Project Manager - Sustainable Aviation

Overview

Role: Project Manager – Sustainable Aviation

Location: UK (London or Harwell), Spain (Madrid) or Greece (Athens) - Hybrid

Role ID: 2025-2806

Our vision is to create a safe and sustainable world.

Ricardo plc is a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company. With over 100 years of engineering excellence and employing close to 3,000 employees in more than 20 countries, we provide exceptional levels of expertise in delivering leading-edge and innovative cross-sector sustainable products and solutions. Every day, we enable our customers to solve the most complex and dynamic challenges to help achieve a safe and sustainable world.

The Role

We are supporting the aviation sector in its transition to an efficient, sustainable, and zero-GHG emissions future, providing independent, impartial evidence to policymakers and advising stakeholders on effective decarbonisation strategies. In this role, you will lead complex consultancy projects focused on sustainable aviation fuels, green airports, and supporting policies and financial instruments. Your expertise in aviation decarbonisation, project management, and stakeholder engagement will be key to delivering high-quality outputs and shaping regulatory approaches in the UK, Europe, and beyond.

You will oversee project delivery, client and partner relationship management, and business development, including preparing technical proposals and identifying new opportunities. With a focus on both qualitative and quantitative policy analysis, you will contribute to cost-benefit assessments, stakeholder consultation, and strategic policy recommendations. Working closely with industry and government representatives, you will help drive innovation, support business decarbonisation efforts, and represent our work at external events. Your ability to manage multiple projects, mentor junior team members, and stay ahead of sector developments will be essential in delivering impactful solutions for a more sustainable aviation industry.

Key Responsibilities

• Leading the delivery of large complex consulting projects and programmes related to aviation decarbonisation, involving sustainable aviation fuels, green airports, as well as supporting policies and financial instruments. Responsibility for client satisfaction, timely delivery, coordination of partner inputs, project financial management and ensuring high-quality outputs.
• Lead on business development opportunities and preparing technical proposals primarily within the aviation sector but with ad hoc support across the wider team.
• Development and maintenance of close client and partner relationships at high level to support the winning of new business.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of sector technology developments, trends, challenges and regulations.
• Manage, supervise and/or coach junior members of the team to help them achieve their full potential.
• Carrying out a wide range of stakeholder consultation activities.
• Representing Ricardo and presenting our work at external events and engaging in wider business development activities.

Key Competencies and Experience

• Educated to a Master’s degree level or higher in a related discipline such as engineering (e.g. aeronautical, civil, chemical), sciences, economics, political science, sustainability.
• Relevant consultancy or advisory experience within the public or private sector.
• Experience in managing consultancy projects and/or programmes, and stakeholder consultation activities.
• Demonstrated expertise in sustainable aviation fuels and technologies, along with supporting policies and financing instruments.
• Strong knowledge of relevant regulations and frameworks, such as ICAO’s Long term aspirational goals, CORSIA and EU Fit for 55 package.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Great communicator, written and verbally including the ability to convey technical subjects clearly and concisely to a range of clients.
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a diverse team of specialists ranging from energy systems, engineering, alternative fuels to climate change experts.
• Excellent time management with the ability to juggle time across multiple projects and prioritise deadlines seamlessly.
• Fluency in English and excellent reporting writing skills.

Desirable Competencies and Experience

• Ability to utilise existing sector contacts to support new opportunities and build trust-based relationships with clients and potential partners.
• Familiarity with policy evaluation analysis methods and tools.
• Experience of working with the European Commission or other similar clients.
• Experience of organising workshops or the delivery of technical assistance.
• Understanding and/or experience in developing quantitative scenarios and models.
• We operate on a broad range of international projects within Europe, Latin America & South East Asia so fluency in other languages from these geographies is a bonus but not essential.

Working here

You will be warmly welcomed into our workplace where every voice matters. We are diverse thinkers and doers, coming together to create a culture of inclusion. We will support you to find your place.

Work life balance

We offer flexible approaches to work, whether that is working from home, being in the office, or as a hybrid worker. We're happy to discuss flexible working arrangements. Wellbeing is at the core to our culture, allowing employees to flourish and to achieve their full potential.

Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion statement

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person's potential, and we'll help you reach yours. We have an ambitious diversity, equality, and inclusion approach as explained here. We value diversity; recognising that a more diverse workforce creates a richer and more varied working environment. Diversity also drives innovation, by allowing us to offer our clients the best consultancy service that we can. As part of our commitment to engage positively and pro-actively with all our employees and to ensure an inclusive culture, we are a recognised as a 'disability confident' employer.

Next steps

Once you have submitted your application a member of our Recruitment Team will be in touch. Please be aware that the timing can vary dependent on the volume of applications that we receive for each role and in some cases, we may start to review applications prior to the closing date.

Ricardo is a Disability confident employer please advise the recruitment team via recruit@ricardo.com if you require any adjustments to support you throughout the recruitment process.

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