference to communities and the environment. As a Principal Arboricultural Consultant, you'll play a pivotal role in leading complex projects, developing client relationships, mentoring talented professionals and driving technical excellence across our national arboriculture team.

Working as part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary business, you'll provide strategic arboricultural advice on some of the UK's most significant infrastructure and development projects while helping to shape best practice and consistent delivery standards across regions.

Benefits

We offer:

• The chance to work on nationally significant and high‑profile development and infrastructure projects.
• Opportunities to lead major project workstreams and build strategic client relationships.
• A supportive, inclusive and collaborative culture where development is genuinely prioritised.
• Clear career progression pathways and leadership opportunities.
• An annual training budget aligned to your personal and professional goals.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements to support work‑life balance.
• Opportunities to contribute to WSP's Future Ready initiatives, digital innovation and global service development.
• Paid professional membership.
• WSP Treats employee benefits programme.
• A 37.5‑hour working week with flexible and core working hours.

The Role

As a Principal Arboricultural Consultant, you'll combine technical leadership with project management, team development and business growth responsibilities.

You'll lead complex arboricultural commissions, provide expert advice to clients and project teams, support work‑winning activities and help ensure consistent, high‑quality delivery across the business.

You'll also play a key role in developing our people through mentoring, coaching and succession planning initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

You will:

• Lead and technically review Arboricultural Impact Assessments, Arboricultural Method Statements, Tree Protection Plans, EIA inputs and other specialist arboricultural advice.
• Deliver arboricultural services on Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) and other complex developments.
• Manage client relationships, project programmes, budgets, scopes and delivery risks.
• Provide strategic arboricultural advice to multidisciplinary design teams and stakeholders.
• Support recruitment, mentoring, career development and succession planning within the team.
• Manage and develop consultants and senior consultants, acting as a coach and trusted mentor.
• Support and advise the senior leadership team on technical and operational matters.
• Lead the preparation of tenders, fee proposals, scopes of work, assumptions and commercial reviews.
• Provide specialist advice relating to veteran and ancient trees, woodland constraints, statutory protections and mitigation strategies.
• Drive quality, consistency and technical excellence across project delivery.

About You

We're keen to hear from candidates who can demonstrate:

• Extensive experience in arboricultural consultancy, planning and project delivery.
• Strong technical expertise in BS5837 assessments and reporting.
• Proven experience advising multidisciplinary design and project teams.
• Experience managing complex projects, programmes, budgets and client expectations.
• Commercial awareness, including scope management and budget control.
• Strong relationship‑building skills with clients, stakeholders and internal teams.
• Experience leading, mentoring and developing technical professionals.
• A positive approach to health, safety and wellbeing, with the ability to promote safe working practices across project teams.

Ideally, You'll Also Have

• Chartered Arboriculturist, Chartered Forester status, or be working towards chartership.
• Significant experience supporting NSIP/DCO projects, major infrastructure schemes or EIA delivery.
• Experience supporting public inquiries, expert witness services or planning appeals.
• A strong track record in work‑winning, tender preparation and client development.
• Knowledge of forestry considerations within the planning system.
• Experience using digital survey technologies, canopy cover assessments and emerging AI‑enabled workflows.

Legal

Here at WSP we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. As a Disability Confident leader, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria, please let us know if you require any workplace adjustments in support of your application.