Associate Director

Description:

Ardent Consulting Engineers is seeking a highly experienced Energy and Sustainability Remit Lead at Associate, Associate Director, or Technical Director level. This is a strategic and foundational role where the selected individual will be responsible for setting up and leading a new Energy and Sustainability team within the organization. Reporting directly to the main board, the remit lead will oversee service delivery across planning and due diligence schemes nationwide.

The successful candidate will build and manage a growing team of consultants, ensuring optimal workflow, work allocation, and service quality. Acting as both the internal team leader and the client liaison, this position requires an individual who excels in technical leadership, stakeholder management, and communication.

Key Responsibilities:

• Establish and lead the Energy and Sustainability function within the firm

• Provide consultancy services in energy strategy, carbon management, net-zero planning, and ESG compliance

• Ensure timely delivery of high-quality outputs across multiple planning projects

• Manage internal team operations including recruitment, development, and resource planning

• Act as a key point of contact for directors and external clients

• Maintain and improve service consistency, team performance, and technical excellence

• Foster internal collaboration and advocate for the sustainability mission within the business

Required Expertise:

• Extensive senior-level experience in energy and sustainability consulting, ideally for planning-related projects

• Proven ability to lead and grow technical teams

• Deep technical understanding of carbon strategies, ESG frameworks, net-zero plans, and energy modeling

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence at all organizational levels

• Strong organizational and strategic planning skills

Preferred Office Base: London (Other locations considered: Midlands, Essex, Kent, Ipswich, Bristol, Edinburgh)