Ecologist - Habitats and Botany

RSK Group; Chester; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading environmental consultancy is seeking an Ecologist specializing in habitats and botany to join their Chester office. The successful candidate will manage field surveys, prepare ecological reports, and contribute to diverse projects, focusing on biodiversity and restoration efforts. Ideal candidates will have a degree in ecology, at least 3 years of field experience, and a passion for botanical surveys. This role offers flexible working arrangements and opportunities to impact significant infrastructure projects.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years field experience required.
• Demonstrated ecological/environmental degree required.
• Experience with UK Habitats survey preferred.

Responsibilities

• Managing and conducting habitat and botanical surveys.
• Writing and reviewing ecological reports.
• Mentoring junior ecologists with a focus on botany.

Skills

Ecological report writing

Botanical field skills

Habitat management

BNG assessment

Field survey management

Education

Ecological/environmental related degree

Tools

Arc suite (Collector, Survey 123)

Job description

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Ecologist - Habitats and Botany, Chester

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Client:

RSK Group

Location:

Chester, United Kingdom

Job Category:

Other

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EU work permit required:

Yes

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Job Reference:

d0922ca20006

Job Views:

6

Posted:

05.07.2025

Expiry Date:

19.08.2025

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Job Description:

Binnies are recruiting ecologists with a particular interest in habitats and botanical survey. We pride ourselves on being a sustainability-led organisation and you would play a key role in ensuring our standards. Especially with the requirement for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and a growing focus on nature based solutions, we appreciate botanical expertise is critical for the delivery of our projects and are looking for ecologists with an interest in this area.

You will get the opportunity to work on a wide portfolio of projects, from nationally significant infrastructure projects to landscape scale restoration. Our portfolio of work includes flood, coastal and maritime projects and a range of other sectors such as ports, water utilities, transport and renewable power.

One of our newest projects is SESRO (South East Strategic Reservoir Option). SESRO is a 150 million cubic metre reservoir near Abingdon, which is also seeking to provide opportunities to create new habitats and increase biodiversity. https://thames-wrmp.co.uk/projects/sesro/.

You would be welcome in one of our offices (Redhill, Bradford on Avon/Bristol, Birmingham, or Chester) but we offer flexible working.

Binnies is a registered Ecological (CIEEM) and Landscape Practice (Landscape Institute) and hold the IEMA EIA Quality Mark, which is a benchmark of our high standards in Ecological and EIA delivery. Binnies are also a sponsor of the Association of Environmental Clerk of Works.

About the Role

• Undertaking and managing field surveys, with a focus on habitat and botanical surveys.
• Writing, and checking others, ecological reports.
• Mentoring our ecologists with a particular interest in botany.
• Design of habitat restoration/creation schemes and preparing management and monitoring plans.
• Undertaking BNG calculations using the Statutory Biodiversity Metric (and other client specific BNG toolkits).
• Input into a range of ecological deliverables including: BNG assessment reports, EcIA, planning documents, HRA and other consents.

While we are particularly looking for ecologists with an interest in botany/habitats, there will opportunity to work on other species if desired.

If you would like to discuss the role in advance of making a formal application please contact our Team Leader Emma Stevens at or through LinkedIn.

Qualifications/Requirements

We would welcome applicants with a minimum of 3 years field experience. You should possess and be able to demonstrate the following qualifications, skills and knowledge:

• have an ecological/environmental related degree
• have or applying for membership of CIEEM
• have an equivalent of FISC Level 3 standard in botanical field skills
• experience of UK Habitats survey and BNG condition assessments
• experience of using BNG metrics
• experience of writing ecological reports to a high standard
• hold a full UK driving licence
• willing to work away from home as required by the business in order to deliver specific contracts.

Desirable experience (depending on years of experience) includes:

• range of other protected species surveys
• experience of using Arc suite (Collector, Survey 123) or similar
• previous consultancy experience
• experience of undertaking advanced botanical surveys e.g. NVC
• preparing habitat management and monitoring plans
• working towards becoming a chartered ecologist or chartered environmentalist.