Our People & Places Solutions business – reinforces our drive to improve the lives of people everywhere and epitomizes the "why" of what we do – the tremendous positive impact and value our solutions bring to our communities and society as a whole. From facilities delivering life-saving therapies and ensuring clean water to enabling the connection of people through all modes of transportation and providing access to technology – we're integrating a multitude of these solution elements to build the smart environments of tomorrow.

Start your Jacobs career with a company that inspires and empowers you to deliver your best work so you can evolve, grow and succeed – today and into tomorrow.

Your Impact

The Middle East is undergoing a significant transformation to support wellbeing, land regeneration and climate action while also driving infrastructure efficiency and economic diversification. What if we showed you how our People & Places Solutions business is solving the world’s greatest challenges by transforming intangible ideas into intelligent solutions for a more connected, sustainable world? Jacobs is actively partnering with our clients to deliver support this change through strategic advisory, city and regional scale land planning, environmental planning and assessment and digital delivery.

Jacobs history in the Middle East region can be traced back to the presence of its legacy company Halcrow Engineering establishing a regional office in Kuwait in 1952. Marine engineering was a core competency, with the company rapidly gaining a reputation for excellence including resolving the issue of the siltation of Dubai Creek and the resulting benefit to the emirates fishing fleet. Today Jacobs retains its regional reputation for provision of world-class expertise in not only maritime engineering but a myriad of services, including marine and coastal environmental management

The Opportunity

Jacobs are offering the exciting opportunity for a senior marine and coastal ecologist to join our Environmental Management Services team in the Middle East to lead and develop our associated expertise, to support projects across the region. The successful candidate will be joining a small but dynamic and rapidly expanding technical team to focus on the growth and development of our marine and coastal ecological services and capabilities. We are proud of the closely knit nature of the team, which is located between UAE, Qatar and KSA.

The increasing awareness of Clients on sustainable/regenerative development means there could be no better time to join Jacobs, voted the Top Global Environmental Consulting firm by both the ENR / Environmental Analyst and recipient of the World Environmental Centre’s Gold Medal Award (2023). We are hand-picking a team focused on excellence to both support current services and expand future horizons.

Start your Jacobs career with us in a company that inspires and empowers you to deliver your best work so you can evolve, grow and succeed – today and into tomorrow.

The Role

As a key senior member of the Jacobs Environmental Services Team your role will be to

• Be Jacobs’ regional technical lead for marine & coastal ecology in the Middle East, providing thought-leadership both internally and externally on behalf of Jacobs in the discipline and its role in regenerative development of the region.
• Lead and support the exploration of emerging market opportunities, identifying feasible strategies and integrated approaches to service offerings that establish Jacobs as the leading solutions provider of long-term sustainable solutions in the marine & coastal environment.
• Identify opportunities for the creation of innovative solutions to complicated challenges that will minimise ecological impacts and optimise enhancement that demonstrate appropriate best practice.
• Represent Jacobs at regional/international platforms highlighting technical excellence in innovative marine & coastal ecological solutions to major challenges in the marine & coastal environment.
• Mentor and lead the professional development of less experienced team members in marine & coastal ecology, including team members who have no formal academic training but are interested in developing associate skills.
• Prepare and deliver high quality reports and presentations to clients technical and senior leadership in line with Jacobs’ quality process.
• Manage and lead the provision of technical inputs and guidance to the delivery of e.g., Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), natural capital / ecosystem services strategies, Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA), site restoration strategies, biodiversity conservation and enhancement.
• Maintain detailed working familiarity with regional and international legislation, guidelines, standards, methods and emerging technologies (e.g. digital EIA, remote sensing platforms etc) pertaining to marine & coastal ecology
• Understand and promote across Jacobs’ businesses the role of marine & coastal ecology expertise in the delivery of Jacobs solutions and technologies to internal and external stakeholders.
• Working in multi-disciplinary teams, collaborate with and/or manage local and global experts or suppliers to ensure Jacobs provides best practice solutions to our clients.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders, e.g., government regulators, client representatives etc.
• Demonstrate ability to have a positive “can-do” attitude to delivering high-quality work under pressure to tight deadlines, while managing multiple tasks and projects simultaneously, adapting to rapidly changing priorities if necessary.
• Travel, when required within region to attend client or team workshops, presentations or conduct site reconnaissance.
• Demonstrate at all times the highest standards of professional integrity regardless of the challenges encountered. Demonstrate at all times, a strong commitment to health and safety standards, ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations and guidelines and promoting a culture of safety across the team.
• The role will be predominantly office based, but periodic field assignments may be required, e.g. to supervise 3rd party field works, undertake site appraisals etc.
  
  

Here’s What You’ll Need

• An undergraduate degree (post graduate level preferred) in the field of Ecology, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Management or a directly related subject
• Approximately 20+ years’ experience in coastal ecology with thorough knowledge of the marine & coastal ecology of the Middle East, or at least tropical marine & coastal habitats. Knowledge should include some or all of the following; major issues associated with climate change / coastal developments; relocation/reconstruction of coral reef, seagrass, mangrove habitats (feasibility/monitoring); complexities of jurisdictions coastal zone management, ecosystems services related to ICZM
• Familiarity with international standards/legislation and best practice guidelines and techniques for coastal ecology surveying, monitoring and restoration in the Middle East / tropical marine & coastal environments.
• Familiarity with current and emerging key environmental issues pertaining to e.g., climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainability, and their potential impacts on marine & coastal ecosystems in the Middle East.
• Extensive experience of designing, conducting and supervising coastal ecological surveys, impact assessments and monitoring programs in the Middle East / tropical marine & coastal environments.
• Experience of procuring, managing and supervising subcontractors
• Thorough understanding of the mechanisms for biodiversity protection/enhancement, particularly within the context of climate change.
• Strong organization skills with the ability to prioritise delivery on multiple projects in parallel under challenging timeframes.
• Experience of leading, motivating and/or building teams.
• Ability to prepare high-quality reports and technical documents for clients an regulatory bodies, demonstrating a high standard of technical writing and communication skills in English.
  
  

Highly Regarded

• Chartership and or Fellowship with the Society of the Environment, or equivalent international professional body.
• Publications in recognised international journals
• Demonstratable commitment to continuous development and active engagement in professional networks (IEMA or equivalent chartered status is preferred), company communities of practice groups or similar.
• Experience of establishing/management of conservation areas.
• Experience of line management
• Proposal writing / business development experience
• Working knowledge of regional statutory stakeholders, legislations, regulations and guidance pertaining to environmental impact assessment and management.
• Established working relationships with key government stakeholders and/or Clients in the Middle East.
• Strong presentation skills to Clients/3rd parties etc.
• Fluency in Arabic
  
  

Job Reference ID MID0002AC