Consultant / Senior Ecologists

As we conclude our busy survey season and look to the future, we are seeking confident and UK protected species experienced ecologists at a senior level: Consultant (£27-33,000) and Senior (£33-43,000) - salaries negotiable, depending on experience - to be based at our offices in Bentley, East Hampshire (near Farnham, Surrey), Shaftesbury, Dorset or our new location in Bristol. 

We're an evolving ecology consultancy specialising in bats and working on a plethora of projects across the south and south west of England. We're hard-working and passionate about what we do and as we expand our teams to meet ever-increasing demand, we need experienced senior level Ecologists to join us. 

Who are we looking for?

Candidates should be well-rounded technical ecologists and meet the following minimum requirements:

• A degree in ecology or a related subject and post-graduation experience in ecology within a consultancy environment;
• Experience in a range of habitat and field surveys, analysing and interpreting data and writing professional reports;
• A good understanding of the planning process and of appropriate mitigation strategies;
• Demonstrable team and independent working skills;
• Applicants should have membership of CIEEM;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines;
• Ability to work on multiple projects; and
• Hold a UK driving licence, be prepared to travel to different sites in your own vehicle and to work ecology survey hours.

Additional skills that will be considered advantageous include:

• Bat mitigation licensing experience; 
• Minimum Level 1 class survey licence for bats;
• Additional survey licences or licensing experience (particularly for great crested newts or dormice); and 
• Experience of the planning system and associated technical processes such as Environmental Impact Assessments, Habitats Regulations Assessments and Biodiversity Net Gain Assessments. 

The Senior Ecologist role involves line managing and mentoring a friendly team of Ecologists and Assistants, overseeing regional projects, organising and carrying out ecological surveys, and producing and quality assuring a range of reports including protected species licence applications.

If you're ready to take your career to the next level, you will also have the opportunity to be a part of the Senior Management Team and contribute to business development and democratic decision-making processes.

In addition to the skills you would have as a Consultant Ecologist, those particularly advantageous for the Senior Ecologist role includes: 

• At least 5 years of professional consultancy experience; 
• High-level organisational/project management skills;
• Leadership or mentorship experience;
• Mitigation licensing experience; 
• Named Ecologist, BMCL registered or Earned Recognition scheme capabilities; 
• Multiple protected species survey licences; 
• GIS skills. 

Ideally you would live within an hour of one of our office bases.

Above all, we’re looking for conservation-minded, experienced ecologists with a passion for wildlife and the environment and we'd love to hear from you if you think you'd fit the bill. 

Who are we?

Darwin Ecology is a well-established ecological consultancy with a great reputation for providing professional, innovative and conservation-led schemes. The company thrives on a collaborative approach between our offices near Farnham, in Shaftesbury and Bristol. Together we provide a broad range of expertise to enable bespoke solutions for our clients across the south and south west of England.

Our role as consultants is to assist our clients to realise their development ambitions through the planning process whilst also delivering our core ‘Integrated Conservation’ ethos. We find solutions to deliver effective wildlife conservation on every project through the protection, mitigation and enhancement of wildlife opportunities as part of the built environment.

Educating and enthusing people we work with to share our goals for a wilder future is an important part of working at Darwin. Our work covers a diverse range of small, medium and large sized projects across a range of sectors.

Why are we different?

A big part of Darwin Ecology’s ethos is a hands-on approach to mitigation and enhancement measures when it comes to the final stages of a project. We are passionate about designing bespoke solutions to any problems that arise on site and encourage our team to get creative and think outside the box when it comes to supporting our clients and the species we work with.

We aim to strengthen your existing ecological specialisms, whilst being supportive about exploring new passions and taking your career in new directions. We aim to create a fun, collaborative and supportive working environment that encourages diverse approaches to the work we do and we try to get the regional teams together as often as we can for learning and socials.

Whilst we work on a variety of different projects, as a smaller consultancy we tend not to be involved with larger infrastructure projects or those requiring long-distance travel or overnight stays. 

What can we do for you?

A career at Darwin Ecology offers opportunities for growth and professional development and we strive to ensure that our employees work in an environment that is supportive, fair, challenging and enjoyable. As a smaller business, there is a real opportunity here for you to use your knowledge and experience to influence and affect change. The role will provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate a broad range of ecological skills by undertaking specialist technical work, whilst working as part of a passionate, integrated, dynamic and friendly team.

In addition to a fair and representative salary, reflective of experience but with potential for relatively rapid increase, benefits to our team members include:

• A generous profit-linked bonus scheme; 
• Minimum 24 days annual leave; 
• Generous training budget;
• Internal team training days and socials;
• Pet-friendly office;
• iPhone and Mac for business use;
• Hybrid working (usually 3/5 days in the office);
• Structured TOIL system.