Senior Ecologist Planner

Job description

Based at: Civic Office, Doncaster
Salary details: Grade 8 - £34,434 - £38,221 (Pay Award Pending)
Contract Type: Permanent, Full-time
Hours: 37 Hours per Week
Flexible working arrangements: We welcome flexible working requests, including job share, part-time, and hybrid options where possible.
Closing date: Midnight, Sunday 20th September 2026

There’s never been a more exciting time to join Doncaster Council.

The City of Doncaster Council is a confident, ambitious organisation which puts improving the life of its residents at the centre of everything we do. Are you an experienced ecologist working in ecological consultancy and looking for a better work life balance? Or an existing Planning Ecologist looking for a change and new challenges? Do you want the opportunity to make a real impact at a strategic level? Join our forward-thinking Planning Service and play a key role in delivering meaningful biodiversity gains, influencing development, and embedding nature into the heart of place-making.

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the interface of ecology and planning—helping ensure sustainable growth while enhancing the natural environment for current and future generations. You have an opportunity to be part of this as a Senior Ecologist Planner working in the Council’s Planning Department.

We are looking for the right individual to be part of a small busy team. You will act as a key consultee on planning applications and provide expert ecological advice on a wide range of developments, from small residential schemes to major strategic projects ensuring robust decision-making and policy compliance. You will also support the Principal Ecologist, Principal Biodiversity Officer and work of the Local Record Centre in delivery of a wide range of environmental projects including, biodiversity net gain, environmental monitoring (including bioacoustics), habitat conservation and species recovery work aiming to support the delivery of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy and the Council’s Biodiversity Duty. If you have a passion for fieldwork, we can put those skills to use with a varied role that sees you out on site as well as in the office. We have a range of exciting practical conservation projects in the pipeline and are looking for an individual that is keen to be part of their development.

As the Council’s Ecologist, you will need to have strong knowledge of UK habitats, habitat management, best practice in protected species surveys, environmental legislation and planning policy. You will need to be confident in interpreting ecological reports and robustly applying them to planning decisions. You will also have a thorough understanding of biodiversity net gain and be keen to assist in the delivery of exciting new habitat bank projects. The role requires a strong communicator, able to influence a wide range of stakeholders, from elected members to farmers, landowners and members of the public. You will be both organised and proactive to be able to manage competing priorities.

This is more than just a job—it’s an opportunity to shape how nature is protected and enhanced for future generations. If you’re ready to use your expertise to create greener, more resilient communities, we’d love to hear from you.

We are very supportive of flexible working options including part time working, job share, compressed hours and hybrid working. We also operate a Flexitime system which allows employees to vary their working hours within specific limits from day to day, subject to the needs of the service. As such, if you are the right candidate for the role then we are more than happy to discuss and explore what flexibilities may be required to support a great work-life balance were you to be successfully appointed to post.

In return for your contribution, we offer:

• Competitive leave entitlement
• Generous local government pension scheme
• Wellbeing support and staff networks
• Development and training opportunities
• Staff discounts and benefits schemes
• More information on benefits can be found in the attached benefits booklet.

Please review the job summary and profile and demonstrate in your application how you meet the required criteria.

Shortlisting will take place week commencing 21st September 2026 and it is anticipated that interviews will be held on Monday 28th September 2026.

For further details or an informal chat please contact:

Dr Helen Markland, Principal Ecologist, Tel 01302 734 924, [email protected] or,

Jonathan Clarke, Planning Policy & Environment Manager, Tel: 01302 735 316, [email protected]

We encourage applicants to use their own words to reflect their experience and skills and over-reliance on AI is discouraged.

The Advance Employment Team offers personalised support to help you take your next step into work. From building your CV and getting the right interview skills to accessing a wide range of free courses, the team will help you grow your skills and confidence and find a job you’ll enjoy. Get in touch by email ([email protected] or visit the Advance website (www.advancedoncaster.co.uk to discover the support available.

City of Doncaster Council is committed to meeting the needs of our diverse community and improving quality of life for all. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences and are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults.

We are a Disability Confident employer and committed to a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We offer interviews to disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria and make reasonable adjustments as required.