Ecologist/ Senior Ecologist

slihrms; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Disability Confident Employer

Inclusive employer

Job summary

AtkinsRéalis is seeking an ecologist to provide input across diverse projects, leading on infrastructure challenges and coordinating field surveys.

You will act as Ecological Clerk of Works on design and build projects, lead on mitigation design, and contribute to reports and client relations with a strong emphasis on biodiversity enhancements.

Qualifications

• Degree in ecology or life sciences or closely related field.
• Membership of CIEEM, or equivalent (AtkinsRéalis to cover costs).
• Strong understanding of UK wildlife legislation.
• Competent to lead protected species surveys per CIEEM framework.
• Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) Level 3 or equivalent.
• Experience implementing ecological mitigation on site during construction.
• Ability to advise contractors on ecological risk and mitigation.

Responsibilities

• Provide ecological input to projects, including leading infrastructure works.
• Act as Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) on large design and build projects.
• Plan, coordinate and undertake field surveys; analyse results.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams and design mitigation.
• Author and check ecological reports and licence applications.
• Manage inquiries, assist bids, and maintain client relations.
• Identify and mitigate risks within project/framework contexts.
• Provide innovative ecological contributions to projects.

Skills

Ecology degree

CIEEM member

UK wildlife law

Protected species surveys

Field survey skills

FISC Level 3

Risk management

Report writing

Education

Degree in ecology or life sciences

Job description

Job Description

Overview

Shape the future of our cities and environments. Join our organisation, where we have a huge variety of projects on‑the‑go at any one time. So when you start this role with us, it could take your career wherever your interests lie. You'll find everyone here is willing to pitch in and help because we all want you to succeed, and we're ready to help you grow. When it comes to living your life, we want you to get the most out of it. So talk to us about all our flexible and remote working policies that can support your personal priorities. Also, ask us about some of our recent pledges for Women's Equality, as well as being a 'Disability Confident' and 'Inclusive Employer.' Our ecology team truly strives to make a positive difference to the natural environment, by working closely with other disciplines across our business to engage in projects from the outset, ensuring ecology is considered at the earliest possible stage. This collaborative working helps to drive forward nature positive schemes that we are proud of. Our award‑winning team of over 160 ecologists (including the President of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) and three CIEEM Fellows) work across a range of exciting habitat creation, research, development and major infrastructure projects; we foster innovation and help inform policy. At AtkinsRéalis our people are the foundation of our business and that's why we put our people first. With this in mind, we provide an incredibly flexible and inclusive working environment with staff wellbeing being front and centre of all of our decisions. We also understand that not everyone chooses to take the university route in terms of education - we are open to taking on ecologists without a degree and we are working closely with the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) to make entry into the environmental industry more inclusive for all. For us, it is the experience, knowledge and, above all, your ability to fit in well with our existing team of ecologists, that really matters.

Your role

• Providing ecological input to a varied range of projects across different sectors, including leading on infrastructure projects, managing project programmes and budgets.
• Undertaking the role of Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) on large and significant design and build projects covering a range of ecological constraints, providing tool-box talks, monitoring compliance with planning conditions, protected species licences and method statements.
• Planning, coordinating and undertaking field surveys; analysing and interpreting survey results.
• Collaborating with our multi-disciplinary teams.
• Designing and co-ordinating ecological mitigation.
• Authoring and checking a range of ecological reports and licence applications.
• Managing work enquiries, preparing bids and building client relationships
• Candidate will actively identify, raise, manage and mitigate risks, particularly within a Project/Framework environment.
• Candidate will proactively provide innovation on projects and within the ecology team.

About you

• A degree in ecology or life sciences or closely related field.
• Membership of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM), or equivalent. AtkinsRéalis to cover membership costs.
• Strong understanding of UK wildlife legislation.
• Strong protected species survey/field identification skills, including demonstrable competency to capable level in line with CIEEM's Competency Framework to lead protected species surveys is essential.
• Ideally Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) Level 3, or above, or be able to demonstrate that skills are equivalent to this.
• Experience of implementing and monitoring ecological mitigation on site, during construction (e.g. translocations, watching briefs, exclusion zones, habitat protection measures).
• Ability to act as a first point of contact for contractors and advise on ecological risk during construction and deliver practical and proportionate mitigation solutions in line with nature conservation legislation.
• Strong skills in report writing and record keeping, including preparing Preliminary Ecological Assessments, Ecological Impact Assessments, site visit reports and compliance audit trails.
• Protected species survey licence(s) are desirable but not essential, a NatureScot bat licenced ecologist is particularly desirable. Demonstrable experience of working under protected species licences for development either as the ecologist overseeing the works or operating under the instruction of named licence holder is beneficial.
• Strong collaborative behaviours to interface with multi-disciplinary teams, market teams, and other stakeholders.
• An understanding of requirement for biodiversity enhancements in line with National Planning Framework 4, and able to demonstrate awareness of the key principals is desirable. Must be able to distinguish and determine between enhancements and com