Ecologist (Consultancy)

Essex Wildlife Trust; Colchester; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading conservation charity in Essex seeks an experienced Ecologist to join their ecology team. This permanent position involves managing ecological surveys, mentoring junior staff, and providing expert ecological advice to clients. With a salary of £30,000 to £35,000 per annum and a supportive work environment, this role is ideal for those looking to advance their career in a meaningful way.

Benefits

26 days annual leave increasing to 29

Company sick pay

8% pension contribution

Employee assistance programme

Qualifications

• Experience in managing ecological surveys.
• Ability to provide expert advice to clients.
• Leadership skills to mentor junior staff.

Responsibilities

• Manage ecological surveys and deliver services.
• Lead projects and mentor junior staff.
• Maintain client relationships and project documentation.

Skills

Ecological survey management

Expert ecological advice

Project leadership

Client relationship management

Job description

Overview

Essex Wildlife Trust are the county's leading conservation charity, committed to protecting wildlife and inspiring a lifelong love of nature. By 2030 we aim to protect and connect 30% of land and sea and inspire 1 in 4 people in Essex to take action for wildlife.

We are seeking an experienced Ecologist to join our growing ecology team. You will play a key role in managing ecological surveys, leading projects, mentoring junior staff, and providing expert advice to clients. This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to progress their career in a supportive and forward-thinking consultancy.

Essex Ecology is the Trust's ecology consultancy. A commercial subsidiary, which provides essential income for the Trust and helps achieve our mission for a wilder Essex. We are an organisation going through a period of exciting growth.

As part of Essex Ecology, the ecological consultancy of Essex Wildlife Trust, the Ecologist will play a vital role in supporting biodiversity monitoring, ecological assessments, and nature recovery delivery across Essex. You will contribute to our consultancy's commercial success by delivering high-quality ecological services, while supporting our parent charity's conservation objectives.

Working alongside Essex BNG and Green Finance Ltd, our partner subsidiary, you will help realise the Trust's strategic ambition to deliver landscape-scale nature recovery and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) through consultancy, advisory and monitoring work.

Responsibilities

• Fieldwork and advisory responsibilities, including managing ecological surveys and delivering ecological services.
• Leading projects and mentoring junior staff within the ecology team.
• Providing expert ecological advice to clients and maintaining high standards in written outputs and project documentation.
• Managing client relationships, report delivery, and administrative follow-up with support from a dedicated administrator.
• Ensuring efficient workflow management, prompt response to customer queries, and contribution to biodiversity monitoring and nature recovery activities.

Role details

Type: Permanent position

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)

Salary: £30,000 to £35,000 per annum

Base: Abbotts Hall, Great Wigborough

How to apply

Please complete an online application form on our website by 5pm on Monday 13 October. Interviews will be held on Thursday 23 October at Abbotts Hall. If you would like an informal chat about the role, please contact [e-mail].

We anticipate a high volume of responses; the Trust reserves the right to close the application window before the published end date, so early applications are encouraged.

Values and benefits

Our values are Impactful, Collaborative, United and Proactive.

Annual leave entitlement starts at 26 days per annum increasing to 29 days plus Bank Holidays. We provide company sick pay, an employee assistance programme, a combined 8% pension contribution, staff social days, a colleague nomination scheme, and discounts in our Nature Discovery Centres.

Essex Wildlife Trust is committed to an inclusive and diverse workplace. We welcome everyone and value contributions towards our vision of "A county rich in wildlife with people connected to nature". As a Disability Confident employer, please tell us if you have a disability so we can tailor the interview process to meet the minimum criteria and provide any necessary adjustments to our recruitment process.