Aquatic Ecologist

Southern Water; Brighton; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking company as an Aquatic Ecologist, where you will play a pivotal role in enhancing biodiversity across operational sites. Your expertise will support habitat development, ecological assessments, and environmental impact evaluations. This position offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with diverse teams, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations while making a tangible difference in the community and ecosystem. With a competitive salary and excellent benefits, this role is perfect for those passionate about ecology and environmental stewardship.

Qualifications

• Degree in Biology, Ecology or similar subject preferred.
• Full UK driving licence required.

Responsibilities

• Conduct habitat surveys and identify ecological impacts.
• Prepare technical reports for senior managers and regulatory bodies.
• Support project teams in creating new habitats.

Skills

Communication Skills

Attention to Detail

IT Skills (Word, Excel, Outlook)

Project Ownership

GIS Mapping Systems

Education

Degree in Biology or Ecology

Job description

Closing Date

2025-05-23

Job Title: Aquatic Ecologist

Location: Falmer (hybrid working + site visits)

Salary: up to £52,000 depending on experience

We are excited to be recruiting for an Aquatic Ecologist to join our growing Environmental team. The role will support the development of new habitats across our operational sites through monitoring, assessment and survey work. This position will also provide vital input into environmental impact assessments for major projects and develop mitigation measures to ensure we protect and enhance biodiversity on the ground.

Key Responsibilities

• Carry out habitat surveys including pre-construction site visits to identify protected species or potential ecological impacts;
• Undertake post-construction monitoring visits to assess the effectiveness of habitat creation works;
• Support project teams in identifying opportunities to create new habitats as part of our capital programme;
• Assess the potential ecological impacts of planned maintenance activities such as vegetation clearance;
• Provide specialist advice to operational teams to minimise ecological impacts during day-to-day operations;
• Prepare technical reports and documents to inform decision making by senior managers and regulatory bodies;
• Contribute to the preparation of Ecological Impact Assessments (EcIA) and Habitat Regulations Assessments (HRA);
• Work closely with contractors to ensure they understand their legal obligations regarding protected species and habitats;
• Identify opportunities to enhance biodiversity within the wider catchment area, particularly where this can help us achieve regulatory objectives.
  
  

Qualifications

• A degree level qualification in Biology, Ecology or similar subject would be advantageous but not essential;
• A full UK driving licence is required for this role;
• Good communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal;
• Strong attention to detail;
• Excellent IT skills including proficiency in Word, Excel and Outlook;
• Ability to plan and prioritise workload effectively;
• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of tasks and projects;
• Experience working with GIS mapping systems desirable;
• An understanding of environmental regulation and compliance, especially relating to protected species and habitats.
  
  

Why Join Us?

At Southern Water, you will play a key role in shaping our services, helping us to deliver benefits for our customers, communities, and the environment. We offer a competitive salary, excellent benefits, and the opportunity to work in a collaborative and innovative environment.