Senior or Principal Consultant – Ecology

Arthian Ltd.; Inverness; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Subscription to professional body (CIEEM)

Tailored training opportunities

33 days annual leave

Employee Assistance Programme

Generous employee referral scheme

Volunteering Day

Cycle to work and electric vehicle schemes

Cycle to work and EV schemes

Job summary

An ecological consulting firm is recruiting for a Senior or Principal Consultant to enhance its Ecology & Biodiversity Team in Scotland. This role involves managing various projects, leading ecological assessments, and overseeing junior staff. A BSc and/or MSc in Ecology is essential, along with strong project management and communication skills. Competitive salary, training opportunities, and 33 days of annual leave are included. The ideal candidate should be willing to travel and have a full UK driving licence.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in leading ecological surveys across Scottish habitats.
• Demonstrable experience in project management with client liaison.
• Excellent report writing skills in EcIA, HRA, and mitigation strategies.
• Knowledge of Scottish planning system, wildlife legislation, planning policy, and ecological best practice (e.g. NPF4, CIEEM).
• Excellent report writing skills (EcIA, HRA, mitigation strategies).
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills for client conversations.

Responsibilities

• Support growth of the Ecology & Biodiversity Team in Scotland.
• Manage people, clients, and projects efficiently.
• Deliver training and guide junior staff.
• Apply knowledge of planning and legislation to ecological projects.
• Prepare reports including EcIA and HRA with mitigation strategies.
• Mentor junior staff and contribute to team development.
• Undertake technical reviews of reports and ecological assessments.

Skills

Ecological surveys and assessments

Project management

Tender writing and business development

Scottish planning system knowledge

Report writing skills

Interpersonal and communication skills

Mentoring junior staff

Technical reviews of ecological assessments

Creativity in ecological solutions

Willingness to travel and work flexible hours

Full UK driving licence

Education

BSc and/or MSc in Ecology or related discipline

CIEEM membership

Tools

GIS

Job description

This is a fantastic opportunity for the right candidate to take on a wide variety of

challenges, including management of people, clients and projects, technical

leadership, business development, commercial management, delivery of training

etc. We will work to shape the role around the right person to some degree, but a

degree of project management and ornithological skills experience would be

advantageous.

What the Role Entails

Arthian is recruiting for a Senior or Principal Consultant to support the growth of the Ecology & Biodiversity Team in Scotland. Whilst the location can be flexible, we are ideally looking for someone who can commute to our offices in Inverness c. once per week.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess a BSc and/or MSc in Ecology or related discipline and be a Full Member (or eligible for Full Membership) of a relevant professional body such as the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM).

The following skills are considered essential to the role:

• Proven experience in leading ecological surveys and assessments across a range of Scottish habitats and species
• Demonstrable experience in project management, including client liaison, budget management, and team coordination
• Experience in tender writing, fee proposals, and business development
• Good working knowledge of Scottish planning system, wildlife legislation, planning policy, and ecological best practice (e.g. NPF4, CIEEM guidelines)
• Excellent report writing skills, including EcIA, HRA, and mitigation strategies
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to talk to clients about complex problems using plain language
• Experience mentoring junior staff and contributing to team management / development
• Ability to undertake technical reviews of PEAs, ecological assessments and other report types
• A willingness to be inventive and creative in developing ecological solutions to novel problems
• Willingness to travel and work flexible hours, including occasional overnight stays
• Full UK driving licence

The following skills would be advantageous, but are not an essential requirement for the role:

• Chartered Ecologist (CEcol) or Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) status
• Experience in ornithological surveys and monitoring and/or habitat surveys
• Holding one or more protected species survey licences (e.g. bats, great crested newt, badger, otter)
• Experience working on infrastructure, utilities, or renewables projects
• Experience with stakeholder engagement, including local authorities, landowners, and community groups
• Familiarity with GIS and data analysis tools

About the Offer

The salary range for this role would be commensurate with experience. In addition, Arthian offers numerous benefits including:

• Subscription to a relevant professional body (generally expected to be CIEEM)
• External and internal training tailored around the individual
• 33 days annual leave (leave and public holiday combined) and the option to buy and sell holidays
• An Employee Assistance Programme
• A generous employee referral scheme
• Volunteering Day for a worthy cause
• Fully flexible parental leave options

Cycle to work and electric vehicle schemes