Ecologist / Senior Ecologist

We are looking for a passionate yet pragmatic Ecologist / Senior Ecologist to join our growing ecology team.

This role is permanent with full time & part time work opportunities available. The majority of our work is south of the M4 and includes the Southwest / South and Southeast. We do occasionally take on larger projects further north.

Our work ranges from householder projects up to and including very large residential and commercial projects. We also undertake projects for National Highways, the Environment Agency, Natural England, National and Regional House Builders and a number of LPA's. We also assist some LPAs with Planning Applications and BNG submissions. There are very few aspects of ecological work that we do not undertake, consequently work can be varied, rather than consistently routine.

Locations are flexible as the majority of time you can work from home. Ideally, the ability to cover Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset or at least some of these areas would be valued.

Key Expectations

• All applicants must be able to undertake Phase 1 and Extended Phase 1 site surveys.


• We expect at least basic botany skills.


• All applicants must be able to identify and recognise important / protected habitats.


• All applicants must be able to extrapolate from onsite / adjoining habitats what protected species / priority species might be present.


• At a minimum, the ability to produce a EcIA report is required.


• Coherent and clear reports are necessary.


• Some experience of BNG assessment including Condition Assessments


• Some experience of all BNG related reporting and Management Plans


• Driving licence with no more than 3 points


• A full understanding that work will involve 'out-of-hours' working and that holidays will be restricted during peak seasons.


• Working away will occasionally be required.


• A positive and pragmatic approach to people and projects.


• Whether a CIEEM member or not, you will be expected to abide by CIEEM's Code of Professional Conduct.


• Ecologist: Minimum two years in the role


• Senior Ecologist: Minimum of five years in the role


Nice to Have

• Ideally, experience of producing other reports such as LEMP / CEMP / sHRA / AA would be beneficial.


• Protected Species Survey licences


• Protected Species Mitigation licences


• CIEEM Associate Membership or higher


• First Aid accreditation


• Confined spaces accreditation


• Tree climbing accreditation.


• Habitat restoration / creation knowledge / experience


• Certificates such as chainsaw / strimmer / electrofishing etc
  
  Our Head Office is in Looe, Cornwall where we have a purpose built office and training facilities, situated on our own farm. The Farm is our rewilding project and already hosts a wide range of protected species and habitats - as our training arm develops the farm will be a large outdoor learning resource where we train enthusiastic newly qualified ecologists and those looking to retrain for a second career. We will help equip people with the work skills their Ecology / Conservation degree probably failed to do. It will also be used to upskill ecologists who wish to acquire new skills and meet CPD requirements -


Some of our training will be led by our own ecologists, whilst other courses will be led by external specialists. Our aim is to offer the finest Ecological / BNG courses in the UK and we fully expect to achieve this. You may wish to be involved in this sphere of work too.

Whilst it is easy to claim that a 'company cares abouts its workforce' we genuinely do. We believe that support and displaying loyalty is a two way street.

We do not hire enthusiastic seasonal ecologists only to then routinely hire and fire them at the end of the summer which seems standard practice at many of the large nationals. We have never lost a member of staff, but this does mean we are careful in who we bring into our circle.

If work happens to be slow (albeit it never is), there is always hands on work at the farm to do, whether strengthening fences, planting hedgerows or growing trees, there is always an abundance of work.


• The expectation level for the successful applicant/s will depend on your level of experience and this will be reflected in the Salary offered.


• Competitive salary, commensurate with skills and experience


• Regular career training and development


• Mentoring from an experienced member of staff


• Contributed pension scheme


• We operate a Time off in Lieu (TOIL) system.


• Fortnightly TEAMs training and problem solving sessions are held



• TOIL enables hours worked in excess of those expected to be accumulated and taken as extra holiday or additional payments. A full explanation of T&Cs will be provided.