Senior Ecologist

Bengrove Ltd; Chilcompton; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working from Chilcompton office

33 days holiday per year (incl. bank)

Life assurance scheme 4x annual salary

Professional development

Job summary

Bengrove in Chilcompton, Somerset, is looking for an ecological project lead to own delivery on active engagements. You will manage client communications, attend meetings, and ensure work is completed on time and to a high standard.

You’ll prepare planning ecology reports, lead BNG assessments with Biodiversity Metric 4.0, and conduct UKHab surveys and habitat mapping, with occasional protected species surveys. A relevant degree and significant ecology consultancy experience are essential.

Qualifications

• Degree in ecology, environmental science, biology, or closely related discipline
• Significant ecology consultancy experience including managing projects and client relationships
• Demonstrable experience of client-facing delivery and main client contact
• Strong written communication for non-specialist readers
• Strong verbal communication and independent meeting attendance
• Experience with Biodiversity Metric 4.0 for BNG assessments
• UKHab survey experience
• GIS experience (QGIS preferred) for habitat mapping
• Full, clean UK driving licence
• CIEEM membership or working towards
• FISC Level 2+ botanical identification skills
• Protected species survey licences or experience: bat, dormouse, birds, reptiles
• Experience with digital field data collection platforms (e.g. Coreo, ESRI Field Maps)
• Experience preparing HMMPs or long-term habitat monitoring reports
• Familiarity with EcIA methodology and planning ecology practice in England

Responsibilities

• Managing client communications on active projects – responsively and confidently
• Attending client meetings and providing clear technical advice
• Preparing ecology reports for planning applications – written to be read, not just filed
• Leading BNG assessments and running Biodiversity Metric 4.0 calculations
• Conducting UKHab surveys and habitat mapping
• Occasional protected species surveys
• Collaborating with a data specialist focused on report delivery, not just GIS

Skills

Client relationship management

Project delivery

Clear written communication

Verbal communication

Driving licence

BNG assessments

UKHab surveys

GIS experience

Digital field data collection

EcIA familiarity

Education

Ecology/environmental science degree

CIEEM membership (or working towards)

FISC Level 2+ botanical identification

Tools

QGIS

Coreo

ESRI Field Maps

Job description

You’ll be the main point of contact for clients on active projects – attending meetings, fielding technical questions, managing project timelines, and making sure work gets done on time and to a high standard. Senior leadership handles business development and strategy; your job is to own delivery.

Day to day, that means:

• Managing client communications on active projects – responsively and confidently
• Attending client meetings and providing clear technical advice
• Preparing ecology reports for planning applications – written to be read, not just filed
• Leading BNG assessments and running Biodiversity Metric 4.0 calculations
• Conducting UKHab surveys and habitat mapping
• Occasional protected species surveys

You’ll work alongside a data specialist who handles much of the BNG work – your focus is on client relationships and report delivery, not just GIS.

Person Specification

• Degree (or equivalent) in ecology, environmental science, biology, or a closely related discipline
• Significant ecology consultancy experience, including managing projects and client relationships.
• Demonstrable experience of client-facing delivery – you have managed client relationships and are comfortable as the main contact
• Strong written communication skills: you write clearly for non-specialist readers, not just for planning officers
• Strong verbal communication: you can explain technical matters confidently to non-specialist clients and attend meetings independently
• Practical experience with BNG assessments using Biodiversity Metric 4.0
• UKHab survey experience
• GIS experience (QGIS preferred) for habitat mapping and spatial outputs
• Full, clean UK driving licence
• CIEEM membership (or working towards)
• FISC Level 2 or above – botanical identification skills are core to our BNG monitoring work and are highly valued here
• Protected species survey licences or experience: bat survey (roost assessment / transect), dormouse (nest tube / PTES), breeding bird survey, reptile survey
• Experience with digital field data collection platforms (e.g. Coreo, ESRI Field Maps or similar)
• Experience preparing or contributing to HMMPs or long-term habitat monitoring reports
• Familiarity with EcIA methodology and planning ecology practice in England

Why Bengrove

This is an opportunity to join a small, high-performing team where your contribution will be visible and meaningful. You will work directly with the Technical Director and Operations Lead and will have genuine influence over how the company delivers its services.

You will undertake technically serious ecological work and play an important part in developing Bengrove’s BNG and habitat-monitoring practice. You will also have the opportunity to work with technology at the cutting edge of ecological monitoring, including passive acoustic monitoring, digital field tools, AI-assisted species identification, custom data pipelines and interactive reporting.

We offer:

• Genuine Hybrid working from our Chilcompton, Somerset office
• 33 days’ holiday per year (inclusive of bank holidays)
• Life assurance scheme providing 4x annual salary cover
• Meaningful client relationships and professional development.
• The opportunity to shape how a growing specialist consultancy delivers its work.