Position: Principal Ecological Consultant – Full time, permanent (39.5 hours/week)
Salary range: £40,000 upwards dependent on experience and with other employee benefits
Are you an experienced Ecological Consultant? Are you looking to lead a fun, dynamic, driven, and experienced Ecology Team? Do you want to be part of a progressive and forward-thinking multi-disciplinary environmental consultancy which prides itself on building honest, strong working relationships with clients, and takes pride in delivering quality in the services it delivers.
Do you want to work directly with clients, creating a future where we live in balance with and connected to nature by increasing our understanding of natural infrastructure and guiding its enhancement in the places we live, work and play?
We are looking to recruit a Principal Ecological Consultant to lead and develop our ecology team and help to deliver projects due to our increasing workloads and expanding client base across the midlands and UK. There are some key skills we expect you to have, however our company culture and team dynamic is important to us so it’s just as vital that you’re a good fit within the team.
Main duties and responsibilities of this position:
- Leading and developing our ecology team, providing technical support at all levels and working with our clients to guide them primarily through the planning process.
- You will need to be comfortable with managing and delivering projects including detailed and complex strategic development projects from start to finish.
- Experience in producing Biodiversity Net Gain calculations and delivering associated reports and technical advice.
- Experience in preparing technical reports including Ecological Impact Assessments (both EIA and non-EIA) and HRA reports.
- You will need an eye for detail to critically review and proof-read technical ecological reports.
- Preparing and reviewing complex fee proposals and tender documents.
- Report to the Business Operations Manager on monthly fees/budgets to help ensure operational targets are achieved.
- You will need to proactively monitor team performance, including the correct use of systems and invoicing. You will work with the Systems Coordinator and Ecology Coordinator to improve the systems of reporting project progress and capacity from the ecology team. You will also be working directly with the Business Operations Manager to manage team performance against key targets.
- You will work with the Business Operations Manager contributing towards operational business strategies to further develop the ecology team.
- Assist with presenting at CPD events internally and externally to raise the profile of ecology at Wharton.
- Contribute to the development of company documents including guidance documents and templates.
The knowledge, skills and qualifications needed for this position:
The key things you must have:
- You must have a minimum of 5 year’s post graduate experience, with time spent at a senior level.
- Demonstrable experience of managing a team and mentoring junior staff, being able to identify skill shortages where training or additional experience is required.
- A track record in the delivery of a wide range of projects.
- A broad understanding and technical knowledge of protected species, habitats, and ecological processes.
- An in-depth understanding of legislation and policy relating to ecology and the environment and how this informs the planning process.
- Good commercial awareness and be able to upsell services to clients, identifying opportunities for growth.
Desirable knowledge, skills and qualifications needed for this position:
Experience as a named ecologist and have knowledge and skills in writing mitigation licence documents for protected species, and the ability to mentor junior staff on their production to enable their development.
- A competent and skilled botanist.
- Hold protected species survey licenses.
Company benefits include:
- Flexible working scheme and transparent TOIL policy.
- Have an extra day of annual leave for your birthday.
- Bring your dog to work (providing they’re well-behaved and get on with the current Wharton Canines!).
- Take part in our quarterly team activity days to celebrate success over the previous financial quarter. Previously this has included things such as ‘Go Ape’ and cocktail making masterclasses.
- One day per quarter to volunteer for a wildlife charity or organisation of your choosing.
- Have access to our Employee Assistance Programme [1].
- Have critical illness and life insurance cover [2].
- Be part of our project bonus scheme [3].
- Actively develop and achieve your personal goals and targets [4].
Applications:
If you want to develop your career and join a dynamic company, which is ISO9001 compliant, please complete our application form on our website: https://wnic.co.uk/about-us/careers/
If you wish to discuss the opportunity and role further, please call on 01789 459458 to speak to either Peter Wharton or Callum Throw.
[1] Provided by Croner and includes health & lifestyle services, legal information, home life services and work life services.
[2] Once your probationary period is successfully completed.
[3] Take a percentage of any new business you bring to the company and discretionary monthly profit shares.
[4] We like everyone to have their own individual goals, whether that be having the opportunity to take your children to school, to travelling the world for a few months. We aim to make things happen.
