Nature Recovery Advisor - Ecologist

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust; Middleton; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job description

We are looking for an experienced ecologist to join our team as a Nature Recovery Advisor to contribute to Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s overall goal of 30% of Derbyshire managed for nature by 2030.

The role of Nature Recovery Advisor sits within DWT’s professional ecological consultancy team, Wild Solutions. You’ll be joining a team of dedicated ecologists, providing professional ecological services both on the Trust’s land and externally to a wide range of clients and stakeholders including businesses, councils and private landowners.

At Wild Solutions we specialise in providing evidence-based, stakeholder-focused conservation projects, driven by place-based ecosystem service provision, nature-based solutions and rewilding. In this role you will work on a diverse range of projects, carrying out ecological surveys and monitoring schemes. You’ll produce habitat management and creation plans, as well as large scale biodiversity strategies and master plans seeking out green finance opportunities to fund nature’s recovery. See our website to learn more about our Wild Solutions team and the projects this role will involve: Wild Solutions.

To be successful you will be:

• An ecologist with practical experience of undertaking habitat surveys, condition assessments and protected species surveys.
• A passionate advocate for nature recovery and recognise the potential of rewilding and nature-based solutions to deliver meaningful and sustainable change.

What we can offer you:

• Flexible working options: we have adopted a 9-day working fortnight meaning all full-time staff get a non-working Friday every fortnight.
• 33 days annual leave including bank holidays; we also have a festive shut-down so all staff get the days between Christmas and New Year off in addition to their leave entitlement.
• Climate Perks (extra leave granted for staff using more green, sustainable transport).
• 9.5% employer pension contribution.
• Electric bike and car salary-sacrifice schemes available.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Life Assurance Scheme.
• Personalised Development programme designed to enhance your knowledge and progress your career.
• A multi-disciplinary business, with opportunities to work on a wide range of projects, developing your experience and skills.
• A close-knit, friendly and supportive team, with a relaxed office atmosphere.

About You

This role might be right for you if:

• You understand the importance of the big picture and care about delivering change at a landscape scale.
• You have good botanical identification skills and an understanding of British ecology and ecosystems.
• You are highly organised, comfortable taking on new challenges, and able to effectively manage a busy and varied workload to deliver timely outcomes.
• You have experience working with clients, contractors and landowners and developing excellent working relationships.

Additional Information:

We are happy to talk flexible working! This role will be based at our office in Middleton although a balance of home and office working will be allowed. We are a local charity so applicants should be easily able to access our office and other locations around the county.

Interviews are planned for Thursday 8th May 2025.

For more information please refer to the job description and key terms attached. To apply, please specify in your application how you meet the criteria identified within the Person Specification in the Job Description document. If you have any questions about the role which are not answered in the attached documents, or require adjustments to the application process, please either email [e-mail] or call 01773 881188.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust

We’re committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and believe that everyone should have access to nature. We expect people to work harmoniously with each other and with volunteers, and to provide help and guidance to others when needed. As a small charity, our employees need to be willing to be flexible about working arrangements and willing to provide occasional cover for absent staff. We want people to develop professionally and personally while working with us and employees are encouraged to participate in the range of opportunities available to enable this.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is an equal opportunities employer that strives to be a diverse and inclusive environment in which everyone is valued. We welcome applications from eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

We recognise that our workforce needs to represent the communities and people we work with. We particularly encourage applications from underrepresented groups within Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and the wider charity and conservation sector, such as people from Black and Ethnic Minority backgrounds and those who identify as LGBTQ+.

We are proudly a Disability Confident Commitment employer. The scheme is helping us recruit and retain great people to meet our workforce needs. As a member of the scheme we interview anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role. You can request this and adjustments including accessible formats of this vacancy by emailing [e-mail].