Consultant Ecologist
hace 2 días
Brighton
Your New Company You'll be joining an independent, multi-disciplinary environmental consultancy with around 80-90 staff across five UK offices. Despite its size, the business maintains a small-team mentality, with each office fostering a friendly, collaborative culture. The coastal South-East office is home to a well-established team of around 10-12 ecologists, working closely with colleagues in heritage, landscape, masterplanning and urban design. The ecology team is known locally for delivering clear, proportionate, and pragmatic advice across a wide variety of planning-led projects. The consultancy has grown organically over more than 20 years and is committed to remaining independent. Staff development is a core focus, and team members often progress internally, supported by strong training, mentoring and a genuinely collaborative environment. Your New Role As a Consultant Ecologist, you'll support the delivery of ecological inputs across a diverse project portfolio while continuing to grow your technical expertise and confidence in consultancy practice. Your role will include: • Supporting and delivering a range of protected species and habitat surveys (including UKHab), • Assisting with PEAs, EcIAs, BNG assessments, HRAs and technical reporting, • Contributing to EPS licence preparation and mitigation strategies under senior guidance, • Helping coordinate survey programmes and fieldwork logistics, • Working with clients, planners and design teams to support proportionate ecological solutions, • Preparing survey maps and figures using QGIS (training provided as standard for all staff), • Supporting monitoring work on habitat banking and enhancement projects, • Residential schemes from 30-100 units through to major urban extensions (), • Strategic land promotion sites, • Local authority projects (e.g., housing reserve sites), • Commercial developments, • Heritage-led schemes, • Biodiversity enhancement and long-term monitoring What You'll Need to Succeed Essential • Degree in ecology/biology or related subject (1st or 2:1 preferred), • Experience carrying out protected species and habitat surveys, • Reasonable botanical skills (FISC Level 3 desirable), • Understanding of UK wildlife legislation, • Clear and confident written and verbal communication, • Competence with MS Office and an interest in using/learning QGIS, • Strong organisational skills and a collaborative, positive attitude, • Willingness to take part in night surveys and occasional overnight stays, • Full UK driving licence and own vehicle, • Protected species licences (or working toward them), • Exposure to BNG or EcIA preparation, • Strong project management/coordination and client liaison skills What You'll Get in Return You'll be part of a friendly, supportive and sociable consultancy that genuinely invests in its people and promotes from within. You can expect: • Salary: £28,000-£35,000 (Consultant level, DOE), • Permanent, full-time contract (37.5 hrs/week; core hours 10am-4pm), • Hybrid working after probation (typically 3 days office / 2 days home), • Overtime paid at time + one-third for surveys, • Annual profit-related and performance bonuses, • 25 days' holiday, rising to 30 with long service (incl. Christmas shutdown allocation), • Pension scheme with increasing employer contributions, • Excellent CPD: internal training workshops, mentoring, and a strong external training budget, • Paid CIEEM membership and EPS licence fees, • Mobile phone and fieldwork clothing allowance, • Employee Assistance Programme & mental health first aiders, • Volunteering days and family-friendly policies, • Annual UK company conference and dedicated ecology team conference, • Annual UK/European weekend trip Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk