Ornithologist

CleanTech Talent; Inverness; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid/flexible working

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Pension scheme

Employee assistance programme

Cycle to work scheme

Tax-free childcare

Job summary

CleanTech Talent is seeking a Senior Principal Ornithologist to join our respected Ecology team, with room at Associate Director or Technical Director for the right person, collaborating with the Senior Leadership Team.

You’ll lead ornithological services across a portfolio of onshore renewables projects, shaping delivery, data collection and analysis, and mentoring the team while working alongside GIS and modelling specialists. Flexible, hybrid working arrangements are available.

Qualifications

• Experience in ornithology/ecological consultancy.
• Onshore renewables or wind farm EIA knowledge.
• Proven people management and staff development experience.
• Comfortable leading technically and commercially; BD experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Direct and manage a range of medium to large projects delivering EIA and HRA services.
• Shape the ornithology service offering with practical client solutions.
• Build and maintain stakeholder relationships with bodies.
• Own and grow key client relationships; lead with a GIS team.

Skills

Experience in ornithology

People management

BD capability

Stakeholder communication

Strategic leadership

Tools

GIS software

Modelling techniques

Job description

Known in the market as a people-first business: one that invests seriously in developing its staff, encourages innovation from every level, and backs it up with real career progression rather than just promising it.

Company Overview -

well-established, highly respected environmental consultancy that has spent over 15 years at the heart of the UK's net-zero economy.

• Big influence, medium-company feel: the person will have much more visibility and impact than they would at a larger consultancy.
• Strategic importance: ornithology is a key part of the renewables and overhead line work, so this hire really matters.
• Shape the service line: the role has genuine scope to help lead and develop the ornithology community of practice.
• Cross-business reach: influence ornithology delivery across the wider business, not just one office.
• Collaborative technical environment: work closely with GIS/modelling teams and has developed innovative modelling approaches.
• Brilliant reputation for problem-solving: the work involves challenging sites and sensitive species, which suits someone who enjoys complex technical delivery.
• Supportive structure: there’s scope to tailor the role around the person’s strengths, especially if they bring BD or broader business leadership.
• Flexible working: part-time candidates would be considered

With a reputation for expert, fuss-free advice and a genuinely collaborative, one-team culture, they support developers and infrastructure clients across the low carbon sector - from renewable energy to major nature-based and biodiversity-led projects.

For a senior specialist looking for a business that will genuinely listen to their ideas and back their growth, this is a rare opportunity.

The Role

This is a senior, leadership-level opportunity to join a highly regarded Ecology team as a Principal Ornithologist, with room at Associate Director or Technical Director for the right person, working closely with the organisation's Senior Leadership Team.

You’ll take a lead role in shaping and delivering ornithological services across a portfolio of medium and large-scale projects central to the low carbon economy - while also playing a genuine hand in developing the team's future direction, from service innovation to how data is collected and analysed.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct and manage a range of medium and large projects delivering high-quality Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Habitat Regulations Appraisal (HRA) services
• Play an active role in shaping the ornithology service offering, bringing new ideas to life as practical client solutions
• Build and maintain solid stakeholder relationships with bodies
• Own and grow key client relationships
• Work alongside a highly regarded in-house GIS team to strengthen expertise in collision risk modelling, spatial modelling, displacement analysis, and population viability analysis
• Support with resource and business planning, or learn if stepping upMentor and advise junior team members - deputising where required
• Act as a trusted technical authority, championing best practice both internally and with external partners

About You

• Experience in ornithology/ecological consultancy
• Onshore renewables or wind farm EIA
• Proven people management and staff development experience.
• Comfortable leading both technically and commercially; BD capability would be a plus.
• Able to work across complex/problem sites and collaborate with GIS/modelling teams.
• Working knowledge of UK legislation and guidance relevant to ornithological assessment
• Confident communicator, able to flex between strategic and highly technical conversations with clients and stakeholders
• A genuinely collaborative, flexible approach to team working, paired with natural curiosity and an appetite to innovate
• Sound understanding of health & safety practice and risk assessment relevant to ecological fieldwork

What's on Offer

• Competitive salary, benchmarked to experience and market rate
• Annual discretionary performance bonus (paid out in each of the last three years)
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, and a pension scheme
• Flexible benefits including an employee assistance programme, cycle to work scheme, and tax-free childcare
• Genuine hybrid/flexible working to support work-life balance
• A clear, supported path for career progression, underpinned by a buddying and mentoring culture
• The opportunity to lead on high-profile, cutting-edge projects shaping the UK's low carbon future