Senior Flood Risk Consultant

Are you an experienced flood risk professional who wants to help shape practical, development-focused solutions and looking for your next challenging and rewarding role in Wales?

We are interested in candidates operating at Senior Consultant level, strong candidates approaching this level or more experienced applicants seeking a broader role. The role will support high-quality projects in the development and property sector, including planning and flood risk projects across Wales and England.

This is an exciting opportunity to assist clients navigating flood risk, drainage and planning challenges through practical, proportionate and development-focused advice. You will contribute to Flood Consequences/Risk Assessments, drainage strategies and sustainable water management projects. The role will suit someone who combines clear technical judgement and positive capability with an understanding of planning policy, SuDS delivery and the ability to build effective client relationships.

You will be joining an award-winning environmental and engineering consultancy which puts innovation, sustainability and resilience at the heart of its work. The role will be based in our recently relocated office in central Cardiff, with fantastic views over the Castle.

We are independent and staff-owned under a stewardship model which drives long term decision making and investment. We have offices in the UK, Ireland, Romania, India, Singapore and Australia. Our people are all important and we invest heavily in life-long learning and skills development. From Cardiff, you will collaborate with established Wales and South West colleagues while drawing on specialist expertise across JBA’s national flood risk, hydrology, hydraulic modelling, drainage, ecology, landscape and engineering teams. JBA supports agile working, helping our people work flexibly and collaboratively and providing greater flexibility in how we work.

Visit https://www.jbaconsulting.com/ to find out more.

Your role

As a Flood Risk Consultant, you will support, manage and lead projects for developers, Local Planning Authorities, Lead Local Flood Authorities and wider public sector clients. You will help clients navigate evolving flood risk, drainage, and planning policy, with a particular focus on TAN15 in Wales, SuDS delivery under the Welsh statutory standards and the SAB process, and the relevant requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework and guidance in England.

With appropriate consideration of a candidate’s experience and seniority, responsibilities will include:
• Technical advice and reporting: prepare, coordinate and review Flood Consequences Assessments in Wales and Flood Risk Assessments in England, supported by clear interpretation of hydrology, hydraulic model outputs, flood mapping and site constraints.
• Drainage and SuDS strategy: support the development of surface water drainage strategies and SuDS approaches that respond to Welsh statutory standards, SAB requirements, wider placemaking objectives and emerging policy expectations in England.
• Project and client delivery: plan and manage work, coordinate multidisciplinary inputs, monitor budgets and programmes, and lead client liaison through meetings, presentations, technical discussions and occasional site visits.
• Business development: prepare fee proposals, tenders and technical methodologies, and contribute to business development activity in Wales and across wider JBA teams.
• Team contribution: support, coach and mentor junior colleagues, share knowledge and work collaboratively with specialists across JBA.

The team member we’re looking for

You will be working at, approaching, or above the Senior technical grade. We may also consider candidates with greater seniority.

The successful candidate will be pragmatic, collaborative, dynamic, well organised and motivated, with a strong interest in and passion for water, sustainable development, and the environment. You will be a confident communicator and practical problem solver, able to work independently while also supporting colleagues and contributing to a positive team culture. Effective communication skills are essential, as you will work closely with colleagues and stakeholders across technical and non-technical backgrounds.

We offer:
• A varied role supporting development, planning and flood risk projects across Wales and England.
• Opportunities to help grow JBA’s Cardiff presence and contribute to high-quality work for public/private sector clients.
• Support for professional development, chartership and knowledge sharing across a broad technical network.

Qualifications

Applicants should have a geography, science, environmental management, planning, engineering or related qualification, degree or equivalent experience.

Chartered status, or working towards chartership with CIWEM, ICE or another relevant professional body, is important to JBA and valued by our clients. We will support the successful candidate’s continued professional development.

Essential attributes for the role

• Experience of preparing, coordinating or reviewing Flood Consequences Assessments and/or Flood Risk Assessments.
• Good knowledge of planning policy and guidance for flood risk, including TAN15 in Wales and the NPPF in England.
• Understanding of SuDS policy, strategy and delivery, including the Statutory Standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems in Wales and the role of SAB approval.
• Ability to analyse and interpret flood risk data, hydraulic model outputs, hydrological information and drainage constraints.
• Strong technical report writing and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical issues clearly to non-specialists.
• Experience working directly with clients, design teams, regulators and stakeholders through meetings, presentations and written advice.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and familiarity with GIS, mapping or CAD data formats.

Desirable attributes for the role

• Project management experience, including programme, budget, quality and commercial awareness.
• Quality assurance and review capability, with attention to technical accuracy, clarity and proportionate advice.
• Work winning, tender preparation or business development experience.
• Experience preparing outline drainage strategies, SuDS strategies, SAB submission material, or SuDS Retrofit schemes.
• Experience using or reviewing outputs from hydraulic modelling software such as Flood Modeller, TUFLOW, HEC-RAS, InfoDrainage or similar tools.
• Experience in hydrological analysis using Flood Estimation Handbook methodologies or other recognised approaches.
• Experience contributing to strategic flood risk studies, Local Plan evidence bases, surface water management plans or local flood risk management strategies.
• Mentoring, line management or team leadership skills.
• Experience of networking and building existing and new client relationships.
• A full UK driving licence.

Location and contact

JBA supports hybrid working which provides for greater flexibility with the way that we work.

The role will be based at JBA’s newly relocated office in central Cardiff.

For further information or an informal discussion about this position, please contact Faye Tomalin on faye.tomalin@jbaconsulting.com