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.

As a Principal Consultant – LCA and Fuels Specialist, you will play a key role in supporting Ricardo’s growing portfolio of LCA fuels work. As part of our LCA team, you will work across a wide range of sectors, helping clients assess environmental impacts, conduct LCAs and provide data-driven insights to support sustainable decision-making. You will lead technical delivery and client engagement, collaborating with a team of experts to develop innovative, sustainable solutions across various sectors.

We offer a collaborative and supportive environment, where technical expertise and practical delivery are equally valued.  Ricardo promotes a flexible working environment. We welcome hybrid and remote working arrangements and wellbeing is at the heart of our company culture.

Key accountabilities

Project delivery and management

• Lead or contribute to LCA studies for low-carbon and alternative fuels (e.g. hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, biofuels, LNG), including pathway definition, data collection and impact modelling.
• Lead and contribute to other LCA studies across a range of sectors, as needed to support team priorities.
• Apply expert knowledge of fuel production, use-phase emissions and system boundaries to ensure credible, robust LCA results.
• Lead or support the development of Excel-based LCA models to complement or extend functionality from GaBi or SimaPro, tailored to client-specific needs.
• Manage or support the management of projects and work packages, ensuring high-quality delivery on time, within budget and to a high technical standard.
• Oversee the financial aspects of projects, including budgeting, forecasting and tracking profitability.
• Engage with clients to understand their needs and provide tailored, insightful advice on sustainable fuel solutions.
• Ensure compliance with Ricardo’s project governance and quality assurance processes.
• Support the development of proposals, including technical content and costings.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships, ensuring the successful delivery of services in the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

Technical delivery and leadership

• Lead the building and development of LCA models using Microsoft Excel and/or bespoke software tools like SimaPro or GaBi.
• Mentor junior team members, providing support and guidance on technical work and professional growth.
• Provide subject matter expertise in LCA, focusing on data modelling, interpretation of results and clear communication of findings.
• Conduct and review research, analysis and modelling to support client recommendations on fuel sustainability.
• Prepare detailed technical reports, LCA results and presentations to communicate findings clearly to clients and stakeholders.
• Lead the interpretation of LCA results and provide actionable insights for clients.
• Contribute to the development of new technical methodologies and best practices in LCA for fuels.

Client relationships and business development

• Build and maintain strong client relationships through proactive engagement and project delivery.
• Stay informed on industry trends, policy developments and technological advancements in the LCA field.
• Represent Ricardo at conferences, workshops and other forums.
• Support business development by contributing to and leading the preparation of technical proposals and bids.
• Contribute to Ricardo’s thought leadership through insights, analysis and knowledge-sharing within the team and with clients.

Essential technical and professional skills, knowledge and qualification

• Educated to degree level, or equivalent, in relevant technical area (technical discipline as required by specific Business Area).
• Strong technical understanding of low-carbon and alternative fuels, including typical production pathways, feedstocks and emissions factors.
• Advanced experience using GaBi and/or SimaPro for modelling fuels-related systems, with the ability to critically assess and customise datasets.
• Proven track record in delivering complex LCA projects, with the ability to manage multi-disciplinary teams.
• Strong professional experience of LCA and strong Excel skills in consultancy or in a customer facing environment.
• Excellent written and spoken business English, with the ability to produce high-quality client reports, deliver presentations and engage confidently in meetings with international stakeholders.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, standards, trends and best practices in fuels, sustainability and LCA.
• Strong project management skills with a good understanding of commercial principles, including budgeting and financial tracking.
• Strong client and stakeholder communication skills (e.g. influencing, negotiation, presentation and relationship management skills).
• Excellent client and stakeholder communication skills, including influencing, negotiation and relationship management.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex data and provide clear insights.
• Experience mentoring junior team members and supporting their technical and professional development.
• Able to work effectively as part of a geographically distributed team, with flexibility to accommodate time zone differences for regular collaboration with UK-based colleagues.

Desirable technical and professional skills, knowledge and qualification

• Experience in consultancy, particularly with commercial awareness and the ability to work under various contract types.
• Experience working with international clients, particularly in the UK or EU.

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.

We will encourage you to use your passion and expertise to make a positive impact through the projects you work on.  Your knowledge and desire to bring about change will be invaluable in helping deliver innovative solutions that support communities across the globe in becoming safer and more sustainable.

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.

Benefits

We want you to know how much you are valued. Your remuneration and benefits package will reflect that. You will receive a range of benefits which include support for your physical and mental health. 

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.