Principal / Associate Ecological Consultant

Greenbridge Recruitment; Corby; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A family-run multidisciplinary company in the UK is seeking an experienced Principal / Associate Ecological Consultant to lead ecological projects and mentor the team. With a focus on sustainability, you will provide technical leadership, support business growth, and work on diverse environmental opportunities. The role offers a competitive salary of £45,000 – £60,000 plus excellent benefits, including annual leave, a discretionary bonus scheme, and health and wellbeing support. Flexibility and hybrid working options are available.

Benefits

26 days annual leave

Discretionary bonus scheme

Enhanced pension scheme (6%)

Health & wellbeing benefits

Paid professional membership fees

Employee socials

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years UK Ecology experience.
• At least one protected species license.
• Demonstrable botanical ID skills (FISC Level 3 or above).

Responsibilities

• Support the ecology team with client projects.
• Provide technical and professional leadership.
• Promote training and development across the team.

Skills

UK Ecology experience

Environmental legislation knowledge

Botanical ID skills (FISC Level 3)

Project Management experience

Team management skills

Education

Degree-level relevant qualification

CIEEM membership (or working towards)

Tools

DEFRAs Biodiversity Metric

Job description

Principal / Associate Ecological Consultant

Greenbridge Recruitment is seeking an experienced and knowledgeable Principal / Associate Ecological Consultant for a fantastic opportunity in Northamptonshire.

About the employer

You’ll be part of a family‑run, multidisciplinary company with a passion for both people and planet – putting natural capital and sustainability at the heart of all of their work. With skilled teams in Arboriculture, Forestry, Ecology, Garden Design, and Landscape Architecture, they are proud to deliver exemplary, nature‑led services through creativity, dedication and collaboration.

Thanks to continued growth and new opportunities, this established leader in natural solutions is seeking an experienced Principal or Associate level Ecological Consultant to join their talented Northamptonshire team.

About the role

As Principal / Associate Ecological Consultant, your role will be to support the ecology team with the delivery of client projects, providing technical and professional leadership in all aspects of your work.

Joining a strong working culture of collaboration, trust and development, you’ll promote opportunities for training and development across the team through mentorship and inclusion, and support the wider company in encouraging cross‑team interaction and knowledge sharing. As well as project liaison and preparation of reports, you’ll also be involved in business development and growth activities.

With a wide and varied client base and an interdisciplinary approach, you’ll have the opportunity to work on projects both in‑ and outside of development, including new environmental opportunities with a restorative approach to land management, and opportunities to feed into industry changes at an even higher level.

Salary & Benefits

This is a full‑time, permanent position working 40 hours per week, with flexible hours and hybrid working available. Salary is £45,000 – £60,000 per annum, plus company car and other excellent benefits including:

• 26 days annual leave
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• Enhanced pension scheme (6%)
• Death in service entitlement 2.5x salary
• Access to discounted holiday homes in Wales, Scotland and France
• Excellent CPD and free access to horticulture events
• Paid professional membership fees and subscriptions
• Health & wellbeing benefits including fitness classes, unlimited access to Smart Health for you and immediate family, occupational health and eye tests
• Electric vehicle charging and cycle to work scheme
• Bi‑annual employee socials
• Additional holiday days awarded at 2, 5 and 10 years service, paid sabbatical at 20 years

About you

To apply for this role you will need:

• A minimum of 5 years UK Ecology experience, with a degree‑level relevant qualification and full membership (or working towards) with CIEEM
• At least one protected species license (ideally bats or dormice)
• Knowledge of environmental legislation and UK planning system
• Demonstrable botanical ID skills (FISC Level 3 or above)
• Experience in:
  • DEFRAs Biodiversity Metric
  • Site Appraisal
  • Project Management
  • Survey team / subcontractor management
  • Named Ecologist / Alternative Contact / Accredited Agent within species mitigation licenses
  • Designing and implementing mitigation for development projects

How to apply

For more information or to apply for this role, click Apply, call Martin on 01638 358394 or send your CV to [e-mail].