Natural Capital Lead (Scotland)

Permanent employee, Full-time · Scotland, Remote

Who are we?

Zulu Ecosystems is a leading tech-enabled developer of high-integrity nature restoration projects. With significant traction, including 25 projects, 100,000 hectares of contracted properties and a 600,000-hectare pipeline, Zulu Ecosystems’ is poised to scale globally. The company leverages proprietary technology and cutting edge applied science to source, design, and deliver large-scale ecosystem restoration while solving key challenges in the emerging natural capital markets.

Your mission

This is a high-impact, strategic commercial role reporting directly to the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and working in close partnership with the Head of Operational Excellence. The core ambition of this role is to accelerate the growth of Zulu Ecosystems’ platform and existing traction into a formidable enterprise in service of nature.

As the Natural Capital Lead, you will be responsible for delivering Zulu Ecosystems’ capabilities and offerings across Scotland. This includes expanding the project pipeline, fostering strategic partnerships, and unlocking new markets and revenue streams. You will be part of a growing team in Scotland, with staff across the region and an office in Inverness.

Zulu Ecosystems currently operates across Scotland, England and Wales. This role will build on that momentum to scale restoration activities across our primary service areas: Woodland Creation, Peatland Restoration, and Lost Woodland Restoration. We are progressively expanding our intervention capabilities to cover additional habitat types, and to reliably forecast and measure outcomes in terms of carbon, natural flood mitigation, biodiversity enhancement and impact on local communities.

Key Responsibilities

1. Regional Commercial Leadership
Lead Zulu Ecosystems’ commercial efforts across Scotland, identifying and developing high-impact partnerships with landowners, estate managers, associations, and other key stakeholders. Champion nature restoration through trusted, long-term relationships that align ecological and financial outcomes.

2. Stakeholder & Community Engagement
Act as Zulu Ecosystems’ primary commercial presence in Scotland. Represent the company at key regional and national events, reinforce our local reputation, and foster strong relationships within landowning, conservation, and rural communities.

3. Client Growth & Retention
Manage ongoing client relationships with care and strategic insight. Identify opportunities to deepen engagement and expand uptake of Zulu Ecosystems’ full service offering across carbon, biodiversity, water, and nature finance solutions over time.

4. Go-to-Market Strategy
Co-develop and execute Zulu Ecosystems’ commercial strategy for Natural Capital in Scotland, working closely with the Chief Commercial Officer.

5. Deal Structuring & Investment Readiness
Provide clear input to Zulu Ecosystems’ project finance team to shape compelling, viable deal structures. Ensure that commercial arrangements meet the needs and constraints of landholders, investors, and delivery partners alike.

6. Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work collaboratively with Zulu’s Origination, Product, R&D, and Operations teams to bring forward a high-quality pipeline of Scottish projects. Contribute field-based insights to help improve project design, enhance our data platform, and refine our nature-based solutions offering.

Your profile

Requirements

Experience & Background

Proven track record in commercial roles within nature-based solutions (NbS), land management, environmental markets, or rural development.
Experience working directly with landowners, farmers, or estate managers — ideally within the Scottish context — and an ability to build trusted relationships grounded in commercial awareness and respect for long-term land stewardship goals.
Deep appreciation of landowner motivations, with the ability to navigate complex financial and reputational drivers — including tax planning (e.g. inheritance tax), trust structures, land burdens, asset valuation, and implications for future land sales or novation.
Strong understanding of UK and Scottish land use policy, including conservation finance, ecosystem service markets (e.g. carbon, biodiversity, water), and emerging environmental funding mechanisms.
Knowledge of voluntary and compliance carbon standards (e.g. Woodland Carbon Code, Peatland Code) is a strong advantage.

Skills

Relationship Management: Ability to build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders across the landholding, land worker, ecological, and local community landscape.
Negotiation & deal-making skills: Demonstrated ability to structure and close multi-stakeholder agreements with commercial, ecological, and financial dimensions.
Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills, particularly when engaging with rural stakeholders, NGOs, and government entities.
Analytical mindset: Capable of assessing project viability from multiple angles — commercial, ecological, financial — and feeding into investment decisions.
Strategic thinker: Ability to translate commercial and ecological insights into executable strategies tailored to local contexts.

Personal Attributes

Mission-driven: Passion for nature restoration, regenerative land use, and Zulu’s Ecosystems mission.
Independent & entrepreneurial: Comfortable working autonomously in the field and building regional presence from the ground up.
Collaborative: Brings a team mindset and works fluidly across departments (Product, R&D, Ops).
Credibility on the ground: Able to build trust quickly with rural stakeholders and local communities.
Multitasking and adaptability: Able to prioritise tasks and manage time effectively in a fast-paced environment with competing demands.
Integrity: Demonstrates a strong ethical compass and commitment to transparency, ensuring that all engagements and decisions uphold the highest standards of trust and accountability.

Logistics

Willingness to travel frequently across Scotland and occasionally to Zulu’s main office or other regions.
Clean driving licence (if applicable).

Education

Degree in Environmental Science, Forestry, Land Management, Ecology, Agricultural Economics, or related field (or equivalent experience).

Why us?

You will work with a market-leading team on a mission to regenerate natural habitats worldwide and become the most trusted provider of Nature-based Solutions.

This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of regenerative technologies and help drive meaningful, lasting change. Your contribution will play a vital role in shaping a healthier, more resilient world for future generations — benefiting people, nature, and the planet as a whole.

We also offer a competitive benefits package:

Competitive salary and performance incentive bonus
Stock options, reflecting the role success for the business
Private healthcare
Workplace pension scheme
25 days holiday
Multi-disciplinary team & collaborative culture
Flexible working/hybrid working
Learning and development budget
Personal development opportunities

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About us

Before you apply:
We will only use the personal data you provide to process your application. By emailing us your CV and covering letter, you consent to Zulu Ecosystems using the information you have provided for recruitment purposes. Interested applicants must have the right to work in the UK.

Equal Employment Opportunity:
Zulu Ecosystems is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

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We are looking forward to hearing from you!

Thank you for your interest in Zulu Ecosystems. Please fill out the following short form. Should you have difficulties with the upload of your data, please send an email to businessoperations.team@zuluecosystems.com.