Contractor - Low Carbon Fuels

Ricardo plc is seeking a Low Carbon Fuels Contractor to join their Sustainable Transport team, focusing on policy analysis and technical assessments for low-carbon fuels. The role requires a relevant degree and knowledge of regulatory frameworks. Candidates should have strong data analysis skills and excellent communication abilities. The position is hybrid, allowing for flexible working arrangements from home or the office in locations including Manchester, London, and Madrid.
Overview

Role: Low Carbon Fuels Contractor

Location: London, Oxford, Manchester (UK) and Madrid (Spain) - Hybrid

Role ID: 2025-2778

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 seeking an Associate/Contractor to join our Sustainable Transport team, supporting projects on low-carbon fuels. The role involves policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, and technical assessments to shape regulatory approaches in the UK, Europe, and globally. You will evaluate technologies, assess policy costs and benefits, and provide insights on the transport system’s impact on the economy, environment, and society.

Key Competencies And Experience
• A first or upper second-class BSc, MSc, or PhD in Science, Engineering, or a related field. A background in chemical engineering, chemistry, or process engineering—particularly with a focus on low-carbon fuels—is highly desirable.
• Understanding of biomass or recycled-carbon feedstocks and/or low-carbon fuel production pathways (biofuels, e-fuels, recycled carbon fuels) is required.
• Familiarity with regulatory frameworks such as the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, SAF Mandate, ReFuelEU, and CORSIA is desirable.
• Experience with techno-economic analysis and market dynamics influencing low-carbon fuel adoption is desirable.
• Knowledge of lifecycle assessments (LCA) and sustainability frameworks for evaluating environmental impact is desirable.
• Experience developing quantitative models and scenarios for transport technology and fuel deployment is desirable.
• Previous experience in consultancy is highly desirable, particularly in projects for the European Commission and/or UK Government.

Skills And Behaviours
• Interest in transport policy.
• Ability to synthesize data to support evidence-based solutions.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to simplify technical concepts for diverse audiences.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and Word.
• Fluency in English (Spanish required for roles in Madrid; additional languages are a plus).
• Strong data analysis skills (experience with Excel, R, or Python is desirable).

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.