Environmental Advisor - HS2

Environmental Advisor | High Speed Two

Environmental Graduates with 6 months+ Experience

Salary: London £45,000 - £48,702.50 | Birmingham £40k - £43,355

Benefits: 12% pen + health + 25 days' holidays

Location: London or Birmingham | Hybrid working, 3 days office/site

Programme: HS2 | 10+ years of programme activity

Career Progression: Environmental Manager £55,000 to £60,000 + package

Build Your Environmental Career on HS2

Are you an environmental graduate or early-career professional looking to develop your career on one of the UK's largest infrastructure programmes?

High Speed Two Ltd is recruiting an Environmental Advisor to join its environmental team, supporting environmental compliance and assurance across the programme.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with a relevant environmental degree and around six months' practical experience to develop their career within a major infrastructure environment.

You could have gained your experience through an industrial placement, internship, graduate role or relevant university projects and fieldwork. We will consider degrees in Environmental Science, Environmental Management, Sustainability, Geography or related subjects. An MSc would be desirable but is not essential.

You will initially support utilities-related works before gaining exposure to Main Works Civils, Rail Systems and eventually operational activities, giving you a broad understanding of environmental management across the infrastructure lifecycle.

The Role

This is a client-side environmental assurance role, focused on checking that contractors are meeting their environmental commitments, project requirements and relevant legislation.

It is not an Environmental Impact Assessment writing role. You will review environmental documentation, obtain specialist advice, identify potential compliance issues and engage with contractors to ensure concerns are properly addressed.

Communication is particularly important. You will regularly liaise with HS2's environmental subject matter experts to obtain the right technical advice and information. You will also need the confidence to speak directly with main contractors, ask challenging questions and have robust but constructive conversations when environmental compliance is not being achieved.

You do not need previous experience undertaking these conversations at this level. However, you must be a confident communicator who is comfortable engaging with different people, asking questions and following issues through rather than simply passing them on.

You will receive support from experienced environmental professionals while developing your technical knowledge, judgement and confidence.

Key Responsibilities

• Review contractor Environmental Management Plans, reports and compliance submissions, identifying gaps or potential non-compliance.

• Engage with HS2 environmental specialists to obtain technical advice and ensure environmental requirements are properly understood.

• Communicate with main contractors and consultants, constructively challenging environmental performance and following up actions where necessary.

• Support environmental assurance activities, checking compliance with HS2 commitments, legislation, consents and project requirements.

• Identify environmental risks and concerns, using sound judgement to determine when issues should be escalated.

• Prepare environmental reports, management information, presentations and dashboards for internal and external stakeholders.

About You

We are looking for an enthusiastic early-career environmental professional with a good academic foundation, some practical experience and, importantly, the interpersonal skills to operate confidently in a complex project environment.

You may be a recent graduate with approximately six months' experience, an Environmental Assistant or Advisor looking for the next step, or someone whose relevant university projects and placement experience have prepared them for a professional environmental role.

We are particularly interested in people who are confident communicators, naturally inquisitive and comfortable speaking with technical specialists and contractors. You do not need to know all the answers, but you must be able to find the right people, obtain the information you need and have the confidence to raise concerns when something is not right.

Essential Experience and Qualifications

• Degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Management, Sustainability, Geography or a related discipline.

• Approximately six months' relevant experience, which can include internships, industrial placements, graduate employment or practical university project experience.

• A sound understanding of environmental management and compliance principles.

• Good written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to engage with technical specialists, contractors and stakeholders.

• Ability to review information, identify potential issues, ask questions and communicate findings clearly.

• Proactive approach, sound judgement, good organisation and attention to detail.

Desirable Experience

• MSc in an environmental or sustainability-related subject.

• Experience within environmental consultancy, construction, infrastructure, rail, highways or utilities.

• Exposure to Environmental Management Plans, environmental reports, consents or compliance documentation.

• Awareness of environmental disciplines such as ecology, water, noise, air quality and waste.

• Some knowledge of environmental legislation, including the HS2 Act, and relevant regulatory requirements.

Career Development and Progression

You will work alongside experienced Environmental Managers and specialists, developing your environmental assurance, contractor engagement and stakeholder management skills.

Your experience will initially focus on utilities, with opportunities to move across Main Works Civils, Rail Systems and future operational activities. This provides a valuable foundation for developing into a more senior environmental role.

There is a clear progression route towards Environmental Manager (£55,000 to £60,000 + package), with more than 10 years of HS2 programme activity ahead.

For an environmental graduate or early-career professional looking to turn their academic knowledge and initial experience into a long-term career in major infrastructure, this is an excellent opportunity