Ardent Consulting Engineers
Senior Air Quality Consultant - London

How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Job Summary
Working arrangement: Office-based during probation; hybrid working available following successful completion of six-month probation, subject to role and project requirements.
About Ardent
Ardent is a multi-disciplinary engineering and environmental consultancy working on projects across the UK. Our air quality team is growing nationally and works closely with our noise, transport and energy teams to give clients integrated, commercially focused and technically robust advice.
About the Role
Due to our continued growth, Ardent is looking for a Senior Air Quality Consultant to join our national air quality team. This is an opportunity for an experienced consultant to play a key role in delivering high-quality air quality, odour, dust and emissions assessments across a varied portfolio of planning, development, infrastructure, transport, energy, regeneration, residential and commercial projects across the UK.
This role would suit an independent and commercially minded consultant with strong technical judgement, good dispersion modelling capability, and experience supporting planning and EIA-led projects.
You will be expected to manage your own workload, lead the technical delivery of projects, support clients from a technical advisory perspective, and help maximise opportunities for the continued growth of the air quality team.
Professional Development and Progression
You'll be supported by experienced technical and project leads to build your technical, commercial and project management skills, with a clear route to Principal Consultant for the right candidate. Support includes chartership, internal technical training, conference attendance and mentoring from senior technical leads.
Benefits and Working Arrangements
Ardent offers a supportive and high-trust working environment, with benefits including:
- pension
- paid professional memberships
- flexible working
- employee assistance programme
Hybrid working is available following successful completion of the six-month probation period, subject to role and project requirements.
Following probation, the role will typically require a minimum of three days per week in the office. Exceptions may be agreed with your line manager, depending on role, project and business requirements.
Principal Accountabilities
Technical Delivery
You will undertake and manage a range of air quality consultancy tasks, including:
- preparing air quality, odour, dust and emissions assessments
- preparing air quality inputs to planning applications and EIA projects
- undertaking desk-based baseline data collection, review and interpretation
- designing, implementing and managing ambient air quality, indoor air quality, dust and odour monitoring surveys
- undertaking site visits, including monitoring equipment deployment, inspection and maintenance
- preparing and reviewing dispersion modelling assessments for road traffic, point, area and volume sources
- analysing air quality, emissions, meteorological, traffic and energy-system data
- using GIS to support model development, data interpretation and presentation of results
- preparing technical figures, appendices and assessment outputs
- interpreting relevant guidance, policy, legislation and assessment criteria
- identifying project risks, data gaps and assessment constraints
- contributing to quality assurance and technical review processes
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Project Delivery
You will help lead the delivery of air quality projects by:
- managing the technical delivery of small to medium-sized projects
- coordinating inputs from multi-disciplinary project teams
- attending and contributing to client, design team and project meetings
- liaising with local authorities, clients and project team members to agree approaches and obtain the information required for assessments
- managing your own workload and supporting others to meet deadlines and budgets
- preparing clear, accurate and proportionate technical reports
- providing technical advice to clients and project teams
- supporting the delivery of high-quality work in accordance with agreed scopes, budgets and programmes
Business Development and Team Support
You will contribute to the continued growth and improvement of the team by:
- supporting or leading the preparation of fee proposals and tender submissions
- contributing to client development and repeat business through high-quality service delivery
- helping identify and maximise project and client opportunities
- preparing or contributing to sales, capability and marketing material
- capturing lessons learned from project delivery
- identifying opportunities for technical and process improvement
- providing technical mentoring to junior members of the team
- supporting the future development of line management responsibilities as the team grows
Competencies/Skills
Essential Skills and Experience
You should be able to demonstrate:


Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
- relevant experience in air quality consultancy or a closely related environmental discipline
- experience preparing air quality assessments for planning, EIA, infrastructure or development projects
- strong air quality modelling capability and experience applying modelling outputs in technical assessments
- knowledge of relevant UK air quality policy, legislation, guidance and assessment practice
- experience in air quality data analysis, interpretation and reporting
- strong quantitative, analytical and problem-solving skills
- the ability to prepare clear, concise and technically robust written reports
- good communication skills, including the ability to explain technical information to clients, project teams and non-specialist audiences
- commercial awareness, including an understanding of project scopes, budgets, programmes and client requirements
- strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing deadlines
- confidence working independently and as part of a multi-disciplinary team
- good attention to detail and a commitment to quality
- willingness to travel to project sites across the UK when required
- a full driving licence valid for use in the UK, as the role will involve travel for site surveys, often with monitoring equipment
Desirable Skills and Experience
The following would be advantageous, but are not essential:
- experience using ADMS-Roads, ADMS 6, AERMOD or other recognised dispersion modelling tools
- experience using QGIS or other GIS software
- intermediate or advanced Excel skills
- experience using Python, R or other programming tools for data processing and analysis
- experience preparing EIA air quality chapters
- experience of odour, dust, construction-phase or energy-related assessments
- experience designing and managing air quality monitoring surveys
- experience preparing fee proposals and tender submissions
- experience mentoring junior staff
- experience working in a consultancy environment
- membership of the Institute of Air Quality Management or another relevant professional body
Qualifications
You should have a relevant degree or equivalent professional experience in environmental science, atmospheric science, engineering, geography, mathematics, physics, chemistry or a related discipline.
A postgraduate qualification in air quality, environmental science or a related discipline would be advantageous but is not essential.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Location